April 2020

Local Governments • U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental

disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. The information given herein is supplied with the

understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by University of Maryland Extension is implied.

Hello, Baltimore County!

I hope you are all staying safe during

these times! COVID-19 has given us all a lot

of uncertainly, but we are trying to power

through these difficult times. In order to

limit the spread of the virus, the University

has instructed all faculty and staff to tele-

work until at least April 10; this includes us

at the Extension office. Also, all in-person

classes and programs are either canceled

or moved online until at least April 10. The

University will reassess the situation as we

approach April, so stay tuned in for up-

dates.

In the meantime, I will be teleworking. I

am still available for on-farm and field con-

sultations. The best way to reach me is via

email (ecrowl@umd.edu) and those of you

that have my cell, feel free to call me. You

may also call the office number and leave a

voicemail, they will be forwarded.

For those of you that may be direct mar-

keting farm products to consumers, this

may be an opportunity to capitalize on an

influx of consumers interested in purchas-

ing local products during the pandemic.

Future Harvest and the Maryland Farm-

ers Market Association have announced a

new online map to help people find fresh,

local foods in the Chesapeake Bay region

during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are

already 500+ entries on the map. The or-

ganizations invite more farmers, markets,

and producers to participate.

You can view the map here. By clicking on

the document link in the top left-hand cor-

ner, users can find the form to submit an

entry and to read the safety protocols. In

case people have a hard time finding the

docs, they can access the submission

form here to get on the map.

Some of you may also be concerned about

the upcoming labor issues as the new H2A

worker visas have been suspended from

Mexico. On Wednesday, March 18 the U. S.

Department of State announced that H2A

guest workers from Mexico with existing

visas will be admitted, but that interviews

for new visas had been suspended. 40% of

agriculture workers from Mexico are re-

turning workers and have a visa, but 50 –

60% of Mexican H2A workers are new and

need visas. It maybe be of benefit to look

into the smaller countries such as El Salva-

dor and Guatemala as they are still pro-

cessing farm worker visas.

Additional resources for consumers and

producers include: University of Maryland

Extension website, Center for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention website, The Maryland

Horse Council, and Maryland Farm Bureau.

Stay safe and healthy!

-Erika

www.extension.umd.edu/baltimore-county

IN THIS ISSUE

1 Covid-19 Updates

2 Sensitive Crop Locator

2 Direct Marketing Meats

Online

2 Manure Transport

Program

3 Chlorpyrifos Update

3 Beekeeping Qualifies for

Agricultural Use

4 2020 Census

4 MDA Provides Clarity on

Social Distancing

5 Heat Tolerant Vegetable

Varieties

6 Dates to Remember

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

Educating People To Help Themselves

2

Attention all Beekeepers, Specialty Crop Growers, and Pesticide Applicators! Erika Crowl, University of Maryland Extension In 2019, The Maryland Department of Agriculture partnered with the non-profit company FieldWatch™, Inc., to provide online registry tools to promote good communica-tion between producers of pesticide-sensitive crops, beekeep-ers and pesticide applicators.

FieldWatch registry uses precision real-time mapping tools to help pesticide applicators know where beehives and specialty crops are located before spraying and to reduce incidences of off-target pesticide exposure. FieldWatch offers three free volun-tary mapping tools called DriftWatch, BeeCheck, and Field-Check for sensitive crops, beehives, and applicators, respective-ly.

This system is meant to create awareness among farmers and landowners and to improve stewardship in Maryland. To regis-ter, go to FieldWatch.com and choose the type of account you would like to create.

For more information about FieldWatch, read this help-ful resource or call The Maryland Department of Agriculture Pesticide Division at 410-841-5710

Maryland Department of Agriculture, full article here The Manure Transport Program helps cover the cost of transporting manure to farms with low phosphorus fields or to alternative use facilities. Payments of up to $22.50/ton are available to eligible farmers and manure brokers. New: Haul Now, Apply Later FastTrack Option to Transport Poultry Manure Farmers who want to switch to poultry manure should check out the new and improved Haul Now, Apply Later Fast Track grants to move poultry manure. The new grants allow farmers to haul poultry manure now, and apply for cost-share reimbursement later. To apply, visit MDA’s website and download an application and claim form. Standard Option to Transport Poultry Litter

Farmers apply through the local soil conservation district

Registered manure brokers apply directly to the Maryland Department of Agriculture

The sending farm must be located in Maryland and raise broiler chickens for one of the participating Delmarva poultry companies

Poultry litter must be transported more than 7 miles from the sending farm.

The applicant submits a current nutrient management plan that contains:

—Nitrogen-based nutrient recommendations for fields with a soil phosphorus Fertility Index Value that is 100 or less —Phosphorus-based nutrient recommendations for fields with a soil phosphorus Fertility Index Value between 101

and 150.

