{"id":1803,"date":"2009-04-26T13:27:32","date_gmt":"2009-04-26T13:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=1803"},"modified":"2012-10-03T13:28:30","modified_gmt":"2012-10-03T13:28:30","slug":"april-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/mda-newsletter\/2009\/04\/26\/april-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"April 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"MarylandMaryland Department of Agriculture\u00a0News<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 Celebrating Maryland\u00a0Agriculture<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nApril\u00a02009\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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In This Issue<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Earth and Arbor Days are for Farmers<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Farm Audits Available Statewide<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Visit Vineyards and Wineries<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seafood Festivals Get Underway<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Farmers’ Markets get Started<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Plant and Flower Auctions for Spring<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gypsy Moth Spray Starting<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ag Commission Tours Charles and Prince George’s<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Profile: Michael Pennington<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recipe: Spring Penne<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0Secretary’s Corner<\/div>\n

\"Secretary<\/p>\n

Perhaps the timing of the annual legislative session<\/span><\/a> was chosen so that farmers would be able to get back to the fields after making the laws.\u00a0 Back then, many of our legislators owned farms.\u00a0 While there are a very few who own farms today, most appreciate the importance of farmland and all understand that the food they eat comes from farms.\u00a0 No farms – No food<\/span><\/a>, as the saying goes.This legislative session\u00a0was a busy one for the Maryland Department of Agriculture.\u00a0 The department presented 10 bills<\/span> <\/a>to the General Assembly.\u00a0 All passed and Governor O’Malley signed<\/span> <\/a>eight into law yesterday.\u00a0\u00a0 We actively followed a great number of bills that would affect agriculture while others in the farm community took positions and advocated on behalf of the farm community.
\nOverall, it was a positive session for the agriculture industry in Maryland.<\/p>\n

While some of our staff was busy with the Legislature, others were in the field planning our upcoming mosquito<\/span><\/a> and gypsy moth<\/span> <\/a>services as well as monitoring nursery stock coming into the region to safeguard our forests, neighborhoods and industry.\u00a0 Perhaps some of the busiest were those working to contain the emerald ash borer<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Trees are being cut and chipped, surveillance traps hung, and a public awareness campaign launched.\u00a0 When you go to a Bowie BaySox or a Southern Maryland Blue Crab baseball game this season, look for information about the emerald ash borer.\u00a0 See if any of the players are using bats made from ash wood.<\/p>\n

Finally we are getting out on our tractors. Corn planting will soon be underway. USDA Agricultural Statistics Service<\/span> <\/a>estimates that Maryland farmers will plant about the same 460,000 acres of corn as last year and about 490,000 acres of soybeans, down 5,000 acres from last year.\u00a0 NASS is a great resource for farmers and other businesses with their various planting reports, crop weather reports and survey results.<\/p>\n

Finally, join me in putting up your feet at the end of a hard work day and watch Maryland Public Television’s Chesapeake Bay Week<\/span><\/a> from April 19-26. There is some outstanding programming on Maryland wine, Chesapeake culture and the environment.\u00a0 MDA, with financial help from federal and private partners, is sponsoring Chesapeake Bay Week to raise awareness about Maryland’s Best <\/span><\/a>products, how to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer<\/span><\/a>, and backyard actions<\/span><\/a> that homeowners can take to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.<\/p>\n

Through all of this and more MDA is smart, green and growing and putting our families first as we preserve farmland<\/span><\/a> and the environment, promote Maryland agriculture, and protect consumers and our food supply.<\/p>\n

Thank you. I\u00a0wish you all the best,<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Roger Richardson, <\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

