In This Issue

Annie’s Project P. 1

Cecil Co. Agronomy Day P. 1

Beekeeping Session P. 1

Calendar of Events P. 2

Women In Ag Conference P. 2

Inclement Weather Policy P. 2

Cecil Master Gardener Course P. 3

Farmer Training Certification P. 3

Q.A.’s Agronomy Day P. 4

Q.A.’s Master Gardener Tng. P. 4

Volume 5, Issue 1 January 2015

AGLINE Newsletter—Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties

Annie's Project Classes Offered at 7 Locations for 2015

Click on the location below for more information for that site. Accomack County, VA Baltimore County, MD Cecil County, MD Delaware,

Howard County, MD MidShore, MD and Southern Maryland The cost of the course including meals and materials is $75. For more information call 410-758-0166 or send an email to vgc@umd.edu .

Cancellations made prior to 1/1/15 will be re-funded in full; cancellations made after that date will not be refunded. Space is limited. If you require special assistance to attend the classes please contact the site at least two weeks prior. Please visit www.extension.umd.edu/annies-project

Register here!

Beekeeping 101 2015 Session

Mike Embrey, University of Mar-yland Extension Apiculturist, will be offering a beginning bee-keeping class at the Wye Re-search and Education Center in Queenstown, Maryland. The opening session will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 noon. Reg-istration fee is $110.00, which includes the textbook, “The Bee-keeper’s Handbook, Third Edi-tion” by Diana Sammataro. If you have your own book, the fee will be $80.00.

There will be a total of seven (7) classes, the first five will be held on every other Saturday until April. The two final sessions will be held approximately the sec-ond week of August and the third week of September.

To registration, contact: Debby Dant, Wye Research and Educa-tion Center, P.O. Box 169, Queenstown, MD 21658 410-827-8056 X115, ddant@umd.edu Registration deadline is Janu-ary 10, 2015, in order to pur-chase books for each registrant. Please make check payable to: University of Maryland.

University of Maryland Extension – Cecil County

Hosting Winter Agronomy Day

The 2015 Cecil County Agronomy Day is scheduled

for January 21, 2015 at the Calvert Grange Hall.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program

starts promptly at 9:00 a.m. If you need nutrient

management credits, private pesticide credits, nutri-

ent applicator card recertification or first time nutri-

ent applicator training, please plan to attend the

training. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!

There is a $5 cost recovery charge for lunch and materials. If you do not

pre-register, you will not be able to get a boxed lunch. So please call our of-

fice today at 410-996-5280 or visit https://extension.umd.edu/cecil-county/

agriculture/agronomy-day.

This will be a day-long meeting for Cecil County farmers that will include

many topics. There will be several guest speakers covering topics such as:

pesticide regulation updates, soil health, soybean growth and maturity, tim-

ing and method of cover crop on weed suppression, insects in soybeans, farm

bill updates, plant diseases, nutrient applicator card recertification, and first

time nutrient applicator card training. Please register here.

The Extension Office is offering agribusinesses the opportunity to sponsor

this event. Sponsors will be recognized in the program and have space to set

up a display. There will be time before the program, during lunch, and after

the program, for farmers to visit your display. If your business would like to

be a sponsor at this meeting, contact the Extension Office at 410-996-5280.

You can also find more information about the meeting at https://

extension.umd.edu/cecil-county/agriculture/agronomy-day

V O L U M E 5 , I S S U E 1 P A G E 2

JANUARY 2015:

January 6...Grain Marketing Meeting Grain Marketing, 6:30

a.m., Sudlersville Methodist Church Hall, 103 N. Church Street,

Sudlersville, MD. $10 breakfast buffet.

January 7…Poultry Mortality Composting Short Course and Demonstration, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., Poultry Research

Center, UMES, Princess Anne, MD. Cost: $40 (covers refreshments, lunch and materials) Contact: Tina Scites, UMD, 301-405-1198 or tscites@umd.edu

January 12-15...Delaware Ag Week http://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek/

January 14…Delmarva Hay & Pasture Conference, Dela-

ware State Fairgrounds, Harrington. Click here for details.

January 20...Grain Marketing Meeting, 6:30 a.m., Sudlersville

Methodist Church Hall, 103 N. Church Street, Sudlersville, MD. $10 break-

fast buffet.