Receiving farm fields with a phosphorus Fertility Index Value that is greater than 150 are not eligible to participate in this program.

Grants to Transport Dairy and Livestock Manure A simplified application process is now in place for dairy and other non-poultry livestock producers who need to move manure.

Cost-share grants pay up to 87.5 percent of all eligible costs

Payment rates are based on the transport distance and type of manure, either liquid or solid

Receiving farm fields are required to have a Maryland soil phosphorus Fertility Index Value below 101

Manure must be transported more than 1 mile from the sending source

Only operations receiving the manure may apply for transport grants

Manure must be applied to crops or hay fields containing less than 25 percent legumes

Grants to transport dairy and livestock manure are based on the following maximum application rates: 6,000 gallons per acre for liquid/slurry manure or 10 tons per acre for solid/semi-solid manure.

Updates to The Manure Transport Program

Direct Marketing You Meats Online? Ginger Myers, University of Maryland Extension Retail meats sales in traditional grocery store outlets were up 200% last week. Maryland’s Direct-to-Consumers meat, poul-try, and egg producers are in greater demand.

Farm to Freezer: The Logistics of Online Sales & Shipping Meat

When: Thursday, April 2nd 9 am PST/12 pm EST

Hear from three experienced panelists who sell their meats online & ship direct to consumers. Let’s turn the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity to connect our niche meats to hungry consumers. Topics will include: setting up an online store, different web platforms, accepting payments, updating inventory, meat selection, subscriptions versus ala-carte or-ders, boxes, insulation, dry ice, maintaining cold chain, ship-ping carriers, costs. This will be more of an informal discussion than a formal presentation. Panelists include:

Matthew Lawrence, Marble Creek Farmstead & Marble City Meats USDA plant, AL

Adrienne Larrew, CornerPost Meats, CO

Brian Brozovic, Painted Hills Natural Beef, OR

Please pre-register at least 10 minutes before the webinar at this link. All NMPAN webinars are FREE and will be ar-chived to our YouTube channel should you not be able to at-tend.

Department to Phase Out Regular Use of Chlorpyrifos

Beekeeping Qualifies as Agricultural Use for

Maryland Property Tax Assessment Nicole Cook, UMD-ALEI

Maryland landowners with ten or more honeybee colonies per acre of land may now be eligible to receive an agricultural use tax assessment to lower their property taxes. In October, the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation ex-ercised its discretion and revised its policy to include beekeep-ing as one of the agricultural use activities that may qualify a parcel of land for the reduced property tax assessment that’s applied to farmland under Maryland’s Tax-Property Article, Section 8-209. Keep reading if you’re a landowner who would like to use all or part of your qualifying land for beekeeping.

The purpose of Maryland’s Agricultural Use Assessment law is to encourage landowners to keep their land in agricultural use, as opposed to developing the land for more intensive uses. It does this by providing landowners who actually use the land for agricultural purposes with a tax benefit. Generally, under the law, land that is actively and primarily devoted to agricul-tural uses is eligible to receive the tax savings. The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) ad-ministers the assessment and determines whether farmland is being actively used for agricultural purposes. As of October 1, 2019, under SDAT’s revised Maryland Assessment Procedure Manual, a parcel of land that is more than three acres but less than twenty acres in size is eligible to receive the agricultural use assessment if it has ten or more honeybee colonies per acre on it.

Honeybees are an important pollinator species beneficial to agriculture. And raising honeybees for harvesting honey and beeswax as well as for pollinating crops is a source of income for beekeepers. Recognizing beekeeping as an agricultural use of land for purposes of providing a tax incentive for landown-ers helps encourage landowners to allow beekeeping on their land. It’s important, however, to remember that the assess-ment applies to the land, not to the property owner. SDAT’s determination is whether or not the land is “actively used” for farm or agricultural purposes. As such, under STAD’s revised procedures, in order for beekeeping to be considered in the use test, during each reassessment cycle, the landowner must pro-vide SDAT’s Supervisor of Assessments with the yearly apiary inspection recertification from the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

For questions about whether your farmland or woodland quali-fies to receive the agricultural use assessment, consult a quali-fied attorney or accountant who can assess the particulars of your property. For a list of attorneys in Maryland, see the Maryland State Bar Association Legal Services Directory on the Agriculture Law Education Initiative’s website.

For more information about Maryland’s Agricultural Use As-sessment law, visit the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation’s Agricultural Use Assessment webpage and check out this past post, which also has information about what buyers and sellers of farmland and woodland need to un-derstand about the Agricultural Use Assessment. And, for more information about Maryland’s laws regarding raising honeybees, see this past post and see the Maryland De-partment of Agriculture’s Apiary Inspection webpage.