MDA Secretary<\/div>\n

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Quick Links<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
More About MDA <\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
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BayStat <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Sign Up for Governor O’Malley’s E-Newsletter<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\"Smart,Earth and Arbor Days Highlight that Maryland Farmers are Smart, Green and Growing<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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Next week’s observances ofEarth Day<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and <\/span>Arbor Day<\/span><\/a> are great times to remember all that farmers do for the environment.\u00a0 Agriculture is a leading industry in Maryland and the single largest land use<\/span><\/a>. Maryland farmers play a key role in protecting our state’s natural resources<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> especially the Chesapeake Bay. During the last two decades, Maryland farmers have spent millions of dollars of their own money and countless hours of labor to install and maintain conservation practices on their farms to protect natural resources and enhance the health and vitality of the Chesapeake Bay. Many of their conservation activities are presented on the BayStat<\/span><\/a> website.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bolstered by strong state and federal conservation technical and financial support, farmers incorporate soil conservation and water quality measures into their businesses. These conservation practices help farmers balance crop and livestock production with the need to protect natural resources, while confronting two ongoing\u00a0 concerns-the continued availability of farmland and access to markets or profitability.\u00a0 Well-managed agricultural land provides many more environmental benefits than developed land. At a time when development pressure may be at its greatest, it is in the Bay’s best interest for Maryland to look to ways to keep farmers farming the land.<\/div>\n
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Later this month, Maryland’s CREP<\/span><\/a> agreement will be revised during a public event with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack<\/span> <\/a>and Governor Martin O’Malley<\/span><\/a> in Carroll County<\/span><\/a>. Farmers and landowners will find the details of this program to be very attractive – incentives that will benefit our smart, green and growing<\/span> <\/a>and tree planting<\/span> <\/a>goals for the Bay, the environment and our families. More information will be available next week.<\/p>\n

Anyone with a small patch of ground can take backyard actions<\/span> <\/a>for a cleaner Chesapeake Bay that are based on farming practices. Some basics include water conservation, recycling yard and food waste by composting, using fertilizer wisely, trying pesticide alternatives and controlling erosion.<\/p>\n

Marylanders all across the state, including First Lady Katie O’Malley<\/span><\/a>, are putting in backyard vegetable gardens at a rate perhaps not seen since World War II.\u00a0 For those who need some guidance, the University of Maryland<\/span><\/a> Home and Garden Information Center and Master Gardeners<\/span><\/a> are at the ready with their Grow it-Eat it<\/span><\/a> phone lines, website and classes.<\/p>\n

