AGRICULTURE

Educating People to Help Themselves

Local Governments • U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating

The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The University’s policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, and disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the Director of Personnel/Human Relations, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742

BALTIMORE COUNTY OFFICE • 1114 Shawan Road, Suite 2, Cockeysville, MD 21030 • 410-887-8090 • FAX 410-785-5950

July 2015

In this IssuePasture Walk 1Grow It Eat It Preserve It Workshops Preserving Your Garden’s Bounty! 1FREE Gardening Demonstrations 1America’s First Farmer 2Businesses Can Now Renew Pesticide Licenses, Permits & Certificates Online 2Agricultural Law Education Initiative 3Vegetable & Fruit News and Agronomy News 3Recent Legal Developments with Animal Agriculture under RCRA and the Clean Air Act 3Mid-Atlantic Precision Ag Equipment Day 42015 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Eb-236 4Nutrient Management Plan Writing Workshops 470th Annual Hereford Jr. Farm Fair 4Master Garden Fest 4Avian Flu 4Save the Date! 4Upcoming Program Dates* 6

The University of Maryland Extension Office in Baltimore County will be CLOSED on: September 7, 2015

The Baltimore County and Harford County Extension offices are conducting a ‘pasture walk’ at Jack Straw Farm, a cattle and horse farm 3038 Green Rd.White Hall, on August 27. This informal, hands-on pasture management discussion will include the following topics… soil fertility, weed control, soil conservation, and grazing and grass management. We will start at 6:30 pm rain or shine

Pasture Walk2015

and finish up about 8:00 pm. The pasture walk is open to anyone with livestock and or questions about establishing and maintaining pastures. Preregistration is requested if interested in attending or for more information please contact …

Baltimore County Extension office at

410-887-8090 or email Dave Martin dmarti@umd.edu or

Harford County Extension office at 410-638-3255 or email Sara Meagher BhaduriHauck sbd@umd.edu

Grow It Eat It Preserve It Workshops Preserving Your Garden’s Bounty!Where: Baltimore County Extension Office, 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030 When: July 22 - October 27What: Food Preservation workshops Cost: $35/workshop

Advance registration with payment is required. Make checks payable to BCEAC. Register online at http://gieipibc.eventbrite.com or exact cash at the door Registration includes It’s So Easy To Preserve publication. Hurry and sign up space is limited. Registration deadline is 2 days prior to each event.

FREE Gardening DemonstrationsPresented by University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County Master GardenersAugust 29 Pollinators in Your GardenSeptember 26 Composting at HomeOctober 31 Halloween in the Garden – Kids’ EditionCheck the website for more information and to reserve a spot.

http://ter.ps/mgdemogarden1114 Shawan Rd., Cockeysville, 10 am – 11 am(weather permitting)

www.extension.umd.edu/baltimore-county

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This past Spring, I spent some time seeing the local sights with out of town guests. We visited Baltimore’s

Inner Harbor and the Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. We also drove down to Virginia to see Mount Vernon, George Washington’s ancestral home and plantation. Expecting only the standard tour of a grand mansion

and gardens, I was amazed to discover Washington’s scientific and creative mind and love for the land.

After the Revolutionary War, Washington returned home to Mount Vernon and transformed his plantation into a true model of progressive agriculture. Even during his long absences fulfilling his duties as President in Philadelphia, he conceived, planned and directed innovations at his farm. Thanks to his meticulous records and prolific

letter writing, we have a wealth of examples of his futuristic farm management practices.

Since his passion was his land, he enjoyed the challenge of raising livestock, cultivating crops and learning what techniques and tools worked best. He studied agricultural books, corresponded with leading farmers in America and Europe. In all, he tested over 60 different crops and many different planting techniques at his 8000 acre plantation.

Two hundred years ago, Western science knew nothing about soil chemistry or nutrient management. The first formal work in soil science didn’t begin until the mid 19th century. I was fascinated to learn how Washington experimented with dozens of materials to improve the quality of his soil. As a result of this work, Washington began to see how cultivation and soil amendments were both essential to better harvests.

Washington built one of the earliest stercoraries, or dung repositories, in America. After a period of fermentation in the stercorary, the field workers spread the manure and then planted the crops. Washington recognized the value of direct manure application by including pastured animals in his field rotations. I was most surprised to learn Washington was radical in his use of fencing to keep animals in or out of certain fields. This allowed him better control over grazing intensity, manuring patterns, soil compaction and crop damage and losses to wild and domestic animals.

