{"id":1819,"date":"2008-08-26T13:37:32","date_gmt":"2008-08-26T13:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=1819"},"modified":"2012-10-03T13:38:43","modified_gmt":"2012-10-03T13:38:43","slug":"august-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/mda-newsletter\/2008\/08\/26\/august-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"August 2008"},"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>\nAugust 2008 \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
Governor Supports Aquaculture<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Buying Local Gains Interest<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Governor’s Ag Hall of Fame<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Animal Export Study Results<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maryland Hosts Korean Food Buyers<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USDA Sec. Addresses Plant Board<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Md. Chef Places in Seafood Cook-Off<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
People Profile: Chris H. Runde, D.V.M.<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Secretary’s Corner<\/strong><\/span>
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\u00a0Governor O’Malley continues to expand his knowledge about and support for Maryland agriculture.\u00a0 Last month, as part of his Capital for a Day Celebration in Leonardtown<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0 we highlighted an increasingly popular sector of the agriculture industry – agritourism – at Bowles Farm<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 Tommy and Tina Bowles, former tobacco farmers,\u00a0have diversified into an agritourism operation\u00a0including\u00a0this year a 15-acre corn maze that depicts the Blackistone Lighthouse on St. Clement’s. At the farm, the Governor and I talked with the agriculture community there about issues such as, cover crop funding, the tobacco buyout program and Maryland’s Buy Local Campaign<\/span><\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Later this month, we will wrap up the fair season with more than a half-million visitors in what has become a favorite summer tradition – “The 11 Best Days of Summer” at the Maryland State Fair<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Be sure to stop by the Timonium Fairgrounds Aug. 22 through Sept. 1 – there is sure to be something fun for everyone!<\/p>\n

Our Buy Local campaign does not end with summer.\u00a0 In September, we will be kicking off the school year with our Farm to School initiative<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 This is a new program being developed by\u00a0MDA and the Maryland State Board of Education to\u00a0bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and help educate students about where their food comes, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. Check back next month for more information about our special school event in Montgomery County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Thank you and I wish you all the best,<\/div>\n
Roger Richardson<\/em><\/em><\/div>\n
MDA Secretary<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\"Gov.Governor O’Malley Supports Aquaculture<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by Bay Cabinet members and Worcester County officials, toured Chincoteague Bay<\/span> <\/a>on Aug. 13, visiting a local oyster aquaculture business to explore and discuss the economic and environmental benefits of expanding Maryland’s aquaculture industry.<\/div>\n
The tour began at the award-winning Great Eastern Chincoteague Shellfish Co.,<\/span><\/a> the only off-bottom, float shellfish aquaculture operation in Maryland’s coastal bays.\u00a0 The company primarily sells native oysters as “Snow Hill Oysters” to raw bars across the country, local restaurants and local farmers markets.\u00a0While on his tour,\u00a0the Governor also\u00a0visited\u00a0Gordon’s Shellfish – an clam aquaculture operation\u00a0with offshore plots near Public Landing.<\/div>\n
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\"VegetablesBuy Local Campaign\u00a0Still Strong<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by his youngest son Jack, elected officials and agricultural representatives, hosted a cookout on July 18 at Government House that kicked off a series of events promoting the<\/span><\/a>\u00a0purchase of local foods. The cookout officially marked the beginning of Buy Local Week,<\/a> which challenged every Marylander to incorporate at least one Maryland grown, caught or made product into their meals every day for a week.\u00a0Click here<\/a>\u00a0for a video from the cookout.<\/div>\n
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A\u00a0number of local governments, restaurants, grocery stores and farmers markets held special events encouraging people to buy local products.\u00a0Agriculture Secretary\u00a0Roger Richardson and Deputy Secretary Buddy Hance enjoyed several of these events and highlighted\u00a0the various ways to buy local. They\u00a0visited Easton’s Farmers’ Market, Frederick Cellars<\/a>, and Common Market<\/a>–a co-op that buys products from local farmers,\u00a0Restaurant Local<\/a>, Acacia Fusion Bistro<\/a>, General Tanuki and Out of the Fire<\/a> restaurants, and\u00a0the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clagett Farm<\/a>–a community supported agriculture farm.<\/div>\n
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The promotion of local products spans beyond foods grown on a farm. MDA also\u00a0helps\u00a0consumers find genuine Maryland seafood<\/a>. With every new initiative, more Marylanders are beginning to realize the benefits of local products.\u00a0 Fresh, local foods taste better, possess higher levels of nutrients, reduces our carbon footprint and keeps farmers on their land and in production.\u00a0\u00a0Continuing the buy local campaign, First Lady Katie O’Malley kicked off Farmers’ Market Week <\/a>with a visit to\u00a0the new Westfield Annapolis Farmers’ Market on Aug. 3.\u00a0Later that same week, MDA was joined by the National and Mar-Del\u00a0Watermelon Queens and local farmers to promote MAR-DEL-icious watermelons<\/a>. Click here<\/a> to check out their seed-spitting skills.<\/div>\n
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We anticipate that the benefits of local products will entice consumers to buy local year round.\u00a0 For more information, check out the MDA’s Buy Local Challenge Blog<\/a>.<\/div>\n

