JHU museum exhibit to show early farming practices in Baltimore

A museum at a Baltimore college is opening its doors to an exhibit that traces the city's early food and farm practices, according to a published report.

"Federal Foodies: From Farm to Table in Early Baltimore" has been on display at the Homewood Museum at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Scheduled to run through April 29, the exhibit will be augmented by Historic Farm Day on April 1.

Historic Farm Day focuses on Baltimore's early agricultural history and the Homewood farm. Built in 1801, Homewood was the summer resort for Charles Carroll Jr., whose father signed the Declaration of Independence from Maryland.

Now the primary campus of Johns Hopkins University, the property once encompassed 130 acres and entailed fields of grain, fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. The property had a farmhouse, an ice house, a smoke house, dairy products and cattle.

Set to kick off by paying tribute to Historic Farm Day, the exhibit will feature interactive activities and demonstrations.

Visitors who partake in Farm Day may enjoy educational activities that are set up both indoors and outdoors and are germane to gardening and farming.

MidAtlantic Farm Credit announces retirement of Lloyd Webb and promotion of Kenny Bounds

Westminster, MD (March 24, 2012) – MidAtlantic Farm Credit (MAFC) has announced the retirement of Lloyd Webb, Regional Manager in the Delmarva Region of MAFC and the promotion of Kenny Bounds to succeed Webb.
Webb began his Farm Credit career over 35 years ago as a field representative with the Delaware Federal Land Bank Association and the Delaware Production Credit Association. Over the years, he assume positions of increasing responsibility. Bob Frazee, President/CEO of MAFC says, “We, and I have been fortunate to have Lloyd as a member of MAFC’s leadership team.”
Bounds joined Farm Credit in 1977 and is well known in the agricultural community. “Kenny is a real asset to Farm Credit and will continue representing Farm Credit in his new position,” says Frazee. Bounds will work alongside of Webb until March 30 when Lloyd retires.
MidAtlantic Farm Credit is one of the largest agricultural lenders on the east coast. They provide agricultural credit and crop insurance to farmers, rural landowners and agribusinesses in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. They are part of the national Farm Credit System, a cooperative lender with more than 500,000 borrowers and a portfolio of over $160 billion. Additional information is available at www.mafc.com.

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Media Contact:
Sandy Wieber, Vice President of Marketing
800.333.7950
swieber@mafc.com

MidAtlantic Farm Credit to hold Stockholder Meetings

Westminster, MD (March 24, 2012) – Customers of MidAtlantic Farm Credit (MAFC) should plan to attend one of the sectional stockholders’ meetings scheduled in April. Meeting attendees will join fellow stockholders, directors, and staff of MAFC for a meal and fellowship as well as hear an update on the association’s plans for 2012. Entertainment will follow the business portion of the meeting.
New this year, a grand prize will be awarded to one lucky customer or guest who attends one of the five sectional meetings. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a Gator XUV 550 Crossover Utility Vehicle. The winner of the vehicle will be announced on or about April 25. In lieu of the UTV, the winner may accept a cash alternative.
Registration for the meetings will begin at 6:15 p.m. with diner being served at 7:00 p.m. The meeting dates and sites are as follows:
• April 2 Wicomico Civic Center, Salisbury, MD (new location)
• April 3 Modern Maturity Center, Dover, DE
• April 4 Yoder’s Restaurant, New Holland, PA
• April 10 Walkersville Fire Hall, Walkersville, MD
• April 11 Millwood Station, Winchester, VA
Stockholders will participate in the election of directors and nominating committee members at the meeting. In addition, mail-in ballots will be sent to all eligible voting stockholders home address on April 18. Bob Frazee, MidAtlantic’ s President/CEO invites all stockholders to attend the meeting most convenient to them. “It was another successful year for MidAtlantic,” notes Frazee. “I hope many of our customers will attend to hear a brief report on last year’s financial results and learn what management has planned this year to try and repeat last year’s results.”
MidAtlantic Farm Credit is one of the largest agricultural lenders on the east coast. They provide agricultural credit and crop insurance to farmers, rural landowners and agribusinesses in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. They are part of the national Farm Credit System, a cooperative lender with more than 500,000 borrowers and a portfolio of over $160 billion. Additional information is available at www.mafc.com.

Media Contact:
Sandy Wieber, Vice President of Marketing
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
800.333.950
swieber@mafc.com

Virginia steps forward to support honeybee sustenance

The state of Virginia is doing its part to preserve the strength of the honeybee population in the state as the insect serves an important role in the agricultural industry, The Smith Mountain Eagle reports.