Washington wrote of the fertility of dark creek mud, mostly due, as we know now, to its high organic matter content. Historians believe Washington dredged local streams for muck to spread. In some of his correspondence, Washington left instructions to use fish heads and guts for fertilizer.

America’s First FarmerBy Debbie Patrick, Baltimore County

Businesses Can Now Renew Pesticide Licenses, Permits & Certificates Online

Businesses, public agencies and commercial applicators can now renew their pesticide licenses, permits or certificates online from any mobile or desktop device, 24 hours a day, through the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) website. This online service also allows those renewing licenses to print their renewal certificates directly from a computer.

“We’ve put a lot of work into creating a system that makes pesticide renewal simpler,” said MDA Pesticide Regulation Program Manager Dennis Howard. “We hope that our customers will find the tools offered effective and convenient.”

Businesses renewing licenses can submit an online renewal application by entering the license number, type of business, and a code sent to them from MDA.

Along with renewals, consumers can search an online database for certified businesses, applicators and dealers of pesticides. Searches offered online also include information about pesticide renewal and recertification courses.

Renewals and database searches can be done here: https://www.egov.maryland.gov/mda/pesticides

Pesticide businesses and individual pesticide applicators are required by law to be trained and certified in proper handling, storage and use of pesticides to prevent accidents and promote safe usage. For more information about pesticide regulation and licensing visit http://mda.maryland.gov/plants-ests/pages/pesticide_regulation.aspx

Continued on page 5

INFORMATION Page 3

Agricultural Law Education Initiative

http://umaglaw.orgThe MSBA’s Ag Law Section and the Ag Law

Education Initiative recently completed an update of the Legal Services Directory to reflect the section’s growing membership. A digital copy is available at http://ter.ps/LegDirect. Hard copies also available –Email: umaglaw@umd.edu to ask for a hard copy.

The Commodity Classic will be held Thursday, July 23, 2015 at Queen Anne’s 4-H Park. The Classic is hosted by the Maryland Grain Producers Association, Maryland Soybean Board, Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board and the Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association.

The Classic will open at 10:00 a.m. with research project tours at Queen Anne’s 4-H Park, along with checkoff-funded and commercial exhibits. The business meeting and program begins at 1:00 p.m., concluding with the famed Chicken & Pork BBQ and Crab Feast. Entry prior to 2:30 p.m. is $10, and after 2:30 p.m. the entry fee is $20, with no entry after 3:30 p.m. For ticket information regarding the Commodity Classic, contact the MGPA office at 410-956-5771.

Precision Ag Equipment Field DayAugust 5, 2015https://2015precisionag.

Recent Legal Developments with Animal Agriculture under RCRA and the Clean Air Act

2015 has seen interesting development in legal issues related to livestock production. In January 2015, a federal district judge ruled that manure (stored or applied to a field) could become a solid waste under federal environmental laws. At the same time, a consortium of environmental and animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA for failure to act on their petition to regulate ammonia gas releases from animal feeding operations. The law as it relates to these operations is currently in a state of flux.

On August 6th at noon (EST), Dr. Shannon Ferrell, Oklahoma associate professor of agricultural economics, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, will discuss the implications of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Clean Air Act (CAA) on animal agriculture, recent litigation, and other legal issues.

This webinar is open to livestock producers, Extension educators, agricultural service professionals, and anyone else interested in learning more about the potential impacts of RCRA and the CAA on livestock operations. The webinar is free to attend. Signup is available at: https://livestockrcrawebinar.eventbrite.com.

The webinar is sponsored by the University of Maryland’s Agriculture Law Education Initiative, University of Maryland Extension Poultry, DAIReXNT, the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center, Texas AgriLife Extension, and the Northeast Extension Risk Management Education Center.

Vegetable & Fruit News and Agronomy News

Timely publications for the commercial vegetable and fruit industry or the commercial agronomic field crops and livestock industries available electronically in 2015 from April through October. To be added to our email list please contact Dave Martin at dmarti@umd.edu.

© Copyright James T M Towill and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

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Mid-Atlantic Precision Ag Equipment Day

Wednesday, August 5, 201510:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Somerset County Civic Center11828 Crisfield LnPrincess Anne, MD 21853Join us for the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Precision

Agriculture Equipment Day to be held on the Lower Eastern Shore in Somerset County. Talks and equipment demonstrations related to precision agriculture technology and methods are planned and nutrient management credits will be available.

