Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
July 2020 Volume 1, Issue 5
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Nutrient Management Program…………………........….2 County Committee Elections 2020…………………… ………….2 Agriculture Coronavirus Re-sources …………………...…….…2 Ag Marketing…..………………..3 Feed the Need Grant Applica-tions Being Accepted………....3 BOLO—Spotted Lanternfly is Out……………………………….....4 Maryland Pesticide Container Recycling Program……….…...4
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST FOR JULY
1-17 - Cover Crop Signups , p1
08 - Designing a Successful Pas-ture and Grazing System http://www.extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars.
14 -Your Land & The Long View: Working with Farmers to Pro-tect Your Investment Webinar Series, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/your-land-the-long-view-working-with-farmers-to-protect-your-investment-tickets-106812009596
15 - Feed the Need Grant Appli-cations DEADLINE, p3
17 - Food Safety Fridays- A How-To Webinar Series, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-safety-fridays-a-how-to-webinar-series-registration-103266799778
22 - WIA Webinar, Beef Basics: Things to Consider Before Start-ing your Small Herd http://www.extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars.
Greetings to All! I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. I hope that you can take some time to celebrate and enjoy your family on July 4th! I hope that you stay strong, safe and healthy during this crazy time of un-certainty; and I WISH you all Successful Farming! Sincerely,
Doris Behnke Senior Agent Associate Agriculture/Horticulture Master Gardener Coordinator [email protected] 410.996.8135
Cecil County Ag News
The Maryland Department of Agriculture Announces Mail-In
Applications for Cover Crop Program
The Maryland Department of Agriculture announced that this year’s cover crop sign-up will be conducted entirely by mail from July 1 through July 17. For more information, visit the program’s website, https://mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Pages/cover_crop.aspx.
2 2
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
The Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrogen Test (PSNT)
The Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrogen Test (PSNT) is used to help opti-mize nitrogen fertilizer use in corn grain and corn silage fields. The PSNT measures the amount of nitrate nitrogen that is availa-ble in the soil to the corn plant, at the time in the season when the corn is most likely to start needing it. The PSNT should be run when corn is between 6 and 12 inches tall. This is the time period just before the corn is getting ready for a rapid growth spurt and will require nitrogen for growth. The PSNT will show
whether enough nitrogen is already present in the soil. If there is, additional nitrogen applications may be foregone, saving time and money. However, the PSNT is not ap-plicable for use on all corn grain/silage fields. The PSNT should only be used on fields that have had manure or biosolids applied this year or in the past two (2) years, a for-age legume grown in the last year, less than 50 pounds of commercial fertilizer nitro-gen per acre was applied prior to sidedress and that are NOT irrigated. Additional information on the PSNT may be found at the link below. https://extension.umd.edu/anmp/pre-sidedress-soil-nitrate-test-psnt For help with deciding if the PSNT is applicable to your field, please see the link below. https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_images/programs/anmp/SFM-2.pdf For instructions on collecting samples for the PSNT please visit the link below. https://extension.umd.edu/anmp/soil-sampling-psnt
Where to send samples for testing PSNT samples can be tested through private labs or at your local extension office. Please contact your local nutrient management advisor for instructions on soil drop offs as arrangements will need to be made while we are under COVID restrictions. If you wish to have a private lab run your samples please visit the link below.
Labs that perform PSNT https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/programs/anmp/Soil%20Lab%20Comparison%201-14-2019.pdf
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Maryland Department of Agriculture
https://news.maryland.gov/mda/category/covid-19/
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
https://www.mafc.com/update
University of Maryland Extension
ttps://go.umd.edu/COVID19_Dairy https://go.umd.edu/COVID19_Dairy_infograph
https://extension.umd.edu/learn/covid-19-resources
https://
extension.umd.edu/
cecil-county/
agriculture-natural-
resources
University of Maryland
http://umaglaw.org/
legal-resources/covid-
19-resources/
3
GRANT APPLICATIONS
ARE OPEN!
The Future Harvest Feed the Need Fund was created to help farmers weather
market changes caused by the pandemic and to help address hunger by providing food access in a variety of ways to communi-ties in our region. We will award cash mini-grants to farmers, ranging from $500-$5000. In light of our renewed commitment to stand for racial equity, we commit to 50% of these awards go-ing to Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color. From activi-ties like sliding scales on CSA orders and home deliveries to providing produce to local food banks and pantries, grant award recipients will have the flexibility to participate in this effort us-ing the tools and means that work best for you to help others.
ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION PROCESS
Eligible applicants are vegetable, fruit, meat, and dairy producers in Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, West Virginia, or Delaware. Again, Future Harvest commits to providing a mini-mum of 50% of our mini-grants to Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color. Priority also will be given to Future Harvest members.
The online grant application is easy to complete with a few de-tailed questions to help ensure that Future Harvest is awarding producers with the greatest needs and that can provide food to those in need.
Cash mini-grants, ranging from $500-$5,000, will be award-ed this summer.
Farmers are eligible for grant funds if able to deliver produce to those in need at retail value. A one-time delivery cost of up to $75 can be included.
Farmers will need to provide market-quality products and document how many pounds of what type of product you deliver when and to which organizations, individuals and in what geographic area. (A form to fill out will be provided to grant awardees.)
A review committee composed of Future Harvest Board mem-bers, staff and farmers will review and select awardees.
APPLICATIONS DUE JULY 15, 2020
If you have any questions, please contact Carole Bernard at [email protected].
ADJUSTING DIRECT MARKETING TO SELLING
ON-LINE— A 24-7 OPPORTUNITY
A shift was already underway to ordering food online in America, prior to the arrival of the coro-navirus pandemic. U.S. online grocery sales grew 22% in 2019 and, propelled by high demand from nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns, stands to surge about 40% this year, according to the Coresight Research U.S. Online Grocery Survey 2020. Shopping for food online has be-come normal, if not the “new normal”. Farmers who direct market their products and craft food entrepreneurs can also im-plement the online tools neces-sary to capture these profitable food and beverage sales. For more information on adjust-ing direct marketing to selling online, read Mastering Marketing - Special
Edition June 2020. The University of Maryland’s Agri-culture Marketing Program’s mis-sion is to assist individuals with marketing plans, develop profita-ble, sustainable marketing oppor-tunities, and work in coordination with other supporting agencies to enhance Maryland’s agricultural economy. The program is staffed by Ginger S. Myers, Extension Marketing Specialist. While housed at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center (WMREC), My-ers’ support responsibilities are statewide. Visit their website at https://extension.umd.edu/agmarketing
4
University of Maryland Extension
Cecil County
County Administration Building
200 Chesapeake Blvd., Suite 1500
Elkton, MD 21921
Phone: 410-996-5280
https://extension.umd.edu/cecil-county
University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion,
protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.
Doris Behnke Senior Agent Associate
Agriculture/Horticulture [email protected]
Jenna Talbot
Nutrient Management Advisor [email protected]
Donna Witkowski
Administrative Assistant [email protected]
Be On the Look
Out for the black
with white dots Spot-
ted Lanternfly instar.
These pictures of the
SLF instars were tak-
en in Elkton on June
9, 2020, along the
edge of a woods.
For more information, visit our website, https://
extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/spotted-lanternfly
