Publications

A Marketing Decision Tool and Guide for Grass-fed Beef is a resource guide that will assist grass-fed beef producers in formulating profitable marketing strategies. It is a decision tool to assist individual producers in making marketing decisions about what to produce; where/how/in what venue(s) outlets to market their product; and practical risk management strategies. This publication will help beef producers evaluate their individual operation on six factors that are barriers to entering a market - finding a niche, determining products and prices, meeting regulatory constraints, promoting and distributing prouducts, selling product, and managing risks. The guide is written in sections with decision making worksheets that can help producers identify their “best fit” grass-fed beef marketing opportunities. Individual producers can use the articles and resources that follow the decision worksheets to address possible barriers or lost opportunities within specific marketing venues. The information in this booklet is for educational use. It was written by Ginger S. Myers, Marketing Specialist, University of Maryland Extension and Director of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center. Publication of this workbook was made possible through support from the Jorgensen Foundation and the University of Maryland’s Department of Animal and Avian Sciences.

If you are in the market for a horse, take your time and do your homework. Determine your goals for both you and your horse and develop a prioritized list of requirements for your horse.  The list may include breed, gender, height, disposition, conformation, movement, previous use, or breeding potential.  This publication provides a helpful list of goals and priorities to fill in before you begin shopping for your new horse. 

This 13-page guide is intended to assist farmers, growers, and their advisors in understanding the regulations affecting the processing and marketing of meat and poultry products in Maryland. This guide also contains information on labeling, marketing, risk management, and regulatory exemptions. By Ginger S. Myers, Director, Maryland Enterprise Development Center and Extension Specialist, University of Maryland Extension. Reviewers: Diane Hirsh, University of Connecticut Extension,

Niche Marketing - Out of the Box but in the Black fact sheet will help you explore the Niche Market and how to go about increasing your food dollar and return per unit sold. By Ginger S. Myers, Marketing Specialist, University of Maryland Extension and Director of the Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center.

Enterprise budgets provide invaluable information regarding individual enterprises on the farm. This tool enables the farm manager to make decisions regarding enterprises and plan for the coming production year. The enterprise budget uses farm revenue, variable cost, fixed cost and net income to provide a clear picture of the financial health of each farm enterprise. The 2008 Maryland enterprise budgets were developed using average yields and estimated input cost based upon producer and farm supplier data. The figures presented are averages and vary greatly from one farm to the other. It is therefore crucial to input actual farm data to complete enterprise budgets for your farm.

The AVMA, as a medical authority for the health and welfare of animals, offers the following eight integrated principles for developing and evaluating animal welfare policies, resolutions, and actions.

This bulletin is divided into three sections - disease and nematode control, insect control, and weed control. The recommendations are listed according to crop and then pest. In the table of recommendations given under each crop, the pesticide recommendations are given in units (pints, pounds, and so forth) of commercial products. In most cases, the amount of active ingredient to be applied is given. This information will be useful if the pesticide is commercially available at different concentrations. If a pesticide concentration differs from that recommended, determine the amount of a given formulation you need to use to apply the pesticide at the recommended rate. For example, if the recommended rate is 1 pound of active ingredient, then you should use 2 pounds of a 50 percent, wettable-powder formulation. If the formulation is a liquid, you must know the pounds of active ingredient per gallon to make this calculation.

Damage to ornamental plants by white-tailed deer has increased dramatically over recent years. Deer damage to home landscapes and gardens is the number one complaint in suburban areas. An integrated approach to deer damage management can often be the most optimal way to deal with the problem. Using any one or a combination of strategies including population management, fencing, vegetation management, and commercial repellents or scare tactics is the best approach to minimize negative impacts from deer. Commercial deer repellents have become increasingly popular with residential homeowners as a means of keeping deer damage at tolerable levels.

Voles are small mouselike rodents. In Maryland, two species, the meadow vole and the pine vole, eat roots, bark, and bulbs; even at low population levels, they cause significant damage to forest plantations, orchards, nurseries, and landscapes. This fact sheet explains how to identify these injurious rodents and provides information on vole biology and management for forest plantations.

The topsoil on your property is a valuable resource and the foundation for a healthy landscape. Loss of soil through erosion can mean trouble, not only for your landscape, but for local streams and rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. If you are losing soil from your property, there are several things you can do to stop it.