University of Maryland Extension in cooperation with Delaware Extension will be hosting this exciting event. The field day will provide an excellent opportunity for education and networking for agricultural professionals throughout the region.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear and interact personally with the top precision agriculture researchers in the country. We will have a midway for the booths and a test drive area where larger equipment can be displayed and there will be space for attendees to take equipment for a spin.

See more at: https://extension.umd.edu/news/events/wed-2015-08-05-1000-2015-mid-atlantic-precision-agriculture-equipment-field-day#sthash.2uD0NyjF.dpuf

2015 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Eb-236

Here is the link to the latest edition of this great resource:

http://ter.ps/comveg

Avian FluAvian influenza is a viral disease that can affect

bird species throughout the world. The disease can vary from mild to severe, depending on the virus strain involved. The most severe strain is called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). High path flu is characterized by high, fast moving fatality rates (more than 75%) within infected flocks. Since December 2014, USDA has confirmed many cases of HPAI in both commercial and backyard flocks. There are currently no known or reported cases of High Path Avian Influenza in Maryland.

For more information go to http://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/AvianFlu.aspx .

Save the Date!Forage EvaluationWhen: September 16, 2015 from 6:30 to 8:30

Where: University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County, 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.Register: 410-887-8090

Nutrient Management Plan Writing Workshops Offered September 22 and 29, 2015

The Maryland Department of Agriculture and University of Maryland Extension will offer two, one-day workshops titled, How to Write a Nutrient Management Plan on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at the Montgomery County Extension Office in Derwood and Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at the Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown. The course is aimed at newly certified consultants and provides six Maryland Nutrient Management continuing education credits. To register, call 410-841-5959 or visit www.mda.maryland.gov. Scroll down the Quick Links to Nutrient Management and click on Nutrient Management Training Classes for a registration form.

70th Annual Hereford Jr. Farm FairJuly 31, 2015, 6:30 pm andAugust 1st, 2015, 9 am to 3 pmBaltimore County youths showcasing their animals and

indoor exhibits including: food, photography, vegetables, flowers, arts & crafts and more.

Friday, July 31, 6:30 pm is the pet showSaturday, August 1, 9 am - 3 pm are all of the animal

shows and indoor exhibits on display.All visitors welcome and Baltimore County youths are

encouraged to participate. For more information to to: www.herefordjrfarmfair.com

The Hereford Jr. Farm Fair is held annually in August and is located at the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture, 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.Master Garden Fest August 1st 10 am - 2 pmUniversity of Maryland Extension Master GardenersActivities include:• Scavenger hunts • Fun with herbs• Garden ideas and answers

• Children’s crafts and activities

• Worm composting

• Heirloom tomato tasting• Busy Bee Pollen Hunt

Fest Fest MASTER GARDEN

August 1st 10 am to 2 pm1114 Shawan Road in Cockeysville

INFORMATION Page 5

as pasture to fatten livestock, then a seventh year of corn or potatoes to complete the cycle. Note that over half of the cycle was devoted to non crop production. Even though he sacrificed some net profit with these practices, he was certainly on the right track to demonstrate sustainability in a farming enterprise.

Low prices and other factors convinced Washington to abandon tobacco as a major cash crop in the 1760’s. This is when he turned to grains, particularly wheat. Wheat was marketable to a number of offshore points in the Caribbean and Europe. Even if the price fell, it could at least feed the hundreds of slaves and paid workers it took to manage his farm and related operations.

In the 18th century, as they had for centuries before, farmers threshed grains by hand or used livestock such as oxen or horses to tread on it outdoors. Outdoor processing left the wheat exposed to bad weather, excessive dirt and other problems that reduced its quality and value.

Washington designed a 16 sided “treading” barn for processing wheat and other grains. Completed about 1794, it was built into an embankment so that the horses could enter the upper treading floor from ground level at the back. The horses walked around a ring inside on a floor designed with narrow gaps to allow the grain to fall through. Most of the straw stayed upstairs on the threshing floor. Workers shoveled the fallen grain from the brick walled lower level for the trip to the gristmill.

The original treading barn survived until about 1880, when a photographer captured it in black and white. Just a few years later, a county building tax audit did not list it. In the more recent past, historians spent about five years researching Washington’s letters and sketches, studying building techniques used in other period structures, and pouring over written descriptions of the building by visitors to Washington’s plantation. With the exception of a modern concrete footing (as required by modern building codes), workers recreated the barn using the methods and tools known to builders over 200 years ago.