3

Maryland Department of Agriculture, full press release here The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced in

February that they will develop regulations to immediately

phase out the regular use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used in

agricultural production and turf management. The department

will engage agricultural leaders, environmental advocates and

farmers to identify a solution that addresses all parties’ inter-

ests while preserving the established regulatory authority for

pesticide use.

Secretary Joe Bartenfelder said, “This is in the best interest of

the agriculture industry and the environment, and will protect

the independence and integrity of our robust science-based

regulatory framework while providing farmers time to identify

alternative or replacement products.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets national

standards for the sale and use of individual pesticide products.

These decisions are determined by an exhaustive, science-

based review process. MDA works closely with the EPA to en-

force its regulations and provides educational support to en-

sure that these products are used responsibly and safely by

farmers and licensed applicators. This regulatory solution

keeps that authority within the federal and state agencies re-

sponsible for pesticide regulation.

The move toward an accelerated phase-out of chlorpyrifos is in

step with similar actions in other states and the private indus-

try. Earlier this month, Corteva Agriscience, a major manufac-

turer of crop protection products, announced that it would

cease production and sales of chlorpyrifos by the end of 2020.

This decision follows use data in Maryland that shows a sharp

decline in the use of chlorpyrifos since the 1990s.

For more information on pesticide regulation in Maryland,

please visit the program’s website. More information on

chlorpyrifos is available on the EPA website.

4

Census 2020 Alice Archer, Harford County Farm Bureau What is the Census?

The first Census was conducted in 1790, as required by the

Constitution of the United States in Article I, Section 2. The

purpose is to determine the number of people living in each

state in order to appropriately determine how the 435 House of

Representatives seats are allocated to each state.

What Should You Expect?

Every household will be invited by mail to participate in the

2020 Census. Online submissions will be encouraged, but each

household will have the option of responding online, by mail,

or by phone.

What’s at Stake?

Every household’s participation in the

2020 Census is important.

Census numbers are used to allo-

cate Congressional seats and to de-

termine how approximately $675

billion in federal funds are allocated.

These dollars are used to support school, hospital, nursing

home, and clinic construction; determine future transpor-

tation needs of local communities; forecast future housing

needs, including affordable senior housing; design facilities

for people with disabilities, the elderly, and children; and

to plan for future services.

Each person not counted in the 2020 Census rep-

resents an annual loss of $1,825* needed to sup-

port the services of our community.

Maryland Department of Agriculture Provides Clarity on Social Distancing for Ag Related

Businesses Sarah Everhart, University of Maryland In an effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic the State of Maryland has in recent weeks announced many re-

strictions on public gatherings and the operation of certain non-essential businesses. The various restrictions, unfortunately,

caused confusion related to the operation of certain agriculture-related businesses. In an effort to clarify how the restrictions

impact agriculture-related businesses, on March 19, 2020 the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) released some im-

portant guidance related to these vital businesses.

According to the guidance, any business involved in food distribution, production, processing, sales and supply will be consid-

ered essential, including, but not limited to:

MDA is asking the essential businesses “to remain open and operational—normally and safely—until or unless directed other-

wise.” Although permitted to remain operational, business owners are being asked to develop procedures for safe operation of

your facility or farm and post those procedures for the benefit of your employees and the broader public.

The Maryland Farmers Market Association (MDFMA) has information available for developing procedures to operate a farmers

market. MDFMA, in collaboration with Future Harvest, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Delmarva

Grown, and farmers and retailers, has also created a Mid-Atlantic Resources Map. The Map, created in response to the COVID-

19 pandemic, is an interactive resource with information about local food resources offering direct sales. Farmers or vendors that

want to be included on the Map, can complete this form.

Businesses who are still unsure whether or not they need to close are encouraged to visit businessexpress.maryland.gov for more

information. This portal is updated multiple times each day and is the best source for any questions related to business opera-

tions. Interpretive guidance from the Maryland Office of Legal Counsel provides more information regarding required closures

by business sector. Any other questions can be sent to secretary.commerce@maryland.gov.

Agricultural equipment sales and service

Agricultural supply businesses

Animal feed supply and distribution

Farms

Farmers markets and food banks

Feed mills

Food and meat processors and manufacturers, including bak-

eries, etc.

Food safety laboratories and inspectors

Greenhouses and nurseries

Grocery delivery services

Pet food manufacturers and distributors

Retailers, including grocery stores

Seafood industry (crabbers, watermen, processors, etc.)