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Nominations Wanted\u00a0for Governor’s Ag Hall of Fame
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To honor the leaders of Maryland’s thriving agricultural community, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting nominations of farmers <\/a>and farm families for the Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame<\/a>, which pays tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to the state’s leading industry.<\/p>\n

Any farm family that derives its income principally from farming is eligible for the award.\u00a0 Since 1991, when the Hall of Fame <\/a>was established, 35 farm families from 20 counties have been honored for their high standards of conduct; personal values; contributions to their community; and performance, leadership, innovation, and achievement in agriculture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Nomination forms are available from MDA or local University of Maryland Cooperative Extension offices.\u00a0 Nominations are due to MDA by August 26, 2008, and will be reviewed by the Governor’s Selection Committee.\u00a0 For a nomination form or\u00a0more information, contact MDA at 410-841-5770, contact your local cooperative extension office, or click here<\/a>.<\/div>\n

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\"FoalStudy:\u00a0BWI Best for Animal Exports<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The Mid-Atlantic Animal Import Center Feasibility Study <\/a>identified the Midfield Cargo Complex of the Baltimore\/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport <\/a>as the best potential site for the Center.\u00a0 The study also detailed the process of importing and exporting live equine to and from the United States.<\/div>\n
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Currently, only three permanent centers accept horses for importation in the United States. A permanent Mid-Atlantic Animal Import and Export Center could reduce the cost of shipment for horse owners and buyers, and reduce the stress on transported horses thereby increasing the overall condition and productivity of animals shipped overseas.<\/div>\n
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The study was funded by a combination of public and private, federal and State entities including the USDA<\/a>, Maryland Department of Agriculture<\/a>,\u00a0Maryland Horse Industry Board<\/a> and Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development<\/a>.\u00a0Click here<\/a> for more information.<\/div>\n

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\"KoreanMaryland Hosts Korean\u00a0Buyers <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Recent visits by Korean buyers hosted by the Maryland Department of Agriculture<\/a> and\u00a0the Southern United States Trade Association<\/a>, to Maryland\u00a0companies and\u00a0farms yielded promising results.\u00a0 The two-day visit to Maryland is expected to\u00a0generate approximately $535,000 in additional export revenues for local companies. The buyers, representing\u00a0some of the largest import, food service, and grocery retail companies in Korea,\u00a0traveled to Maryland to find suppliers for a wide variety of high-value processed food products.<\/div>\n
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As part of the mission, MDA organized an all-day series of meetings in Annapolis to give companies from around the state the opportunity to showcase their product lines. The buyers also toured McCormick’s Hunt Valley plant, Tulkoff’s new production facility in Dundalk, and Boordy Vineyards in Hydes. Site visits such as these underscore the scope and diversity of Maryland’s products and help to create a broader understanding of agricultural resources within the state.<\/p>\n