For all our scientific knowledge and abilities today, we still depend on some very basic practices Washington pioneered.

This Summer would be an excellent time to plan a day trip to Mount Vernon. There are many special events scheduled for 2015. In addition to the agricultural displays, you can tour the mansion and grounds. There are some restored and replica outbuildings that house collections of clothing, jewelry, tools and other everyday items of early American life. There are a total of five Washington farms and mill sites and other historical homes and churches in surrounding Fairfax County. Mount Vernon has an excellent web site at www.mountvernon.org or you can call 703-780-0011 for more information.

Washington was one of the first farmers to use marl on his fields. Marl is chalky clay. Chalk is calcium carbonate, or lime. Without knowing the exact reasons why, he discovered that marl provided a more favorable environment for many crops so Washington was essentially adjusting the pH in his fields.

He also experimented with plaster of paris, or gypsum, and found that it helped loosen heavy, clayey soils. Today we know that gypsum also adds trace elements like sulfur and provides calcium a source without affecting pH the way lime does.

Washington was a great advocate for the use of cover crops. He prescribed plowing down buckwheat, clover, and peas to replenish the soil. He noted how these green manures helped improve the productivity of his soil. Today we know the practice provides nitrogen and other nutrients and protects the soil from the erosive effects of wind and rain.

Washington described the use of wood ashes to help improve the soil. He noted the added benefit of preventing certain insects from ruining the crops. He found that seeds mixed with ashes and sand were also easier to broadcast, or hand sow. Washington even started to plant some seed in a methodical way, into rows or hills of cultivated soil. Conventional practice at the time was to broadcast it all over minimally cultivated soil. One of the most interesting contraptions on display is a “spikey roller.” It is an animal drawn device consisting of a wooden cylinder studded with wooden 6” spikes. An ordinary wooden chair sits atop the framework for the driver. The idea behind this machine was to loosen the soil prior to planting.

Washington believed in planning to keep his fields in long term production. In his day, it was common practice to exhaust fields in a few years’ time, then move on to clear more land to start over on fresh soil. After all, North America was a boundless wilderness to the British immigrants who had been crowded onto an island nation for centuries. The land in the New World in comparison was cheap and available for the taking by anyone with the resolve to put it to “better” use than for growing forests. Washington’s land had been in the family since the mid 17 century. He was determined to break away from a one crop system and conserve his land. At a time when most plantation owners were depleting their soil by overplanting and exposure to erosion, Washington devised a method of crop rotation designed to improve the long term productivity of his land. He believed by rotating crops, his fields would not become “exhausted” and lose the ability to provide good yields.

Washington charted a seven year rotation of several crops that placed as much importance on soil restoration as it did on crop production. A succession of crops included wheat, buckwheat for green manure, wheat, three successive plantings of grass and clover

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University of Maryland ExtensionBaltimore County Office 1114 Shawan Road, Suite 2Cockeysville, MD 21030

Sept. 16 Forage Evaluation from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030 to register call 410-887-8090

Sept. 20 MARC’s Family Farm Day 10 am - 4 pm at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

Sept. 22 Nutrient Management Plan Sept. 29 Writing Workshops

Two, one-day workshops September 22 at Montgomery County Extension Office in Derwood and September 29, 2015 at the Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown.

Sept. 26 Free Gardening Demo Composting at Home, 10 - 11 am at the Demo Garden at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

Oct. 31 Free Gardening Demo Halloween in the Garden – Kids’ Edition, 10 - 11 am at the Demo Garden at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

Upcoming Program Dates*July 22 Grow it, Eat it, Preserve it Workshops

Spring through fall preserving workshops at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

July 23 Maryland Commodity Classic Queen Anne’s 4-H Park at 10 am for more information call 410-956-5771

Aug. 1 Hereford Jr. Farm Fair & Garden Fest from 9-3 at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030

Aug. 5 Mid-Atlantic Precision Ag Equipment Day 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Somerset County Civic Center 11828 Crisfield Ln Princess Anne, MD 21853

Aug. 27 Pasture Walk at Jack’s Straw Farm at 6:30 pm

Aug. 29 Free Gardening Demo Pollinators in Your Garden, 10 - 11 am at the Demo Garden at 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030