Tag: MDA

Nutrient Management Update

Erika Crowl, Senior Agriculture Agent Associate | ecrowl@umd.edu
University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County

On June 1, MD Secretary of Agriculture, Kevin Atticks, announced the decision to cut the funding to the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Nutrient Management Program. UMD gets pass-through dollars from EPA in the form of an annual grant administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) for UMD to hire nutrient management advisors to write nutrient management plans for farmers at no cost.

As of August 31, 2023 all UMD nutrient management planners will be let go, but the University will retain four Nutrient Management Specialists on campus. MDA has indicated they plan to redirect funding to offer cost-share assistance to farmers to help offset the cost of having plans written by the private sector. Details on the structure of this cost-share program have yet to be released by MDA.

What does this mean for you? Producers will either need to find a private plan writer or attend one of the upcoming farmer training certification (FTC) programs to become certified write their own plan. FTC programs will be offered by University of Maryland Extension in conjunction with MDA; more details for FTC program dates to come in the near future. You can contact a private plan writer in your area by referencing this list, or ask your Extension office for a hard copy.

Farmers who are interested in developing state approved nutrient management plans for their own farm or individuals who are interested in writing plans for the private sector can take The Nutrient Management Certification Exam on August 4, 2023 in Annapolis, Easton, and Keedysville, Maryland. The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions selected from nine knowledge areas. These include general nutrient management; basic soil science; agricultural and environmental management; sampling testing, and analysis for nutrient assessment; basic soil fertility; fertilizer management; manure management; biosolids management; incentives and regulations. You can sign up by visiting MDA’s Nutrient Management Training website.

MDA is offering listening sessions (see below) and encourages all interested producers to attend. During these sessions producers will have an opportunity to express any concerns and ask questions to the MDA staff regarding the changes to the nutrient management program.

Mid Shore Maryland

July 13, 2023 | 3:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. *new time*
Talbot County Community Center
10028 Ocean Gateway
Easton, MD 21601

Virtual Listening Session

July 14, 2023 | 7:00 a.m.—8:00 a.m.
Email jessica.hackett2@maryland.gov to register

Nutrient Management Summit

July 17, 2023 | 9:30 a.m.—1:30 p.m. *new time*
Anne Arundel Community College
101 College Parkway
Arnold, MD 21012
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/NMsummit

 

As stated in a letter from AGNR Dean Beyrouty and Dean of Extension, Dr. Jinhee Kim, “We will continue to provide solutions based on sound science to the public, not only in the agricultural realm, but also in healthy living, financial wellness, youth development, leadership and professional development, environmental quality, home gardening, and much more.”

We at University of Maryland Extension greatly appreciate your patience and support as we try to navigate these new, unexpected changes.

Message from UMD AGNR Leadership on Changes to the Nutrient Management Program

To view this message on our website, click here.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the state of Maryland and its citizens. As a trusted partner in the community, University of Maryland Extension (UME), administered by AGNR, has been providing timely, research-driven, problem-solving assistance to the public for over 100 years. Our dedicated faculty and staff not only serve their counties and regions, but live and thrive as your neighbors and colleagues.

We would like to address the recent announcement from the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) concerning funding for the Nutrient Management Program (NMP) and AGNR’s nutrient management services to farmers across the state. The funding for the NMP comes from MDA and has been used to hire nutrient management planners who are contractual and are employed by the University of Maryland. MDA has made the decision to reduce the funding to the UMD Nutrient Management program. UMD Advisors that have been writing plans for farmers will no longer be employed after August 31st and UMD will no longer have the capacity to write plans for the general farm community. MDA is planning to redirect much of the funding in order to offer cost share assistance to farmers to help offset the costs of having plans written by private industry.

As background, nutrient management advisors within county Extension offices have been developing nutrient management plans at no cost to Maryland farmers since 1989. Over the last 34 years, the nutrient management program has built a trusted partnership with our agricultural community by providing field specific, research-based fertility recommendations for farmers. The program has resulted in increased farm profitability and production and reduced nutrient inputs into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In 2021, 1585 farmers worked with AGNR advisors for a total of 305,873 acres planned statewide. 148 new and updated “no land plans” were also generated.

