Maryland sets a record for cover crop planting

The state of Maryland set a record for cover crop planting in 2011.

Nearly 430,000 acres in the state were planted with cover crops - which are small grain crops - last year, according to the Star Democrat.

"Our farmers continue to show their leadership in the Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts by planting a record number of acres of cover crops, exceeding their two-year goal by 21 percent," Governor Martin O'Malley said.

Talbot County reportedly led the way for the state, planting 47,192 acres of such crops.

Ted Wycall, who owns Greenbranch Organic Farm in Salisbury, told Delmarva Now that cover crops serve a number of functions.

"There are a couple different purposes to cover crops - the main purpose is to prevent soil erosion, but they also help build organic matter and they also help nutrient cycling in the soil," he told the news provider, adding that when a cash crop is not being planted, typically a cover one is.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture predicts that in 2012 cover crops will stop 2.58 million pounds of nitrogen and 86,000 pounds of phosphorus from impacting the Chesapeake Bay, according to the news source.

West Virginia farm captures second place for corn production per acre

A farm in Northeast West Virginia captured second place in a countrywide contest for measuring the production of corn, according to a press release.

Miltenberger Farm in Keyser, the seat of Mineral County, achieved 279.6187 bushels of corn per acre in the non-irrigated category of the National Corn Yield Contest. Sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association, the contest saw a Virginia field capture first place with 288.4817 bushels per acre.

"That is quite a yield and quite an honor for West Virginia and the Miltenbergers," commissioner of agriculture for West Virginia Gus R. Douglass said. "I can remember when you were considered a good grower when you could manage 50 bushels an acre. The yields farmers are getting these days are simply amazing and a credit to the advanced seeds and technology being used."

The MIltenbergers' farm grew Pioineer P1615HR seed while the Virginia farm, which is owned by Justice Family Farms of West Virginia, cultivated Pioneer P2023HR seed corn.

Partaking in the contest has driven yields by as many as 60 bushels per acre throughout the farm, according to Chris Miltenberger.

Maryland honors forestry innovator

One-thousand acres of woods on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland will be named for the state's first forester, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Fred W. Besley first began his tenure as state forester in 1906 after having been tapped by the first leader of the U.S. Forest Service. The Maryland Board of Public Works voted Wednesday to affix Besley's name to forestland in Dorchester County.

The state of Maryland was the nation's third state to establish a program for forestry, which occurred while woodlands in Maryland were being consumed for purposes including settling, farms and industrial production.

Besley devoted 36 years to calling attention to conservation, both private and public. He also conducted inventories of state forests while promoting efforts to reforest and reigning in forest fires. Besley also grew Maryland-owned forest system from 2,000 acres in 1906 to at least 100,000 acres by 1942. The amount of forest owned by the state of Maryland today stands at 138,000.

The innovator worked and owned the five wooded tracts of land that will take on the name Fred W. Besley Demonstration Forest, which Maryland purchased in 2010.

West Virginia sees meat-processing programs spread

Programs that prepare high school students for the workforce with meat processing skills are developing in West Virginia, according to a press release.

The state agriculture department said 35 schools statewide have programs in operation that qualify or push beyond requirements for meat-cutting businesses. Two counties - Pleasants and Marshal - are building new facilities. Doddridge County recently opened a new facility.

"The Department has been working for a number of years on getting schools to upgrade their facilities mainly to support the FFA ham and bacon auctions that occur throughout the state," commissioner Gus R. Douglass said. "But the student interest in this profession and the directions these programs are moving has exceeded my expectations. Perhaps the only problem we're seeing is that student demand is outgrowing some of the facilities."

Many schools also offer various levels of classes for meat sciences.

One responsibility for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture is inspecting the programs for sanitation issues and procedures of production while helping ensure products prepared at the facilities are labeled prior to being sold.

U.S. ag secretary encourages young farmers, minority farmers at Virginia school

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture recently visited a university in Virginia to speak about the need to get young farmers going in the industry.

