May and June 2017 University of MD Farm Notes
WE NEED YOUR INPUT!
The University of Maryland Extension (UME) is committed to
providing relevant services for members of our agricultural community. In order
to provide the best programming UME is conducting a needs assessment of the
Northern and Western Maryland agricultural community. The Needs Assessment
Survey has been created to understand the issues concerning agriculture and to
identify the agricultural and educational needs of the community. We will use
this information to focus UME training and resources.
The survey has four main sections 1) industry priorities,
concerns and viability, 2) research and education needs, 3) education and
training preferences and 4) demographic and farm information. To access the
survey go to:
This survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Your
participation will be kept confidential, you can skip any question you want to,
and stop at any time. The survey can be completed on a computer or smartphone.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey for
Agriculture and Natural Resource Programming, and making your voice heard. It will
be open until May 31, 2017. Should you have any questions or additional
comments please contact Andy Kness at 410-638-3255.
NEW MDA REGULATIONS FOR CATTLE AND SWINE FOR SHOWS
Becky Ridgeway – 4-H Agent Associate- Carroll County
New for 2017, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has put
into place new regulations for cattle and swine exhibitors. If you plan on showing in ANY Maryland fair
or exposition you are required to have a RFID tag placed in ALL cattle and
swine ears. If you are a producer you
can obtain a Maryland Premise ID from MDA by contacting 410-841-5810 in order
to obtain your own RFID tags. Having a
Maryland Premise ID for RFID tags should be the responsibility of the producer
NOT the buyer of the animals. Tags can
be purchased from a variety of different companies (FYI – if you are planning
to order your own RFID tags, be aware that many of the tag companies are
backordered and it will take some time to receive your tags). At this time, RFID tags are only required for
any cattle or swine that will be shown, this is not required for cattle/swine
entering the market. More information on RFID tags can be found at:
https://go.umd.edu/RFID
USDA Approved AIN
“840” RFID Manufacturers
• Allflex USA,
Inc.
• Alliance ID
(microchips)
• AVID
Identification Systems Inc. (microchips)
• Datamars, Inc
(microchips) • Destron Fearing
• Hana Micron
America
• Leader
Products
• MicroTraks,
Inc.
• Shearwell Data
Limited • Southfork
Solutions Inc.
• Stockbrands
Co. Pty. Ltd.
• Temple Tag
Ltd.
• Y-Tex
Corporation
• Zee Tags
Limited •
Samples of AIN “840” RFID Ear Tags:
Source: Official Identification Requirements and Information
for Exhibition of Cattle and Swine For the 2017 Maryland Fairs and Shows Season
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR AMERICA’S FARMERS
AND RANCHERS
America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the
opportunity to strongly represent agriculture in their communities and industry
by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), the census, to be mailed at the end of this year, is a complete
count of all U.S. farms, ranches, and those who operate them.
“The Census of Agriculture remains the only source of
uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every county in the
nation,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “As such, census results are
relied upon heavily by those who serve farmers and rural communities, including
federal, state and local governments, agribusinesses, trade associations,
Extension educators, researchers, and farmers and ranchers themselves.”
The Census of Agriculture highlights land use and ownership,
operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and
other topics. The 2012 Census of Agriculture revealed that over three million
farmers operated more than two million farms, spanning over 914 million acres.
This was a four percent decrease in the number of U.S. farms from the previous
census in 2007. However, agriculture sales, income, and expenses increased
between 2007 and 2012. This telling information and thousands of other
agriculture statistics are a direct result of responses to the Census of
Agriculture.
“Today, when data are so important, there is strength in
numbers,” said Hamer. “For farmers and ranchers, participation in the 2017
Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity to
shape American agriculture – its policies, services and assistance programs –
for years to come.”
Producers who are new to farming or did not receive a Census
of Agriculture in 2012 still have time to sign up to receive the 2017 Census of
Agriculture report form by visiting agcensus.usda.gov. and clicking on the
‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button through June. NASS defines a farm as any
place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and
sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year (2017).
For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture
and to see how census data are used, visit agcensus.usda.gov or call (800)
727-9540. Editor’s note - To see the data collected by the 2012 Census of
Agriculture for Maryland go to go.umd.edu/MarylandCensus2012.
Source: USDA
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN USING DICAMBA TOLERANT SOYBEANS
This article was originally posted on the University of
Maryland Extension Blog on April 10, 2017
Matt Morris, Extension Educator, Frederick County
(mjmorris@umd.edu)
Dicamba tolerant soybeans, marketed under the trade name
Roundup Ready Xtend will be available to Maryland growers for the 2017 growing
season. This line of soybeans will combine previous Roundup Ready technology
with a tolerance to the herbicide dicamba. While this new dicamba tolerance may
be useful in combatting certain tough-to-control weeds including marestail and
palmer amaranth, caution needs to be taken when making applications of dicamba.
Problems with dicamba applications may arise due to the sensitivity of certain
crops to dicamba. Exposure can occur due to drift, volatility, or a non-target
application. Below are some recommendations to consider when utilizing new
dicamba tolerant technologies.