January 20…Farmer Training & Certification, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ($35 includes lunch on first day) “Crop Operations

Using Manure & Fertilizer”, Wye Research & Education Center, Queens-town, MD Snow date Jan. 23 & Feb. 2—Exam (snow date of Feb. 5. Call local Extension Office for registration information.

January 21…Winter Extension Agronomy Meeting - Cecil County, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Calvert Grange, 2357

Telegraph Rd., Rising Sun, MD. Call Donna or Doris at 410-996-5280.

January 22…Maryland Buyer - Grower Expo. Click here for info and to register.

January 26...Cecil Co. Master Gardener Training.

Contact Cecil County Extension Office at (410)-996-5280.

See Page 3 of this newsletter for more details.

January 28 & 29th, Interstate Pest Management Confer-ence, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register by January 16. Go to www.ipmc.umd.edu

January 30…Grain Marketing Update, 7:30 a.m.-Noon, (with breakfast @ $10) Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD. This

breakfast meeting will include speakers on various topics in

grain marketing. Come have breakfast and discuss this year’s

strategies for marketing your grain. Speakers include market-

ing specialists, traders and more. Please register by January

23rd contact sdill@umd.edu or 410-822-1244. Cost: $15 per per-son and includes breakfast and materials. Click here for more details.

CALENDARCALENDAR

February 28 … Save the date. Maryland Small Ruminant Expo

Frederick Co. 4-H Camp & Activities Center, Frederick, MD. Contact Susan Schoenian

Sheep & goat Specialist, UME. sschoen@umd.edu

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICYINCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY The weather closing policy for Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Extension programs is: “If county schools are closed, Extension programs will not be conducted. If our respective County Governments are closed the Extension offices will be closed as well and all UME programs will be cancelled.

DON’T FORGET!!!!!

2015 DELMARVA DAIRY DAY

Save the date: FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Hartly Fire Hall 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

WOMEN IN AG CONFERENCEWOMEN IN AG CONFERENCE February 12-13, 2015

Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover, DE

See details & register here: http://www.extension.umd.edu/womeninag/2015-conference

February 12, 2015 – Preconference, 1pm - 5pm *Agritourism: Build it and they will come. If only that worked. Come out to the agritourism pre-conference to learn more about what other successful operations are doing, the latest trends in tourism, how to create the perfect customer experience and more. * Agriculture Law: This pre-conference touch upon a host of legal issues impacting agri-culture. This pre-conference will cover legal risk manage-ment issues ranging from use of liability waivers and other strategies to manage risks for farm businesses, such as agritourism operations; estate planning and right-to-farm.

February 12, 2015 - Harness Racing Reception, 6-8pm Stay Late, Come Early ~ Included in the price of the Precon-ference Ticket OR the Main Conference Ticket you are invited to join us for our Harness Racing Reception.

February 13, 2015 - Main Conference, 8am - 4pm, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (link is external) WIA Special Guest Room Rate is $139 To receive the discounted rate contact University of Maryland's contracted travel services: Diane D. Waller, Globetrotter Travel Management, Toll Free: 1-800-322-7032 Extension 112

Some excerpts from the agenda: Keynote Presenter: Jennie Schmidt, aka "The Foodie Farmer" Luncheon Presenter: Justin Berk, Meteorologist, President Just In Weather, LLC Closing Presenter: Kate Ziehm, President Morning Ag Clips, LLC

Breakout Session Include: Selecting Marketing Strategies that Work for YOUR Farm Ginger Myers, University of Maryland Extension

What’s Your Personality Color? Jessica Flores, University of Maryland Extension

I Know What You Did Last Summer – The Woes of So-cial Media Privacy Christy Mannering, University of Delaware

Snap It, App It – The Magic of Digital Photography Michele Walfred, University of Delaware

How Does the 2014 Farm Bill Apply to You? Paul Goeringer, University of Maryland Extension

Introduction to Soil Health Jarrod Miller Ph.D., University of Maryland Extension

USEFUL LINKS

2014 Maryland Wheat & Barley Trials

2014 Maryland Corn Hybrid Test Results

FARM BILL INFORMATION: Click here.

AG LEASING INFORMATION: Click here.

BEGINNER FARMER INFORMATION: Click here.

PSU DAIRY OUTLOOK: Click here.

VCE LIVESTOCK NEWS: Click here.

FARMER TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

Winter 2014-2015

“Write Your Own Nutrient Management Plan” The Farmer Training and Certification course provides an opportunity for farmers to learn how to write nutrient management plans for their own operations. As a producer, you have firsthand knowledge of your own crops, animals, and equipment. Who better to write your nutrient management plan than you? This course will teach you how to do it!