Secretary Tom Vilsack was on the campus of Virginia State University in Ettrick and spoke about how he'd like more young people to pursue a career in farming, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

"We talked about the need to get young people engaged in opportunities in rural Virginia," he said. "We are seeing an increase in interest on the part of younger people in smaller-scale [farm] operations, which is why we put some focus on local and regional food systems."

The average age of a farmer in the U.S. is about 60, according to Vilsack, which is a number he is seeking to lower.

In addition to encouraging more people to get into the industry, Vilsack's choice of Virginia State University will likely help motivate minority farmers to get operations started as the school is a historically black university.

R.F. Turner, a goat farmer who saw the secretary speak, told the Progress Index that he believes Vilsack has a "very sincere commitment to diversity in agriculture."

Maryland to hold organic farm production meeting on March 6

Organic farming is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the U.S. and in order to help operators in this field the Maryland Department of Agriculture is holding an informational meeting next month.

The seventh annual Organic Grain, Forage and Vegetable Production meeting will take place on March 6 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. The cost is $30 and will include a continental breakfast and lunch.

The event is sure to be helpful to those involved in organic agricultural production as the topics covered at the meeting will include managing pests, tools that can help during the transition to organic farming, breeding organic soybeans and corn, nutrient management for organic operations and crop insurance.

In addition to gaining important insights into the industry, participants will get three continuing education credits from the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Management Program.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, in 2008 there were 119 organic operations in Maryland. These farms covered more than 7,600 acres of land that year. Nationwide, more than 4.8 million acres of land was set aside for organic production.

Maryland reports successes with oysters

Oysters that call the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland home this past fall achieved the top survival rate in 26 years, state Governor Martin O'Malley said in a press release.

The 2011 Fall Oyster Survey revealed the sea creature had a survival rate of 92 percent, which indicates how many of them were found alive in a sample.

"Although our fight to restore a thriving oyster population to the Chesapeake Bay is far from over, our continued commitment to renewing this iconic species has begun to pay off," the governor said. "Through balanced investments in aquaculture, sanctuaries, stewardship and enforcement, our native oyster is coming back. Together, we can continue to create jobs and support our local economies while returning our native oyster to healthy, sustainable levels."

The state of Maryland, via the Natural Resources Department and agencies that preceded the DNR, has been keeping a close eye on the oyster population since 1939, representing one of the globe's longest-standing programs to monitor this marine life.

Levels of reproduction, disease and mortality rates of the oysters are monitored by the survey, which indicates future populations.

Dairy farmers struggle to keep up with organic milk demand

Organic dairy farmers throughout the country are running low on organic milk amid high demand for the product.

High feed and fuel prices have also contributed to the difficulties farmers have encountered when trying to meet the demand for organic milk, according to USA Today.

The news provider reports that there have been organic milk shortages before but that this time things might not rebound, in part due to a sharp jump in the prices of organic feed needed for the cows.

Molly Keveney, a spokeswoman for Horizon Organic, the top-selling organic milk brand, said that organic milk demand is expected to increase 7 percent, without a corresponding increase in production.

"The market has surged faster than supply, and at the same time we had high feed costs reduce supply, so we had a double hit here," George Siemon, the chief executive officer of Organic Valley, the country's largest cooperative of organic farmers, told the news provider.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2.7 percent of dairy cows in the U.S. are certified organic.

Pennsylvania is one of the more involved states in the mid-Atlantic region when it comes to organic farming, as there are 420 such operations in the state, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service.

West Virginia senate to wrestle with who should oversee deer farming

The full senate of West Virginia is preparing to debate whether the state Department of Agriculture should oversee operations at deer farms, according to West Virginia Metro News.

The state senate finance committee earlier this week passed the bill, which proposes pulling the responsibility away from the Department of Natural Resources.

"The biggest thing we're trying to accomplish is the slaughter and sale of our animals for venison product on the open market," deer farm owner Jack Oliver in Marion County told the publication. "Last year alone I sold $12,000 worth of semen out of my bucks. We sell breeding stock. We sell antlers. We sell semen out of our animals, we sell urine out of our animals. There are endless amounts of ways to make money."