We understand the difficulties surrounding this decision by MDA, but please know that AGNR remains committed to providing nutrient management planning services for our producers. AGNR is actively pursuing alternative plan development models and funding sources. We are committed to working with our partners at all levels to find workable solutions to this issue.

In addition, MDA will continue to provide limited financial support for 4 UMD NM Specialists to support education and research. These NM Specialists will help farmers learn how to write plans and support them in doing so. There will be a limited number of plans written by these specialists for small scale farms.

The modifications to the nutrient management program in no way diminish UME’s service or commitment to the people of Maryland. We continue to provide solutions based on sound science to the public, not only in the agricultural realm, but also in healthy living, financial wellness, youth development, leadership and professional development, environmental quality, home gardening, and much more.

Thank you for your support as we transition through this period of change.

Sincerely,
Craig Beyrouty and Jinhee Kim
Director and Associate Director of UME, respectively

Maryland Department of Agriculture Pivots Toward a More Options-Driven Nutrient Management Plan Writing Program

Annapolis, MD (June 1, 2023) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture today announced a shift in its Nutrient Management Plan Writing Program that will focus on a new approach to education, training, and farmer empowerment. The decision to move to this new options-rich model comes as a greater demand for plan writing has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland have enjoyed a long-standing partnership regarding Nutrient Management Plan writing and that will continue with this new program,” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “In addition to new incentives for farmers, this program will align with Chesapeake Bay goals while giving Maryland farmers the tools they need to succeed as strong stewards of the environment.”

​Maryland law requires all farmers grossing $2,500 a year or more or livestock producers with 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight to follow nutrient management plans when fertilizing crops and managing animal manure. Nutrient management plans specify how much fertilizer, manure or other nutrient sources may be safely applied to crops to achieve yields and prevent excess nutrients from impacting waterways.

Because of their complexity, these plans must be prepared by a certified University of Maryland specialist, certified private consultant, or farmer who is trained and certified by the department to prepare his or her own plan. Driven by input from industry, the nutrient plan writing program will expand Maryland farmers’ access to nutrient management plan writers and plan writing services, helping farmers meet their environmental stewardship needs and grow compliance with statewide regulations.

The transition is anchored by a valued partnership and educational and training expertise provided by The University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, access to new, beneficial cost-share programs and plan-writing services offered by industry professionals.

The new program features a progressive approach that includes the following:

  • Access to beneficial cost-share programs that will provide partial funding to all eligible farmers in Maryland to access plan-writing services from industry professionals;
  • Opportunities and workshops to help nutrient management advisors become aware of plan writing employment through the private sector;
  • Assisting current University of Maryland planners obtain business licenses to write plans privately;
  • MDA funded UMD specialists providing expanded nutrient management plan writing workshops across the state for ALL Maryland farmers (underserved, small, medium, and large). Support may also be provided to write nutrient management plans for smaller operations;
  • New opportunities for Maryland-based agricultural organizations to build alliances with privatized nutrient management planning services.

“The time is right to privatize and move in the direction that the department envisioned years ago, and we are supportive of this decision,” said University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Craig Beyrouty. “As is our role and duty as a land-grant institution, AGNR is highly motivated to stay involved and help plan writers and producers with nutrient management education, tools, and advice.”

“We would like to recognize the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and its Department of Environmental Science and Technology for their success and contributions over the years,” said Atticks. “We look forward to building upon their strong foundation to take this already successful program to new heights.”

For a list of frequently asked questions related to the future of this program please visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s website at mda.maryland.gov.

Farming for Healthy Soils Program

Kelly Nichols, Agriculture Agent
University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting applications for the Farming for Healthy Soil Program. This program provides financial and technical assistance to farmers for implementing soil health practices on their farm. All livestock and crop (including grain, forage, fruit, and vegetables) farms are eligible for this program. Approved soil health practices include conservation tillage/residue management, multi-species cover crop mixtures, extended season cover crops, prescribed grazing, and precision nutrient management. Practices must be new to the farm; for example, adopting a practice never used on site before or changing from a one species cover crop to a two species cover crop.