Tap into all the resources the state<\/span> <\/a>and federal government have to offer for a smart, green and growing future that benefits our families first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"mealogo\"Statewide Farm Energy Audit Program Now Available<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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A new program made available\u00a0by the\u00a0Maryland Energy Administration<\/a>\u00a0is now available for all agricultural producers in Maryland!\u00a0 The Maryland Statewide Farm Energy Audit Program is a new program based on a successful program run originally for Maryland’s Eastern Shore and western counties.\u00a0 This program will help farmers reduce their energy costs through farm energy audits and incentives for qualifying energy saving projects.<\/div>\n
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A farm energy audit collects and analyzes data about\u00a0a farm’s energy use and recommends actions to increase the energy efficiency of your farm operation.\u00a0 The process begins when an EnSave representative conducts a phone interview with a farmer\u00a0 to collect basic information about\u00a0the operation, such as the size of\u00a0the facility,\u00a0the current energy use, and\u00a0any plans for the future.\u00a0 A data collector will then visit\u00a0the farm to capture energy end-use information.\u00a0 Following the visit, EnSave will generate a customized, multi-page energy audit report which will provide information about energy use and\u00a0the potential for\u00a0energy savings.\u00a0 EnSave will\u00a0follow up to review the report, answer any questions, and discuss next steps.<\/div>\n
Farmers will pay $300 for an energy audit, with the cost refunded if they install any of the measures recommended through the audit.\u00a0\u00a0 The energy efficient equipment incentives will be available whether producers receive an energy audit or not.\u00a0 The program’s equipment incentives\u00a0will\u00a0be based on\u00a0$0.06 per kilowatt hour of electricity saved for any qualifying lighting projects, $0.08 per kilowatt hour saved for all other eligible electric saving\u00a0projects, and $1.50 per gallon of propane saved for eligible\u00a0gas saving\u00a0projects.\u00a0 The incentives cannot exceed 50 percent\u00a0of the total project cost.<\/div>\n
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For more information interested producers can visit www.ensave.com\/<\/a>
\ncall Corey Conant, EnSave’s Program Manager, at (800) 732-1399, or e-mail Corey at coreyc@ensave.com<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Maryland Vineyards and Wineries are Open to Visitors<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n\"Ask<\/span><\/p>\n
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Spring is here, and Maryland’s 28 wineries invite visitors to venture outside and enjoy the warm weather, beautiful scenery and superior vintages they have to offer.\u00a0 April is the perfect time to begin exploring the state’s five wine regions with their distinctive products and properties.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Maryland’s two established wine trails, the Frederick and Mason-Dixon trails make it easy to visit a number of vineyards and wineries in a day or to spend an extra day taking in the history, culture, restaurants and scenic byways.\u00a0 This year, the Patuxent and Chesapeake wine trails will be coming on line in May for visitors to explore more of the sights, sounds and tastes of Maryland. To find a listing of Maryland wineries, visit www.marylandsbest.net<\/a>.\u00a0 Read more here<\/a>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\"Blue Maryland Seafood Festival List Available<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Dozens of seafood festivals will be held throughout Maryland beginning in May and continuing through October.\u00a0 Festivals range in size and diversity from St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival in Leonardtown to the 32nd Annual Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield.\u00a0 Festivals can be found from Annapolis to Leonardtown, from Havre De Grace to Solomon’s Island and many places in between. Included in the list is a directory of fee fishing farms so anglers can catch their own fish and have their own festivals!<\/p>\n

Festivals include entertainment and educational activities for the entire family.
\nFor the cooking enthusiast, certain festivals are host to cooking contests.<\/p>\n

The 2008 Maryland Seafood Festival List is available online at www.marylandseafood.org<\/a> or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to 2009 Seafood Festival List, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Seafood Marketing Program, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. Please call festival contacts directly for information on individual events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It’s Farmers’ Market Season!<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nMaryland’s farmers markets will begin opening this month and next.\u00a0 This season’s produce features kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, early lettuces, and perhaps some early tomatoes in the next few months.\u00a0 About 93 farmers markets will open this year with at least one in every county and Baltimore City.\u00a0 The 2009 Maryland Farmers’ Market Directory<\/a> will be available soon. The directory lists the\u00a0locations and hours of each market. The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides qualified senior citizens and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program participants with checks\u00a0that they can use at farmers’ markets to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and cut herbs.\u00a0About 270 farmers will participate in\u00a0the\u00a0FMNP\u00a0initiative and\u00a0more than $600,000 in checks will be available to provide fresh, nutritious food to those in the program and povides an additional source of income to farmers.\u00a0 Farmers’ markets can also be located on the Maryland’s Best <\/a>website.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\u00a0Plant and Flower Auction to Begin April 22 in Cheltenham <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Get geared up for spring planting and Mother’s Day as the Southern Maryland Regional Farmers’ Market begins its seasonal plant and flower auction.\u00a0\u00a0Held indoors, the auctions will\u00a0take place\u00a0rain or shine every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and every\u00a0 Saturday at 10:00 a.m. from April 22 through June 10.\u00a0 Click here<\/a> for more information.<\/div>\n