But the rules do not permit the sale of meat to restaurants as venison.

The Register Herald reports Frank Jezioro, director of the Department of Natural Resources, said earlier this month that the department he leads should oversee deer farms.

He said one of the biggest threats to the industry is disease, which would cause significant damage to the wild deer industry, which is valued at $250 million.

Students, FFA members meet with Pennsylvania ag secretary

A group of high school students in Pennsylvania who are considering becoming young farmers recently spoke to the state's secretary of agriculture.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary George D. Greig met with six students from Kutztown High School who are all members of the Future Farmers of America, according to the Reading Eagle.

Greig spoke with the students about a number of issues including sewage sludge being used as fertilizer. In response to a question from a student about this matter, Greig said that he didn't think the sludge should be used on land that produces food for human consumption but added that it might be useful in other applications.

In addition, Greig talked about his life as a dairy farmer and about his time as an FFA member.

"Continue to improve yourself," Greig told the students. "You never know where you're going to end up."

These beginning farmers will be vital to Pennsylvania as agriculture is crucial to the state. There are about 63,000 farmers in Pennsylvania, and these properties - which average 124 acres in size - cover nearly 8 million acres of land. 

Pennsylvania farming cooperative to offer subscription produce, meat service

A group of farmers in Pennsylvania is starting a service that will deliver fresh, organic agricultural products right to consumers' doors.

Oasis at Bird-in-Hand, which is aided by 30 Plain Sect farmers, is planning to start a subscription service that will deliver a variety of farm products to people's houses every week, according to the York Daily Record.

Reuben Stoltzfus, with Bird-in-Hand, is one of the principals behind the effort and has worked to put the cooperative together featuring young farmers from Lancaster County.

Leroy Miller is one of the farmers that is part of the cooperative that will provide the meat and produce for the subscription service. He said he is happy that so many beginning farmers are learning how to farm using traditional methods.

"Farmers younger than me are willing to learn the old ways," he said.

Consumers can also buy the fresh farm products at an Oasis in Ronks.

There are more than 63,000 farms in Pennsylvania and these operations cover about 7.8 million acres of land. Pennsylvania farmers produce more mushrooms than any other state in the union, averaging more than 440 million pounds in annual production.

Maryland chapter recognized at Farm Bureau's annual meeting

The Maryland chapter of the American Farm Bureau was well represented at the federation's 93rd annual meeting in Hawaii, according to The Star Democrat.

Attracting roughly 7,000 participants, the meeting titled "Navigating the Waves of Change" was attended by the Maryland Farm Bureau's president, first vice president and vice president. The delegation, which included members, heard praise for the chapter's achievements with membership and its strong record of programs for members last year.

"We were very pleased to be honored in four of five program areas," president Patricia Langenfelder told the publication. "We might be a small state, but our staff and leaders do an excellent job. We also received the Navigator Award for outstanding membership growth."

Federation president Bob Stallman presented her Langerfelder with awards for agricultural education and promotion, leadership development, policy implementation and public relations.

Voting delegates at the conference in Honolulu early last month advocated for farmers who have been or will be victimized by revenue losses that climb to catastrophic levels by capitalizing on a flexible combination of tools that help meet requirements of fiscal responsibility, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Workshops to be held to help Pennsylvania farmers understand regulations

Young farmers in Pennsylvania and anyone else interested in learning about compliance to certain agricultural programs will have an opportunity to learn about them at upcoming workshops.

The York County Conservation District and Penn State Cooperative Extension will be hosting a number of meetings and workshops to go over requirements for Manure Management and Ag Erosion/Conservation plan regulations, according to WHPTV, a CBS affiliate. These plans are designed to help agricultural and animal operators manage the resources on their land and prevent run-off into waterways.

Some of the specific topics that will be held starting on February 28 and ending March 20 will include the responsibility and role landowners must play in regards to water quality, what roles the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the York County Conservation District play in enforcing compliance and how to get help with creating a plan and putting it into practice.