Rates range from $10 to $55 per acre (Table 1). Fields eligible for the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost Share (MACS) Cover Crop Program can receive financial assistance from this grant in addition to the MACS funding; however, MACS enrolled fields must be extended season (planted before October 1 and terminated after May 1) or multi-species cover crops. The maximum funding per participating producer is $5,000 annually. Farmers must be in compliance with MDA programs (i.e. nutrient management) in order to participate.

This program runs until June 2023. Soil samples will be taken on participating farms. For more information, contact Kevin Antoszewski, MDA Healthy Soils Program Coordinator, at kevin.antoszewski@maryland.gov or (410) 841-5866.

Table 1. Eligible conservation practices and cost-share rates.

Practice Rate per Acre
Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till or Reduced Till $18
Multi-species Cover Crop (without MACS program participation) $55
Multi-species or Extended Season Cover Crop (includes MACS program participation) $10
Prescribed Grazing $35
Precision Nutrient Management $40

Conservation Buffer Initiative

Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

New opportunities for riparian buffers with pasture, deer fencing

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced that the signup period for its Conservation Buffer Initiative will run from January 10 to February 18, 2022. Now in its second year, this popular conservation program offers attractive incentives, easy signup, and more management options for farmers who want to plant streamside buffers on their farms to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

New this year, farmers can receive up to $4,500/acre to install riparian forest buffers with pasture fencing. Financial assistance is also available to install deer fencing along grass buffers. Other features include a buffer option for field ditches, flexible site management, and shorter contract terms.

“The Conservation Buffer Initiative saw great interest from farmers in its inaugural year, and we are excited to bring it back for 2022 with added incentives,” said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “Conservation buffers are an important tool in our efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. I encourage all farmers with streamside property to contact their local soil conservation district and take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan includes a goal to plant 63,980 acres of buffers by 2025. As of June 30, 2021, Maryland farmers have planted 52,405 acres of buffers, and this grant program aims to help close the gap. Three types of buffers are eligible for funding and free technical assistance from local soil conservation districts: forest buffers planted next to waterways, grass buffers planted next to waterways or field ditches, and watercourse access control areas adjacent to pastures.

Here are program highlights:

  • Payment rates range from $500/acre for an existing grass buffer to a maximum of $4,500/acre to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing.
  • Financial assistance is offered to install deer fencing next to grass buffers.
  • Mowing and hay harvesting are allowed; nutrient applications are not.
  • Farmers receive a one-time payment for enrolled land.
  • Contracts are for five or 10 years.
  • All work must be completed by June 30, 2023.

Farmers who want to install new buffers on land adjacent to waterways or improve existing buffers are encouraged to sign up for these grants through MDA’s website by February 18, 2022. For help with applications or questions, please contact your local soil conservation district office.

Funding for Maryland’s Conservation Buffer Initiative is provided by the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

2021-2022 Maryland Cover Crop Sign-Up

Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

Grants To Plant Cover Crops

Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to apply for grants to help offset seed, labor, and equipment costs to plant cover crops in your fields this fall to protect water quality and build your soil’s health. Our grants can make planting cover crops very affordable!

Why Cover Crops

It’s easy to understand why cover crops are so popular. Cover crops recycle nitrogen, reduce erosion, add valuable organic matter to the soil, and can help protect fields from too much and too little rain. Isn’t it time you put cover crops to work in your fields?

New This Year…

  • The base rate to plant cover crops is $45/acre.
  • The base rate to aerial seed cover crops is $50/acre.
  • A ​$10/acre incentive is available to farmers who plant either rye or a multi-species cover crop.

Mail-in Enrollment

  • Enrollment will be conducted entirely by mail.
  • Applications will be mailed to farmers who participated in last year’s cover crop program and can be downloaded here from July 1 through July 16, 2021.
  • Completed applications must be mailed to the local soil conservation district and postmarked between July 1, 2021 and July 16, 2021.

