{"id":1743,"date":"2011-11-26T12:47:16","date_gmt":"2011-11-26T12:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=1743"},"modified":"2012-10-03T12:48:43","modified_gmt":"2012-10-03T12:48:43","slug":"november-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/mda-newsletter\/2011\/11\/26\/november-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"November 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"Smart,Maryland Department of Agriculture\u00a0News<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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\u00a0 Celebrating Maryland\u00a0Agriculture<\/strong><\/td>\n November 2011\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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In This Issue<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PanAm Medalist Honored<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Buy Local Christmas Trees<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Airport Baggage Scales<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CEAP Survey Begins<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Federal Disaster Designation<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smart, Green & Growing<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Featured Recipe<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0Secretary’s Corner<\/div>\n

\"MDA<\/p>\n

There are many things for which we can be thankful this holiday season. Maryland agriculture and consumers can include some of the healthiest, locally-raised produce and livestock, plus a bountiful number of products such as cheese, jams, and salsas. Currently, MDA is promoting holiday foods and local choose and cut Christmas trees. Visit MarylandsBest.net<\/a> to find local products for your family’s holiday celebrations.<\/p>\n

We can also be thankful for all that the agricultural industry has done to help the environment over the decades. The statistics on Governor Martin O’Malley’s Bay Stat program show how much progress Maryland farmers have made as compared to other sectors.\u00a0 There is much more to do as we move forward with implementing U.S. EPA’s Total Maximum Daily Load requirements and the Watershed Implementation Plans.<\/p>\n

Governor O’Malley recently signed an executive order calling for a 60-day state review of current state regulations with the intent of changing and\/or eliminating regulations in order to spark faster job creation. If you have a suggestion for an procedural or regulatory change that would reduce unnecessary burden on the private sector and promote economic growth and job creation without adversely impacting public health or the environment, please share your suggestions with Governor O’Malley by December 17 online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We are also thankful for our dedicated employees who work hard every day to preserve and protect agricultural resources and the environment, promote profitable agriculture and consumer confidence, and enhance the quality of life for all Marylanders. Congratulations to Bob Tatman, chief of our Forest Pest Management program and Biff Thompson, an inspector with the Forest Pest Management program!\u00a0 They were recently presented with Superintendent’s Commendations – the highest honor bestowed by the Maryland Park Service – in recognition of their extraordinary efforts and dedication to protecting and restoring more than hemlock forests in Maryland State Parks.<\/p>\n

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Maryland Farm Bureau annual conference in Ocean City next week.<\/p>\n

Best wishes to you and yours over the holiday season.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Buddy Hance<\/a><\/p>\n

Secretary<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Quick Links<\/strong><\/div>\n
More About MDA <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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BayStat <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sign Up for Governor O’Malley’s E-Newsletter<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Join Our Mailing List!<\/strong><\/a>
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\nJoin the Maryland Green Registry<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n		\n\n\n\n
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MDA Honors Maryland’s Pan Am Silver Medalist &
\nTriple Crown Endurance Champion <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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Governor O’Malley Proclaims November 15 Heraldic and Crandell Family Day in Maryland<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"Heraldic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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From Left: Ashley Valis of the Governor’s Office; Erin Pittman, Vice Chair of Maryland Horse Industry Board; Mary Ellen Setting, MDA Deputy Secretary;
\nJohn Crandell, III, Heraldic and members of the Crandell Family<\/span>.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

MDA hosted a homecoming celebration for Anne Arundel horse trainer John Crandell III and his Triple Crown winning Arabian gelding, Heraldic<\/a>, who together won two silver medals at the Pan American Games in Chile last month. Crandell and Heraldic will lead the U.S. Team in the World Endurance Championship in England in 2012. Heraldic and Crandell are the only team ever to win the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing, which they did in 2006. The Crandell family was presented with a proclamation from Governor Martin O’Malley, declaring November 15 “Heraldic and Crandell Family Day in Maryland.” The Maryland Horse Industry Board<\/a> also presented the Crandells with a “Touch of Class” Award for their dedication and commitment to the highest standards of excellence in Maryland’s equine community.\u00a0 <\/span>For more information about the event<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Choose-and-Cut Your Own Christmas Tree This year \u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"treeGovernor Martin O’Malley is planning to cut his own Christmas tree in early December at a farm in southern Anne Arundel County. MDA encourages other Marylanders to do the same.<\/p>\n