You will receive: A comprehensive training binder – the training binder will be used during the class, serve as a reference during the exam,

and as a valuable resource when you write future plans for your operation. Certification – producers who pass the exam will be certified by MDA to write their own nutrient management plans. Voucher training credits – this class will fulfill the nutrient applicator voucher training requirements. You will have the opportunity to: Complete a nutrient management plan for your operation that meets MDA regulations. In order to work on your own plan, you need to begin gathering information now. You will need a map or sketch of

your operation, soil tests that are less than two years old, and a recent manure analysis (if manure is applied to your land). Contact your county Extension office if you need assistance with this.

Registration Information Space is limited and registrations are accepted on a first-come basis; therefore, register early.

Paid registrations must be received 10 days before the first class. For more information, please call 410-841-5959. Classes will be cancelled if there is lack of interest.

Evening Classes 5:30 – 9 PM ($20)

Day Classes 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM ($35, includes lunch on first day)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–— Keep this portion for your records Return this portion with your payment. Please register me for class # ____________. Enclosed find my payment for the class. Name: Mailing Address: County: City: State: Zip: Code: Telephone: E-mail: Special accommodations needed?

Submit a separate form for each person. Make check payable to Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Mail completed form and payment to: Nutrient Management Program, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S Truman

Pkwy, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

#2 Crop Operations using

Manure and Fertilizer

University of Maryland Wye

Research and Education Center

January 20 (snow date January 23) and Feb. 2

(exam and plan writing) (snow date February 5)

#3 Crop Operations using

Manure and Fertilizer

University of Maryland Exten-

sion – Washington County Office

February 10 (snow date February 13) and Feb. 23

(exam and plan writing) (snow date February 26)

V O L U M E 5 , I S S U E 1 P A G E 3

Cecil County Master Gardeners Offer Master Gardener Training Program

The University of Maryland Extension – Cecil County, is offering a Master Gardener Training Program starting in

January and running through the end of April 2015. The principal goal is to train qualified residents to become certi-

fied Master Gardeners and serve as volunteer horticulture educators. The program’s mission is to educate Maryland

residents about safe, effective, and sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, and

communities.

The cost of the Cecil County Master Gardener Program is $200. The program will be held on Monday evenings from

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The training will run from January 26, 2015 through April 27, 2015 with the exception of Presi-

dent’s Day. The training will cover topics such as: composting, pruning, vegetables, soils, botany, and much more.

Training will be held in the Cecil County Administration Building, 200 Chesapeake Blvd., Elkton, MD 21921.

Applications are still being accepted for the January training session. The deadline for applications is now December

29, 2014. Contact the University of Maryland Cecil County Extension Office at (410)-996-5280 to obtain an informa-

tional packet or you can visit our website to complete and submit an online request at https://extension.umd.edu/cecil-

county/gardening/master-gardener-training-information-request-form . For more information on the Master Gardener

Program, you can visit https://extension.umd.edu/mg .

2014 Maryland Corn Hybrid Performance Test

Report Posted. To find the current and past variety trials visit: http://www.psla.umd.edu/extension/md-crops

The University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs are open to all and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression. The University of Maryland is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Equal Access Programs. La Universidad de Maryland es una institución con Igualdad de Oportunidades de Empleo y con Igualdad de Acceso a Programas.

Contact your local UME Agriculture Educator: Cecil County ~ Doris Behnke at 410-996-5280 or dbehnke@umd.edu

Kent County ~ Contact 410-778-1661 Queen Anne’s County ~ Jennifer Rhodes at 410-758-0166 or jrhodes@umd.edu

University of Maryland Extension

Kent County

709 Morgnec Road, Ste. 202

Chestertown, MD 21620

NON-PROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 157

CHESTERTOWN, MD

MASTER GARDENER TRAININGSMASTER GARDENER TRAININGS “Become A Master Gardener”

February 12 - April 4, 2015

Thursday evenings: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday mornings: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Chesapeake College Campus

Questions/registration, contact: Molly Garrett

UME Queen Anne’s County

410-758-0166 or mgarret1@umd.edu

February 27, 2015, 8:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. Queen Anne’s County 4-H Park, Centreville, MD,

Beef and shrimp lunch provided by Ag sponsors.

Nutrient Management Voucher training & recertification

Pesticide recertification.

Call 410-758-0166 to pre-register!