2021-2022 Overview and Incentive Options

  • ​The base payment for incorporated seed is $45/acre. The base rate for aerial/aerial ground seeding is $50/acre.
  • Incorporated seed qualifies for a $10/acre early planting incentive.
  • Farmers who aerial seed or aerial ground seed cover crops into standing corn on or before September 10, 2021 qualify for a $10/acre incentive payment.
  • Farmers who terminate cover crops after May 1, 2022 may be eligible for an Extended Season incentive payment of up to $10/acre.
  • Incentives are available to plant rye and multi-species cover crops.
  • Plant cover crops after corn, soybeans, sorghum tobacco, vegetables, hemp and millet.
  • There is a five acre minimum. Total enrolled acres may not exceed acreage managed under the farm’s current Nutrient Management Plan.
  • Direct deposit of cost-share grants is available.

Seed Requirements

  • Purchased seed must be free of prohibited noxious weed seeds, have a minimum germination rate of 80%, and have no more than 16 restricted noxious weeds per pound.
  • Homegrown seed with a germination rate between 65% and 79% may be used. Certain rules apply.
  • Cost-share is available for seed testing.

Eligible Cover Crop Species

  • Cereal Grains: Wheat/spelt, rye, barley, triticale, oats, and ryegrass
  • Brassicas: Forage radish and canola/rape
  • Legumes:Clover, Austrian winter peas and hairy vetch (must be planted with a cereal grain as part of a mix)

Cover Crop Mixes

  • New this year, incentives are available for planting mixes.
  • Two-species cover crop mixes may be planted at a rate of 50 percent cereal grains and 50 percent brassicas or legumes.
  • Three-species mixes (50/25/25) must contain a minimum of 50 percent eligible cereal ​grains.

Planting and Termination Dates

  • Plant cereal grains by November 5, 2021. Some species have earlier deadlines.
  • Mixes containing legumes, forage radish, canola/rape, or oats must be planted by October 1, 2021.
  • The aerial seeding deadline for cover crops is October 10, 2021. Some species have earlier deadlines.
  • Terminate cover crops between March 1 and June 1, 2022.

Fall Management Options

  • ​​Eligible cover crops may be grazed or chopped for on-farm livestock forage after becoming well established.
  • Manure may be applied in fall following Maryland’s nutrient management regulations.

Certification Requirement

  • To receive payment, farmers must certify cover crops with their soil conservation district within one week of planting and no later than November 12, 2021.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Participants must be in good standing with MACS and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management regulations.
  • A current Nutrient Management Plan Certification is required and must be submitted with the application.
  • Additional restrictions may apply.

​The Cover Crop Program is administered by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program and funded by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. See your soil conservation district representative or contract for details.

 

 

 

Department Seeks Applicants for Farming for Healthy Soils Program

Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for farmers interested in enrolling their fields in the Farming for Healthy Soils program. Participating farmers will receive free technical assistance and financial incentives to help install the following soil health practices:

  • Conservation tillage;
  • Multi-species cover crops;
  • Extended season cover crops;
  • Prescribed grazing; and
  • Precision nutrient management.

Cost-share funding of $10 to $55 per acre is available to help farmers adopt these key practices. Free technical assistance will be provided by local soil conservation districts or University of Maryland Extension, and will include field evaluations to measure changes in soil health. Financial assistance will also be offered for soils data sampling.

Maryland’s Farming for Healthy Soils program is funded by a three-year, $1 million grant awarded by the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund. In its second year, the grant promotes the use of on-farm soil health practices that increase carbon sequestration, improve soil productivity, and protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund is a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program and the Small Watershed Grants Program. Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Altria Group Restoring America’s Resources partnership.

Farmers who want to enroll study fields in this program should contact MDA’s Healthy Soils Program Coordinator Kevin Antoszewski at kevin.antoszewski@maryland.gov. For more information about Maryland’s Farming for Healthy Soils program, please visit MDA’s website.