Using a real tree rather than a fake tree is the best “green” choice for the environment and the local economy. While they’re growing, real Christmas trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases while emitting fresh oxygen, unlike artificial trees which are petroleum-based. When growing in open space, a 3-inch Douglas Fir can reduce atmospheric carbon by 23 pounds and intercept 102 gallons of storm water runoff per year. Christmas trees are grown as a crop, intended to be cut and replanted, and do not contribute to deforestation. And used trees can be recycled in a variety of ways, including being turned into mulch that returns valuable nutrients to the soil.<\/p>\n

Visiting a local farm to find the perfect Christmas tree is a great activity for families and a fun way to spend an afternoon. Find a choose-and-cut tree farm near you on the Maryland Christmas Tree Association website<\/a> or visit the Maryland’s Best website. <\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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MDA Inspects Airport Baggage Scales as Holiday Travel Season Begins<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
MDA inspections conducted this month at Baltimore\/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) showed that 100 percent of international and 91 percent of domestic airport baggage scales were accurate. The six percent found to be in violation of weight accuracy were all in favor of the consumer. The remaining three percent had minor violations not related to weight accuracy. Such inspections are a routine part of the work of MDA’s Weights and Measures program, which works to ensure that anything Maryland consumers by weight, measurement or count is accurate. Maryland currently has 16 Weights and Measure inspectors who are responsible for the accuracy of 60,759 weighing and measuring devices in commercial use at 9,217 separate businesses locations. Click here<\/a> for more information. Check out the ABC2 News story here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Farmers Encouraged to Participate in CEAP Survey\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Survey Focuses on Chesapeake Bay Watershed<\/strong><\/em>
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\nUSDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will soon visit selected farmers in Maryland as part of its 2011 National Resources Inventory – Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) survey. To be conducted between November 2011 and February 2012, the survey will gather information from producers about farming and conservation practices on cultivated cropland. The information will help NASS document the prevalence of all conservation practices and provide the base to strengthen conservation planning, implementation and management. Information will also be important to MDA and the state in developing Phase II of the EPA’s Watershed Implementation Plan. As with all NASS surveys, respondents are guaranteed by law that their individual information will be kept confidential. For more information<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Maryland Receives Federal Crop Disaster Designation\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
USDA approved Governor Martin O’Malley request for a disaster designation for widespread crop losses due to extreme weather conditions this year, which included excessive heat, drought, and damage resulting from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Eligible farmers in the disaster designation have eight months from the date of the designation to apply for USDA Farm Service Agency emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program.\u00a0 For more information<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\"go Smart, Green & Growing Unveils New Website, Seeks Partners\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span>
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Maryland’s redesigned Smart, Green & Growing website<\/a> is providing citizens, businesses, organizations and local governments with a one-stop connection the State’s sustainable programs, services and tools as well as a terrific platform for highlighting green successes and ideas.<\/p>\n

Governor Martin O’Malley launched Smart, Green and Growing<\/a> in 2008 to engage every Marylander in the State’s efforts to create a more sustainable future – one that recognizes the inherent connection between our quality of life, our economy and our environment.<\/p>\n

The program is currently seeking partners – organizations that are helping create a more sustainable future by promoting SGG information to their members, customers and constituents, adopting sustainable practices and sharing their own innovative ideas and successes.<\/p>\n

Become an SGG Partner, learn about our state’s genuine progress, check out the green registry and more at green.Maryland.gov<\/a> or call or email us at 410-260-8021 or sgg@dnr.state.md.us<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo courtesy of Edwin Remsberg<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n

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Featured Recipe: Apple and Pear Salad with Grilled Chicken and Pecans<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ingredients:<\/p>\n

8 cups assorted salad greens, torn into pieces
\n1 large, ripe pear, cored and sliced
\n1 tart apple, cored and sliced
\n3 chicken breast halves, grilled, skinned and cut into strips
\n2 tablespoons minced scallions
\n1\/2 cup pecan halves
\n1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
\n1\/2 teaspoon honey mustard
\n2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
\n1 tablespoon orange juice
\n6 tablespoons olive oil<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1\/4 teaspoon salt
\nFreshly ground black pepper<\/p>\n

Line a platter with the salad greens.\u00a0 Top with the pear and apple slices, chicken, scallions and pecans. Sprinkle the cheese over the salad.<\/p>\n

Combine the mustard, vinegar, orange juice, olive oil and salt in medium bowl.\u00a0 Whisk together until smooth and pour over the salad. Finish with pepper to taste.<\/p>\n

Serves 4.<\/p>\n

Recipe provided courtesy of Lucie Snodgrass and Dishing Up Maryland.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Upcoming Events<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n