Transportation, distribution and suppliers

Veterinary services and supplies

Heat Tolerant Vegetable Varieties Emmalea Ernest, Associate Scientist-University of Delaware As you make your variety selections for 2020 you might want

to consider trying a few heat tolerant varieties. Some vegeta-

bles, such as eggplant, okra and sweet potatoes, are inherently

very heat tolerant. In other crops there are notable differences

in heat tolerance between varieties and some varieties have

been selected particularly for heat tolerance. In Delaware we

can experience temperatures that exceed what is ideal for cer-

tain vegetables, especially from late June through August. Try

targeting heat tolerant varieties in the planting window that is

most likely to be exposed to high temperatures in the crop’s

heat susceptible growth stage.

Snap Beans

In the early flowering stage, snap beans are susceptible to yield

and quality loss from high night temperatures (above 70 °F).

High night temperatures damage pollen in developing buds

and prevent pollen release when the flowers open. As a result,

seeds do not set. Pods with low seed set may drop off the plant

or mature with only a few seeds, resulting in deformed, un-

marketable pods. Over the past three years I have evaluated

snap bean varieties for heat tolerance in Delaware and the fol-

lowing varieties maintain yield and quality during heat events:

PV 857, Annihilator and Dominator (round podded)

and Usambara (flat podded).

Unstressed or heat tolerant bean plants produce full-length

pods with even seed development (left). Moderate heat stress

can result in pods March 6, 2019 Weekly Crop Update Volume

28, Issue 1 4 with some missing seeds (center). Bean plants

affected by heat stress produce shorter, deformed, unmarketa-

ble pods (right).

Tomatoes

High temperatures can interrupt fruit set in tomatoes, again

by interfering with pollination. Even in varieties with good

“heat set”, high temperatures can cause fruit quality problems

like yellow shoulders and internal white tissue. Gordon John-

son conducted a heat stressed tomato variety trial in 2019. The

varieties Red Bounty and STM2255 maintained the best yield

and quality under heat stress in that trial.

Lettuce

Lettuce bolts and becomes bitter when exposed to high tem-

peratures. Some varieties are slower to bolt but may still de-

velop a bitter flavor when exposed to heat. Based trials I did in

2012, 2018 and 2019 the following varieties resist bolting and

are slow to develop a bitter flavor. (All lettuce will eventually

bolt and turn bitter.) Butterhead: Forlina, Salanova® Green

Butter, Salanova® Red Butter, Skyphos; Leaf: Star-

fighter; Romaine: Dov and Arroyo.

Heat tolerant lettuce varieties.

Sweet Corn

In trials I conducted in 2019 the following sweet corn varieties

performed well under heat stress conditions for a mid-July

harvest (planted on May 21): Bicolor Supesweet: Affection and

Nirvana; White Supersweet: Xtra Tender 378A and

XTH 3174; White SE: Whiteout and Mattapoisette.

Broccoli

Based on research done by Thomas Björkman and Karen Pear-

son at Cornell University, broccoli is most susceptible to heat

stress (temps > 90 °F) in the early head formation stage. The

susceptible window includes the 10 days prior to when a tiny

crown of 5-10 mm is visible at the center of the plant. Once the

crown is visible, the most susceptible stage has passed. Pro-

longed heat exposure in the susceptible window results in une-

ven head development, leafy heads and variable bead size.

Delaware variety trials found that varieties that are more toler-

ant of heat stress include Eastern Crown and Millennium. Re-

gional trials in 2019 showed that Abrams performed well un-

der hotter conditions.

Brussels Sprouts

In trials done by Gordon Johnson in 2018 and 2019 Hestia,

Marte, and Dagan Brussels sprouts var ieties pro-

duced well under southern Delaware’s stressful growing condi-

tions.

5

University of Maryland Extension

Baltimore County Office

1114 Shawan Rd., Suite 2

Cockeysville, MD 21030

DATES TO REMEMBER

Apr. 6-10 Equine Groom Course. 8:30am-

3:30pm. $15. Reisterstown, MD.

Register https://

equinegroom2020.eventbrite.com

Apr. 7-8 Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Conference.

$20-$150. Hunt Valley, MD Regis-

ter http://ansc.umd.edu/extension/

mid-atlantic-nutrition-conference

Apr. 8 Women in Ag Webinar: Estate

Planning Mistakes & Solutions. 12

noon. Free. Register online.

Apr. 22 Women in Ag Webinar: Health Care

in Your Senior Years. 12 noon. Free.

Register online.

Apr. 5–

May 12

Sustainable Food Systems Online

Lecture Series. 6:00-7:30pm. Free.

Register online.

FACULTY & STAFF

Erika Crowl Dan Carroll

Extension Agent, Agriculture Nutrient Management

ecrowl@umd.edu jcarro10@umd.edu

Stay Updated!

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University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County

Nutrient Management Update

Dan Carroll is still diligently writing plans for farmers.

Plans will be written and delivered electronically until

we are given clearance to re-open the Extension offices.

You can reach Dan via email at jcarro10@umd.edu , or

leave him a voice mail at (410) 887-8090