MPT series Maryland Farm & Harvest features Baltimore City and Washington D.C., along with Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties on Jan. 23

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its fifth season, will feature locations in Baltimore City and Washington, D.C., along with Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties during the episode airing Tuesday, January 23 at 7 p.m.

The upcoming episode features the following segments:

• Black Locust Hops Farm in Freeland (Baltimore County) and Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick (Frederick County). Che and Lisa Carton of Black Locust Hops Farm raise a crop that’s relatively rare by Maryland standards. Starting with 40 plants, they have expanded over 10 years to become a 4,000 plant operation. Hops, used to flavor beer, prefer dry conditions, not the wet, humid weather characteristic of the Mid-Atlantic region. But is there hope for hops in Maryland?  As demand for locally brewed beer increases, so has interest in local hops. The segment concludes with a visit to Flying Dog Brewery’s annual hops selection day, where local brewers assess local hops, like those grown by Black Locust, and place orders.
• Krastel Farms, in Worton (Kent County) and Mason’s Heritage Farm, in Queen Anne (Queen Anne’s County). Consumers are choosing organic chicken more than ever, and the impact is being felt on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Known for its booming poultry industry, the number of organic chickens raised in the region increased from 3.5 million in 2015 to nearly 8 million in 2016. Andy Krastel of Krastel Farms in Kent County shows how he raises his organic chickens, and grain farmer Bill Mason, of Mason’s Heritage Farm in Queen Anne’s County, explains why the popularity of organic chicken means increased demand for organic grain.
• MD-Delight Dairy, in Westminster (Carroll County). Few people are aware that the average dairy cow in the U.S. annually produced 2,600 gallons of milk and that a cow isn’t technically a cow until it gives birth and begins to produce milk. During this segment dairy farmer Crystal Dell of MD-Delight Dairy in Westminster in Carroll County takes viewers through the steps involved in raising a calf or heifer through the time it becomes a dairy cow.
• Manger Packing Corporation in Baltimore City and Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, DC. The Half-Smoke sausage – half beef and half pork with a blend of spices – is a local specialty.  In this week’s The Local Buy segment, Al Spoler learns how the sausage is made at Manger Packing Corporation in Baltimore City, before tasting it as part of a popular sandwich created at the famed Ben’s Chili Bowl in northwest Washington, D.C.  The beef used in the Half-Smoke sausage is raised at Roseda Black Angus Farm in Monkton. Information about Ben’s Chili Bowl is available at mpt.org/farm.

Watch a preview

Maryland Farm & Harvest takes viewers on a journey across the state, telling stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow Maryland’s number one industry: agriculture. Over the past year, MPT’s production team has filmed stories at more than four dozen farms in preparation for the new season. Maryland’s rich agricultural heritage, the importance of bees, and growing crops in the face of changing weather patterns are among themes covered in depth during upcoming episodes.

More than five million viewers have tuned in to Maryland Farm & Harvest since its fall 2013 debut. The series has visited more than 200 farms in its first four seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.

Joanne Clendining, who earned an Emmy® from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her work as Maryland Farm & Harvest host, returns for season five. She is joined by Al Spoler, co-host of WYPR-FM’s “Cellar Notes” and “Radio Kitchen” programs, who hosts The Local Buy segment during each episode.

Maryland Farm & Harvest airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and is rebroadcast Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Each show also airs on MPT2 Fridays at 7:30 p.m.  More information about the series is available at mpt.org/farm. Viewers can join the conversation on social media at #MDFarmHarvestFans.

Agriculture is Maryland’s largest commercial industry, contributing more than $17 billion in revenue each year. As of 2016 approximately 350,000 Marylanders are employed in some aspect of agriculture. The state has 12,300 farms accounting for approximately two million acres, with nearly 6,000 full-time farmers.  Today, 110 farms and more than 7,679 acres are certified organic in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is MPT’s co-production partner for Maryland Farm & Harvest. Major funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

Additional funding is provided by Maryland’s Best; MidAtlantic Farm Credit; the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation; the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation; and the Maryland Soybean Board.

Other support comes from Wegmans Food Markets; the Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.; the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative; the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; the Maryland Farm Bureau Service Company, and by Mar-Del Watermelon Association; Hoffman Irrigation, LLC, an authorized Valley Irrigation dealer; Chesapeake College; and the Rural Maryland Council.

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Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept