Calling All Beginning Farmers in Maryland

U.S. Senators from Maryland, Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski have announced that the University of Maryland College Park has been awarded an $845,850 grant through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for their Maryland Collaborative for Beginning Farmer Success program.

So what does this mean for you?  As beginning farmers, there is now even more help for you to learn about and establish successful farms.  The Maryland Collaborative program has four objectives set to reach their goal of preparing beginning farmers just like you for a successful agricultural career.

1. UMD Extension educators will develop a curriculum for new farmers to encourage and enhance their interest and comprehension of the field.
2. The program will offer workshops that bridge the gap between exploring the career to on-farm apprenticeships and mentorship.  It aims to increase the practical knowledge and skills of beginning farmers so they can make informed decision about what types of farming is practical for their resources, abilities and location.
3. To expand upon an existing new farmer training program managed by Future Harvest – a Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, to provide practical, hands-on training for beginning farmers who will work on farms.
4. To ensure long-term success through continued support.

Mikulski says, “Maryland’s number one industry is agriculture.  This grant invests in our students by giving them the tools necessary to succeed in the field.”  So, calling all beginning farmers in Maryland…be sure to take advantage of this grant money and learning experience.

These Local Students are Iowa Bound

As the average age of a farmer increases and less young adults are entering the production agriculture field, how will we produce enough food for the future?  That seems to be the urging question lately, for sure.  The National FFA Organization thinks they have a way to excite and educate young adults on the importance of returning to the farm.

The 2012 New Century Farmer conference will be held July 8 – 13^th in Des Moines, Iowa.  The goal of the conference is to help participants develop their careers in production agriculture by providing them with an opportunity to advance their entrepreneurial leadership, practical knowledge, visioning, global perspective and continuous personal growth.

During the five day conference, participants attend a series of workshops and sessions discussing topics ranging from the global marketplace to farm financing, consumer trends and managing risk.  Participants also have the opportunity to network with industry experts and take part in field and operation tours.

The program is highly competitive and accepts 50 participants nationwide.  We are proud that three of the participants are from the Mid-Atlantic region – Richard Kitchen and Joy Powers from Virginia, and Jacqueline Keenan from Delaware. 

We all know that in today’s global economy, farming is an exciting, fast-paced, and highly technical career.  And who better to take on the challenge then young, educated adults? Congratulations Richard, Joy, and Jacqueline!

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.

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."

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. 

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 to hold farm transition workshop on February 11

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced that it would be holding a workshop for farmers to help them understand issues of farm transition.

The second of three Farm Link and Transition Pilot Workshops will be held on February 11 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, Virginia. The VDACS' Office of Farmland Preservation is working with the Virginia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers Committee to put on the workshop, according to a release.

The goal of the workshop is to inform farmers about how to ensure their farm is passed correctly to whom they intended. VDACS Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr said that doing this properly helps to preserve farmland.

"We are concerned about the loss of working farmland in Virginia, and want to ensure that this land continues to be farmed into the future," he said. "To that end we want to help farm owners set up a plan for a seamless transition from one generation to the next. At the same time, we want to provide assistance to existing farmers interested in expanding their farm operation, and to beginning farmers who are just starting to take the first step."

Ensuring that farmland is properly utilized is essential to Virginia as the agricultural sector has a more than $50 billion annual impact on the state.

Ag student lives off the fat of his own backyard

Sophomore agriculture student Andrew Bell is paying for his education at the University of Delaware by tilling the land in his backyard.

UDaily reports the Southern Delaware man already had the farm in operation – since his junior year of high school. The quarter-acre farm will double in size next year. In the meanwhile, it's helping him pay for his higher education.

"I actually never wanted to be a farmer, but after a rough summer I grew to love it," he told the publication. He said he discovered farming is "surprisingly soothing, especially in the early spring when everything looks so new. The calmness you get from spending time out there, and the happy exhaustion you feel afterward, is something people are losing as more jobs move indoors."

Tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, zucchini and string beans are among the produce yielded in his backyard and he's got his eyes peeled on additional produce like shallots.

Delaware's College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, where Bell is a student, offers coursework in agribusiness, food science, environmental quality, ecology and animal biology, among additional disciplines.

Virginia Farm Bureau's young award recipient looks ahead

The past couple weeks have seen life simplified for Virginia farmer John Henry Anderson Smith IV, the Bristol Herald Courier reports.

The gentleman, who runs a 1,000-acre farm in Southwest Virginia and goes by Andy, was honored by the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation who bestowed him with the Young Farmer Achievement Award. This past summer saw him tapped for the award while toiling through the busy season, which ended in mid-November when the year's calves were auctioned.

"I was very shocked," Smith told the publication about when he emerged as the winner amongst five finalists in late July. "All of the other applicants were just excellent. I was surprised, because I don't have the biggest farm, or the most animals."

The land he works has been in his family since the late 18th century. One of his strongest passions is a devotion to assist farm families cast plans for the benefit of future generations.

The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has at least 150,000 members dispersed among 88 county farm bureaus and is the state's largest advocate group for farmers.