MDA also accompanied the delegation to the New York Fancy Food Show, which is one of America’s oldest and largest food shows and features some of the most innovative and exotic specialty food processors from around the country and the world.\u00a0 Click here<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"USDAUSDA Sec. Addresses Plant Board<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
USDA Secretary Ed Schafer kicked off an exciting and informative\u00a082nd Annual National Plant Board Meeting in Solomons Aug. 10-14. Maryland was honored to host the meeting and noted that this is the first time a USDA Secretary has addressed this group.<\/div>\n
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The National Plant Board<\/a>\u00a0is a non-profit organization of the plant pest regulatory agencies of each of the states and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.\u00a0 Member agencies must be members in good standing of the regional plant board in which their state or commonwealth is located. Membership is made up of the principal plant pest regulatory officials of each member commonwealth and state.<\/div>\n

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\"twoMd. Chef Places 3rd in National Seafood Cook-Off<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Chef Tafari Campbell, a sous chef with The White House, finished third at the 2008 Great American Seafood Cook-Off <\/a>during the Louisiana Foodservice Expo in New Orleans on Aug. 4.\u00a0 Chef John Currence of City Grocery restaurant in Oxford, Miss., placed first, earning the titled “King of American Seafood” and Brian Landry of Galatoire’s in New Orleans placed second.<\/p>\n

For his winning dish Chef Tafari prepared BLT Reconstructed featuring\u00a0pan roasted bacon wrapped rockfish with lettuce and tomato and jumbo lump crab meat. Click here<\/a> for the recipe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Organized to strengthen awareness of and involvement in the domestic seafood industry, the Great American Seafood Cook-Off’s top criterion is that the seafood be harvested exclusively in U.S. waters.\u00a0 Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and Washington, D.C., were also represented at the competition.<\/div>\n

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\"Dr.People Profile: Chris H. Runde, D.V.M.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Chris H. Runde, DVM, is the current president of the Maryland State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners<\/a>, a seven-member board charged with setting and enforcing\u00a0standards for veterinarians, registered veterinary technicians, and veterinary hospital owners.<\/div>\n
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Dr. Runde has practiced at\u00a0Tidewater Veterinary Hospital in Charlotte Hall since\u00a01987, where he and five other veterinarians\u00a0currently operate a\u00a0mixed practice with an emphasis on small animals, horse and small ruminants.\u00a0This practice was purchased from Dr. Henry Virts (former Secretary of Agriculture) and Dr. Clarence Little who established it in 1959.<\/p>\n

“I\u00a0became\u00a0interested in the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners as a way to expand my\u00a0experiences as a professional, explore the world of regulatory medicine and give something back to the profession,” said Dr. Runde.\u00a0“It has been a challenging and rewarding experience and I am very proud of our staff.”<\/p>\n

The Board has successfully promulgated important legislation\u00a0to help animal shelters get access to important sedatives and to streamline inspection of veterinary hospitals across the state.\u00a0\u00a0It is\u00a0working\u00a0to raise the standards for continuing education for veterinarians and to enable\u00a0veterinary students to get more hands-on experience in the next legislative session.\u00a0 The Board\u00a0has also\u00a0hired\u00a0 Assistant Attorney General Claudia Diamond to help\u00a0manage a ballooning case load.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“My vision for the Board is to be as accessible to the public as possible as we seek to fulfill our mission in protecting them and their animals by ensuring that the veterinary medicine practiced in Maryland is of the highest quality,” continued Dr. Runde. “We aspire to high levels of availability, accountability and ability and we are determined to respond in a timely professional manner to all complaints, questions and requests.”<\/div>\n
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Dr. Runde is actively involved with agriculture-related organizations. He was on the Board of Directors of the Summerseat Sanctuary, a working historic farm in St. Mary’s county.\u00a0 For more than two decades he has been a member of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) and is currently the Secretary of the Maryland Veterinary Foundation, the MVMA’s scholarship committee. Dr. Runde also wrote an\u00a0 “Ask The Vet” column for Equine Athlete magazine.<\/p>\n

He currently resides\u00a0on Briarpatch Farm, a 50-acre farm\u00a0in Mechanicsville with his wife Karen and two children, where they\u00a0raise horses,\u00a0Labrador retrievers and ring-necked pheasants. Dr. Runde earned\u00a0a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Agriculture from the University of Maryland, College Park.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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