Though the U.S. Congress has not stamped approval on funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor Colony Collapse Disorder, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Cooperative Extension offer beekeeping courses. Honeybees pollinate crops and concerns for the slimming population have been ongoing for about five years.

"The interest in beekeeping remains strong," apiarist Keith Tignor with VDACS told the news source. "We're seeing more and more local beekeeper associations; in fact, I helped start another one in Fluvanna County … At some of the classes we have had to turn away participants. And the number of hives seem to be stable right now."

CCD occurs when worker bees leave the hives in large numbers, which presents problems for the queen bee and the unborn bees.

Tracking down the missing bees is part of the problem as scientists are interested in knowing the exact reason why the bees abandon the hives.

West Virginia recognizes top agritourism outfits

The Agriculture Department of West Virginia recognized in-state agritourism firms for helping to shine a light on the state's attributes, according to a press release.

The state conducted a February 29 Agritourism Workshop in Morgantown, where it distributed annual prizes and awards that celebrate exceptional advertising, promotion and publicity of destinations and attractions offered by the state. Betty Carver, state tourism commissioner recognized winners who were in attendance at the workshop late last month.

"Agritourism has become an important niche in the tourism industry. West Virginia farms and rural communities are experiencing an increased interest in the products they produce and the lifestyle they showcase," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass.

The top award for the best brochure for an attraction of event went to Heritage Farm, which was followed by Smoke Hole Outfitters and then Brookedale Farm. The best rack card was awarded to Mountain State Art & Craft Fair, followed by WV Strawberry Festival and New River Trail Rides.

Cello/Bloomery Plantation Distillery got the nod for best website, followed by West Virginia Strawberry Festival and then Mountain State Art & Craft Fair.

Historic rifle display to be exhibited next month at Pennsylvania farm museum

At least 50 long rifles steeped in tradition and heritage will be presented early next month at a museum in Southeast Pennsylvania, according to a press release.

The Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster County is presenting "The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle" and the display pieces will be drawn from the museum, other museums and and private collections. Some of the rifles to be displayed will be presented for the first time ever.

"Lancaster County gunsmiths were craftsmen who excelled at producing exquisite, hand-made pieces incorporating highly refined artistic carving, engraving and inlaying while at the same time satisfying the need for accurate hunting weapons," museum site director James Lewars said.

Some rifles were crafted by renowned gunsmiths and demonstrate detail and effort that establish the rifles within the purview of artwork.

Also on display will be pistols, powder horns, game bags, gunsmithing tools and contemporary images of the long rifle.

Opening March 11, the exhibit - which is receiving funding from a Richard C. von Hess Foundation grant - runs through December.

Pennsylvania farmer nearly set to display electricity, energy producer

A Northwest Pennsylvania farmer is within months if not weeks of unveiling a mechanism that converts bales of switch grass into a burnable heat source, according to The Associated Press.

Calvin Ernst of Crawford County said the wood-like pellets that are generated also can produce electricity or can absorb moisture. The 71-year-old and his son have been working on the contraption and are pleased with their progress thus far. The plan is to have the device up and running in April, when it will generate five tons of pellets per hour.

"We have like 25 different motors in this thing all trying to work together. It would be easy for something to go wrong," he told the news service.

The pellets that come from processed switch grass generate 5 percent less energy than pellets that come from wood. Yet the switch grass pellets are capable of producing two times as much energy in one year per acre.

The effort is funded by an $896,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Department. Ernst's idea has long been in the planning stages as he planted 1,000 acres of switch grass in 2007.

Pennsylvania ag event helps educate young farmers

Seasoned agriculture operators, beginning farmers and people just curious about the trade recently gathered in Pennsylvania for the 34th Annual Wayne County/Sullivan County (N.Y.) Dairy Day/Ag Day.

The Honesdale High School gymnasium was abuzz on February 20 as a variety of people attended workshops and presentations on a number of subjects, according to the Wayne Independent.

The topics and issues addressed at the event ranged from connecting young farmers with older operators looking to pass their land on to someone to using previously overlooked materials for biofuels.

State Representative Mike Peifer told the people at the event that farming was essential to the Keystone State.

"Agriculture is huge," he said, reports the news provider. "It's not here like it used to be, but as a whole Pennsylvania still has a huge agricultural community. Pennsylvania agriculture may have its challenges, but it’s still the biggest business in the state. That's a big deal. It gives the ag community a lot of clout in Harrisburg. There is strength in numbers."

Farming touches a huge number of people's lives in Pennsylvania as there are more than 63,000 agricultural operations in the state, which cover nearly 8 million acres of land.