Founded in 1938, the York County Conservation District is dedicated to helping locals deal with environmental and natural resource concerns. The entity accomplishes this by "providing conservation education, technical services, and financial assistance, in order to enable the citizens of York County be good stewards of our natural resources," according to its website.

Virginia wineries contribute $747 million yearly to state economy

The economy of Virginia collects nearly three-quarters of $1 billion per year from the state's wine industry, Governor Bob McDonnell said on Thursday in a press release.

The contribution of $747 million from the wine industry to the state economy represents an increase of 106 percent from figures collected during the most recent economic impact study, which was administered in 2005. The press release did not reference the status of loans for farm land.

"The Virginia wine industry has seen tremendous growth over last few years," the governor said. "From beautiful new wineries starting up to more and more retail outlets and restaurants adding our wines to their shelves and menus, the growth has been very evident even to the casual observer. However, this study clearly quantifies that growth with empirical data and shows the significant economic impact that the industry is having across the Commonwealth."

The governor also noted the state of Virginia is en route to becoming the top locale for tourism for wine and winery on the East Coast.

The economic study also indicated the wine industry provided full-time jobs for 4,753 people, which is up from the roughly 3,100 people when the study was administered in 2005.

WV Agriculture Department opens search for seasonal employees

The Agriculture Department of the state of West Virginia has begun searching for seasonal employees for Summer 2012, according to a press release.

The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program is seeking assistance with its season for pest surveying and the position is open from the middle of May through August 31. This position requires laboratory work with field work outside the office, which is at the Gus R. Douglass Agricultural Center in Guthrie.

The Cooperative Forest Health Protection Program is looking candidates who can perform insect and survey work while also fulfilling laboratory work from the middle of May through the end of August.

The department of agriculture also is seeking assistance with its Gypsy Moth trapping program, which runs from April through late August. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Gypsy Moth Slow the Spread Program is associated with West Virginia's effort, which will be based in counties in the state's central and southern regions.

The hourly payscale for the seasonal opportunities with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture range from $11 to $13.60. Some travel is required, for which employees will need their own vehicles. The department will reimburse travel expenses.

International export conference set to benefit Virginia farming industry

Next month will see a conglomerate of government agencies, universities and an advocacy for farming merge efforts to assemble an international trade conference in Virginia, according to a press release.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Port Authority are slated to host the Governor's Conference on Agricultural Trade. The conference aims to assist companies that are embarking on an export supply program while also offering workshops regarding agricultural products' international trade.

"Virginia's agricultural exports are a very bright spot for our farmers and for Virginia's economy overall," said VDACS commissioner Matthew J. Lohr. "Every dollar of exports creates another $1.40 to $1.60 in supporting activities to process, package, finance and ship agricultural products."

Lohr cited North American, Asian, African and European nations as being the ones among the list of recipients of exports from Virginia.

The Washington Post reports Russia presently uses 29 Holstein bulls that were reared in Virginia and exported across the Atlantic last month. April will see 30 additional Holstein bulls exported to Russia.

The conference is scheduled for March 13 and 14 in Richmond.

Maryland to consider allowing farmers to brew beer

One Maryland farmer is hoping to try something innovative to help save his property: brewing beer.

Adam Frey says that it has been difficult to keep his family farm afloat due to competition from places like Brazil, reports CBS Baltimore. However, instead of giving up, Frey made the decision to try to convince state legislators to allow farms in Maryland to also operate micro-breweries.

The news provider reports that some lawmakers intend to introduce a bill to allow Frey and others to do just that. After all, Maryland wineries are thriving, why shouldn't it work for a brewery?

Even if the bill gets passed, Frey isn't planning to become the next Adolphus Busch, he still wants to operate his farm.

"And basically create something more than just a family farm. Give us a few extra options as far as farming goes. It's me against the global market. We need some kind of buffer in there," he told the news provider.

The Brewer's Association of Maryland - which was founded in 1996 to promote the brewing industry in the state - lists 15 members on its website.