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Gypsy Moth Spray Activities<\/strong><\/span><\/span>\"gypsy
\nThe gypsy moth<\/a>is by far the most destructive pest of forest and shade trees in Maryland. MDA is planning to spray about 38,454 acres in 14 counties and Baltimore City this year.\u00a0\u00a0The majority of the acreage to be treated is in Western Maryland. \u00a0Frederick, Washington, Baltimore, Cecil and Allegany are the counties with most proposed acreage to be sprayed.\u00a0 Spraying will begin around the last weekend in April and go through the end of May.\u00a0 The spray activities get underway in the early morning, around dawn.\u00a0 Private, state and federal land will be sprayed, and written notifications were sent\u00a0to property owners in and near spray blocks.<\/span><\/span>The toll free numbers will be updated as new information becomes available: Baltimore County and east, 800-492-2105; Carroll Co. and west, 800-492-2106.\u00a0 More information on MDA’s gypsy moth\u00a0program<\/a>.\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0for a UMD Home and Garden Information Center fact sheet.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Maryland Ag Commission Spring Tour<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nThe Maryland Agricultural Commission<\/a>\u00a0had its annual spring\u00a0 tour this past Wednesday, April 8th.\u00a0 The Ag Commission visited four farms to learn more about the different types of agricultural operations in Maryland. At Serenity Farms Inc, the commission learned about greenhouses, agritourism and direct farm marketing. The commission then visited the Cockburn Tree Farm in Hughesville.\u00a0 <\/span>Gleaning, the Southern Maryland Regional Farmers’ Market’s wholesale auction market, and the amerald ash borer were the topics of discussion at Cheltenham Warehouse. At the Montpelier Farm in Upper Marlboro, the commission learned about the farm’s \u00a0conservation efforts as well as it’s grain and hay operation.<\/p>\n

In addition to the tours, the commission sponsored a public meeting\u00a0at which\u00a0local farmers, citizens and elected officials are given the opportunity to express their concerns about agriculture issues impacting the industry. All\u00a023 counties host the commission every five years.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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People Profile: Michael Pennington\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/span>\"Mike<\/span><\/p>\n
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Michael Pennington is the chairman of the Rural Maryland Council<\/a> and is the first and only executive director of the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore <\/a>of Maryland since its establishment in 2002.\u00a0 He previously worked for the lower shore private industry council, a non-profit organization which is now part of the council.<\/p>\n

Michael’s agricultural background and activity in various councils in the state have prepared him for the role of chairman of the Rural Maryland Council. He is very excited to be chairman this year, saying “The Rural Maryland Council provides a great opportunity for a number of rural issues to be discussed, and for solutions to arise. There is really no other organization in the state\u00a0that addresses all of these issues.” The main focus of the council is regional economic development and planning, work force training, the One Stop Job Market and managing Run Shore Transit. \u00a0\u00a0The council hopes to obtain a central facility this year.<\/p>\n

Mike grew up on a small farm outside of Berlin, Maryland and still resides there today with his family. His father owned the farm, and Mike still grows Christmas trees there. He is very involved in the state’s rural affairs, and is on the council for the Rural Maryland Broadband Coordination Board, which aims to provide high- speed Internet all over the State of Maryland.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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\"pennepasta\"Featured Recipe: Penne with Chicken and Asparagus<\/span>
\n(allrecipes.com)<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Asparagus will soon begin to flourish in Maryland. Here is a fresh and easy pasta dish that is sure to highlight\u00a0spring produce and our leading agricultural product, poultry<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a versatile recipe in which you can add in any other ingredients you might like.\u00a0 Pair with a Maryland wine<\/a>, like Bordeleau Winery Pinot Grigio or Deep Creek Cellars Glade Run Dry Ros\u00e9, and you are sure to have a fabulous dinner!<\/span><\/p>\n

Prep Time:\u00a015 minutes
\nCook Time:\u00a020 Minutes
\nReady in:\u00a035 Minutes<\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS<\/span><\/p>\n

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1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta<\/div>\n
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided<\/div>\n
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into cubes<\/div>\n
salt and pepper to taste<\/div>\n
garlic powder to taste<\/div>\n
1\/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth<\/div>\n
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces<\/div>\n
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced<\/div>\n
1\/4 cup Parmesan cheese<\/div>\n

DIRECTIONS<\/strong>
\nBring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.<\/div>\n
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Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.<\/div>\n
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Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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