Deadline for Planting Cover Crops Extended to Nov. 12

Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

Due to wet conditions across many parts of the state, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has extended the November 5 planting deadline by one week for farmers who signed up for grants to plant fall cover crops through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. Farmers now have until November 12 to plant qualifying cover crops of wheat, spelt, rye, and triticale in their fields.

The extension is only available to farmers who use the following planting methods: no till, conventional, or broadcast with light, minimum, or vertical tillage. With the extension, farmers must certify their cover crop with their local soil conservation district within one week of planting and no later than November 19 in order to be reimbursed for associated seed, labor, and equipment costs.

Cover crops are cereal grains that grow in cool weather. As they grow, cover crops provide a protective cover against erosion and nutrient runoff while building the soil’s organic matter for the next year’s crop. Cover crops are widely considered one of the most cost-effective and environmentally-sustainable ways to protect water quality in local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Maryland’s Cover Crop Program is administered by the MACS Program and the state’s 24 soil conservation districts. Funding is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund and the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund. For more information, farmers should contact their local soil conservation district or the MACS Program’s office at 410-841-5864.

Maryland Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) Bonus Payment

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will issue a bonus payment to Maryland farmers based on a percentage (15%) of federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 (CFAP1) funds received for the CFAP1 period that ended Sept. 11, 2020. Deadline for the bonus payment is December 1 at 5:00 PM. 

CFAP1 provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5% or greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions from COVID-19, and face additional significant marketing costs. The commodities covered are: aquaculture (finfish and crayfish), corn, cut flowers, dairy, livestock (excluding poultry), nursery, small grains, soybeans and specialty crops.

Applications will be online and must be completed by following this link: https://onestop.md.gov/forms/maryland-cares-act-cfap1-bonus-5f5bb7a9274b2e00fb5c9466

Pesticide Applicator Training: What You Need To Know

Private Applicator Certification exams have begun and are following new safety protocols. Registration will be required. Exams will be happening regionally as well as scheduled dates in Annapolis at the Department of Agriculture. Private Applicator and Commercial Applicator exams for October will be at the MDA headquarters in Annapolis on 10/19, 10/20 and 10/22. To register or to get more information call, MDA Pesticide Regulation at (410) 841-5710 or email  kelly.love@maryland.gov for the registration link.

Additional testing dates are scheduled from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. in Harford, Baltimore, and Carroll Counties (flyer posted below):

  • November 4, Harford County Ag Center
  • November 10, Baltimore County Ag Center
  • November 12, Carroll County Ag Center

For more information and to register, please follow this link: go.umd.edu/pestexam, or call the corresponding Extension office. Important details regarding COVID safety policies are in the link.

Private Applicator study materials can be obtained at your local Extension office (https://extension.umd.edu/locations). Call ahead of time to schedule a pick-up. The optional training recording is available if you would like to watch https://go.umd.edu/pesticidereview.

Private Applicator Recertification classes are being scheduled now and will be available in multiple formats including virtual, self-paced and in small groups. Below are steps depending on your expiration:

  • If you are not sure about when your license expires, visit https://www.egov.maryland.gov/MDA/Pesticides/and search for certified pesticide applicators.
  • If your license expires 12/31/2020 and you received recertification training in the past 2 years you will receive an email (watch your spam folder) to renew through the online program. You will need  your license can a special code to renew. https://www.egov.maryland.gov/MDA/Pesticides/
  • If your license expires 12/31/2020 and you have not received recertification training in the past 2 years you will need to attend a recertification class before the end of March 2021. A list of winter production meetings that offer credits for private applicator and nutrient management are listed on page 9 of this newsletter. More information regarding a self-paced recertification course offered through UME will be forthcoming.
  • If your license expires in 2021, 2022 you do not have to attend a recertification training this year; however, feel free to attend any of the offered trainings.

University of Maryland Extension is working hard to create and provide quality programs. If you have questions about certification or recertification, your license, or upcoming workshops, please contact your local Extension Agent or the Maryland Department of Agriculture Pesticide Regulation.