Know the location of sensitive crops:
Talk with your neighbors and know where crops such as
tomatoes, grapes, alfalfa, and non-tolerant soybeans are located. This will
aide in the decision to use dicamba near these crops, especially if a
prevailing wind is headed their direction. In addition, buffer zones of 110’
(220’ if a 22oz/ac rate is exceeded), will need to be maintained between dicamba
application sites and sensitive crops. To see an incomplete list of some
sensitive crops in your area go to:
https://go.umd.edu/sensitivecrops
Dicamba type:
The only dicamba products that will be approved for in-crop
use with Xtend soybeans will be XtendiMax from Monsanto, FeXapan from Dupont,
and Engenia from BASF. These are lower volatility formulations than other
dicamba products and are designed for the dicamba tolerant soybeans.
Rates:
Engenia – Dicamba tolerant soybeans – max of 12.8 fl
oz/application and 51.2 oz/season.
FeXapan and XtendiMax – Dicamba tolerant soybeans – max of
44 fl oz/preplant application, 22 fl oz/postemergence application, and a max of
88 fl oz/season.
Nozzle selection:
Engenia – Only TTI11004 and TTI11005 are currently approved.
FeXapan and XtendiMax – Apply large droplets with specific
nozzles. Do not use flat fan nozzles
that produce driftable fines. Use
TTI11004 or nozzles listed on the EPA-mandated product websites.
Spray adjuvants and water conditioning:
Ammonium sulfate (AMS) CANNOT be mixed with these new
dicamba formulations. AMS is commonly used as a water conditioning agent for
glyphosate applications. Adding AMS will increase volatility of the dicamba.
Also, certain spray adjuvants and herbicide tank mix partners are not
compatible with the new dicamba formulations. Always consult the label before
mixing.
Recordkeeping:
Always keep records of where you’ve planted dicamba tolerant
soybeans. This can help avoid costly misapplications to a crop that is not
tolerant to dicamba. It will be extremely important to convey this information
to custom application companies or employees on your farm.
Wind speed, temperature, and temperature inversions:
When applying these new dicamba products the optimal wind
speed is 3-5 mph. Applications are prohibited when wind speeds are above 15
mph; however, great caution and even stopping spraying when wind speeds are
above 10mph would be ideal. As temperature increases so does the volatility of
dicamba. Caution should be used when applications are made in hot, humid
weather.
Caution should also be taken when wind speeds are below 3
mph as this could indicate the presence of a temperature inversion. Inversions
are another cause of vapor drift. Other indicators of a temperature inversion
include low hanging smoke or dust, morning fog or frost, clear and still nights
with little to no cloud cover, and ground temperatures cooler than early
morning air temperatures.
Multiple applications and weed height:
Multiple herbicide applications with the same mode of action
within a single season selects for herbicide resistance. Avoid using dicamba on
tolerant soybeans more than once in a season. If possible, a pre-emergence
herbicide should be applied before or at planting. It is also important to
remember that weeds should be targeted at 4” of height or less for successful
control.
Application suggestions:
Keep ground speeds below 15 mph and nozzle pressures as low
as possible to maintain the desired application rate. Boom height should be no
more than 24” above the crop or weed canopy. If a weed is 4” tall, boom height
should not exceed 28”.
Most importantly:
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE PRODUCT LABELING. It is a
violation of Federal and state law to use any pesticide product in a manner
inconsistent with its labeling.
The U.S. EPA will allow its approval of dicamba tolerant
soybeans to run until the end of 2018. At that point they will consider whether
or not to renew approval based on the amount of problems that arise as a result
of this new technology. In order to have this technology in the future, proper
stewardship by the grower is essential. If you have questions regarding the use
of dicamba tolerant soybean technology or dicamba itself please contact Matt
Morris @ 301-600-3578 / mjmorris@umd.edu or contact your local Extension office
for more information.
References and other Resources:
University of Illinois Extension. The Bulletin. Dicamba and
Soybean: What to Expect in 2017. http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/?p=3765
Purdue University Extension ID-453-W. 2,4-D- and Dicamba
Tolerant Crops- Some Facts to Consider.
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-453-w.pdf
Reviewed by Ron Ritter, Professor Emeritus, University of
Maryland
USDA DESIGNATES 14 COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA AS PRIMARY
NATURAL DISASTER AREAS WITH ASSISTANCE TO PRODUCERS IN SURROUNDING STATES
In response to a request from Hollis Baker, Farm Service Agency’s
(FSA) acting State Executive Director in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has designated 14 counties in Pennsylvania as a primary
natural disaster area due to losses caused by a drought that occurred from May
1, 2016, through Dec. 10, 2016. Farmers and ranchers in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick,
and Washington Counties in Maryland also qualify for natural disaster
assistance because their counties are contiguous.
All counties listed above were designated natural disaster
areas on April 5, 2017, making all qualified farm operators in the designated
areas eligible for FSA’s low interest emergency (EM) loans, provided
eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight
months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part
of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own
merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available, and
repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan
program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.
Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not
require a disaster declaration, include Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; the
Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock
Indemnity Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and
Farm-Raised Fish Program; and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers
may contact their local USDA service centers for further information on
eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other
programs. Additional information is also available online at
http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
FSA news releases are available on FSA’s website at
www.fsa.usda.gov via the “Newsroom” link. This article has been abbreviated
from its original publication, Release No. 0038.17, which was written by
Latawnya Dia, 202-720-7962, Latawnya.Dia@wdc.usda.gov
Source: USDA
DATES TO REMEMBER
May 3 Pasture
Walk – Discussions of weeds, grass species, hay quality and rotational grazing.
Call Baltimore County Extension office to register at (410)-887-8090.
May 5 "Delay
the Burn: See More Cash Crop Benefits By Keeping Your Cover Crops Alive
Longer"-9:30 to 11 am. Two MD pesticide applicator and nutrient management
credits. Leslie Bowman's Farm, 8531 Grindstone Hill Rd. Chambersburg, PA.
Contact Nevin Dawson: (410) 479- 4030, https://fielddemofranklin.eventbrite.com
May 10 Women in
Agriculture Webinar- Bugs that Bite: Vector Arthropods and How to Avoid Them
-Noon. Register at: http://extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars
May 17 High
Tunnel Twilight Meeting - 6 pm to Dark. Wye Research and Education Center.
Programming includes tomatoes and ground cherries. For more information contact
Mike Newell at: (410) 827-7388. To register contact Debby Dant at
(410)-827-8056 x 115.
May 20 Carroll
County Master Gardener Plant Sale and Garden Flea Market - 8 am to Noon, 704
Agriculture Center Drive, Westminster, MD
May 24 Women in
Agriculture Webinar- Communication on Difficult Topics and with Difficult
People -Noon. Register at: http://extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars
May 31 Deadline
for entering the Carroll Biz Challenge - Contact the Carroll County Chamber of
Commerce or go to https://carrollbiz2017.launchgen.com/ for more
information.
Jun 1-Sep 20 MDA
Pesticide Container Recycling Collection - The Mill of Black Horse, 4551
Norrisville Rd. Current customers only. Call 410-329-6010 or 410-692-2200 for
hours and drop-off instructions.
June 1 Agribusiness
Breakfast: Why Does a Gallon of Milk Cost more than a Gallon of Gasoline - MDVA
Dairy Counsel Representative, 8:00 am to 9:00 am, Baugher’s Restaurant,
Westminster MD, Must call 410-386-2760 or email mabbott@umd.edu to register.
June 2 MDA
Pesticide Container Recycling Collection. 9 am to 3 pm, Scarboro Landfill, 3241 Scarboro Road,
Harford County. Call 410-841-5710, or visit
https://go.umd.edu/pesticidecontainer for rules and instructions
June 8 Maryland
Land Conservation Conference, Pearlstone Conference Center, Reisterstown, MD.
Registration is $85 before May 15th. Contact Tracy at
metoutreach.dnr@maryland.gov
June 14 Women in
Agriculture Webinar- How to Create Social Media Memes, and Other Photo Apps -
Noon. Register at: http://extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars
June 19, 20 Fundamentals
of Nutrient Management - 9 am to 4pm, Maryland Dept. of Ag, 50 Harry S. Truman
Parkway, Annapolis. 2 day training includes state nutrient management
regulations, nutrient management principles, basic soil science, and soil
fertility recommendations. For information and registration contact MDA.
June 20 MDA
Pesticide Container Recycling Collection - 9am to 3pm, Frederick County
Landfill, 9031 Reich's Ford Road. Call 410-841-5710, or visit
https://go.umd.edu/pesticidecontainer for rules and instructions.
June 21 Hops Field
Day - See the new hops yard, discuss varieties for growing locally, and field
maintenance. Western Maryland Research and Education Center, 18330 Keedysville
Rd Keedysville, MD 21756. Contact the Brewers Association of Maryland for more
information at 410-252-9463.
June 28 Women in
Agriculture Webinar- Can I Use This Picture? Media Law - Noon. Register at:
http://extension.umd.edu/womeninag/webinars
Visit our web site at
http://extension.umd.edu/carroll-county
For more event listings visit
http://www.agnr.umd.edu/AGNRCalendar/
Yours for better farming from your
Carroll County Agriculture Extension Educators,
Bryan R. Butler, Sr.
Extension Agent
Agriculture and Food Systems
bbutlers@umd.edu
Peter Coffey
Extension Educator
Small Farm/Alternative Ag
plcoffey@umd.edu
If you would like to be removed from our mailing list,
please call: 410-386-2760 or 1-888-326-9645.
If you have a disability that requires special assistance
for your participation in a program please contact the Carroll County Extension
Office at 410-386-2760, Fax: 410-876-0132, two weeks prior to the program.
The information given herein is supplied with the
understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by
University of Maryland Extension is implied.
May 2, 2017: Westminster City Council candidate: Ann Thomas Gilbert
