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Ensuring the Continued Viability of Rural Communities: Using Mediation to Settle Disputes Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution, has considerable advantages over litigation in terms of relationships among parties, finances, and time. Mediation can be a useful alternative to expensive litigation for many disputes.
Using a Business Organization Structure to Limit Your Farm's Liability In Maryland, 82.7 percent of agricultural operations conduct business as sole proprietorships (Census of Agriculture, 2012).
Understanding a Community Supported Agriculture Agreement: What Should Be Included in a Good CSA Membership Agreement? Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a growing business model for farms in Maryland and nationally.  In a typical CSA, members pledge to help cover the anticipated costs of the farm’s production for part of or the entire season.  And in return the members receive a portion of the farm’s crops over the designated time period of the CSA contract.  The CSA model allows farmers to get nee
Property Ownership and Transferring Are Important Features of Your Farm Succession Plan Many people think an estate plan is just a will, but it is much more than that. Your estate plan will typically include documents and tools to distribute your property according to your wishes following your death.
Increasing Social Capital through Culturally Relevant Positive Youth Development (PYD) Social capital is a resource that includes several elements of social well-being including trusting networks among people, engagement with institutions, and connections to resources. Positive youth development program can foster youth's social capital to be better postured to combat social injustice.
We All Want to be Heard: Listening and Responding to Volunteers through Appreciative Inquiry As Extension educators, it is important that we value volunteers and provide venues for them to offer their feedback and assessments of the programs. This publication describes how to conduct an effective AI session to provide volunteers with a forum for sharing feedback and ideas for improving Extension programs such as 4-H.
Developing Extension Lesson Plans: Using a 4-H Youth Development Lesson Plan Template to Strengthen the Rigor and Quality of Research-based 4-H Programs Summary: 4-H Youth Development educators use a variety of program education models to engage youth and volunteers in experiential learning. 4-H educators often develop and/or adapt research-based lessons and curricula to facilitate youth development programs.
Privacy Issues and the Use of sUAS/Drones in Maryland According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the lawful uses of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or more commonly as drones, are currently limited to military, research, and recreational applications. Under the FAA’s view, commercial uses of drones are illegal unless approved by the Federal government. This will change in the future.
State Review of Environmental Impacts Could Result in Mineral Leasing Opportunities in Maryland Starting in 2007, many western Maryland landowners saw increased oil and gas leasing as gas companies further developed the Marcellus Shale which contains one of the largest known natural gas reserves in the world. The Marcellus Shale is adjacent to a large energy market in the East Coast.
Understanding Agricultural Liability: Premise's Liability You can take steps to limit your potential liability by understanding your legal obligation or duty to protect visitors and other third parties from foreseeable harm. You also will need to know to whom you owe the duty and what duty others may owe to you. Steps you can take to limit your liability include obtaining insurance, procuring releases, and providing warnings.
Legal Liability of Saving Seeds in an Era of Expiring Patents 2014 marked the expiration of Monsanto’s patent on the first generation Round-up Ready technology. But, this expiration does not mean that farmers using seed from first generation Roundup Ready technology will be able to save harvested seed for planting a subsequent crop. Many seed companies utilizing this technology may consider other federal law protections afforded them.
Biomass Production Study of Hybrid Poplar Grown on Deep trenched Municipal Biosolids Hybrid poplar trees 2-6 years old were grown on a gravel mine spoil in southern Maryland that had biosolids applied using deer row application. The trees were harvested and processed to determine their biomass on a dry weight basis. The data was analyzed and regression analysis was used to create equations that could predict biomass from tree diameter at breast height.
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Recognition and Response in 4-H Programming This fact sheet introduces readers to the findings of the landmark ACEs study conducted by the CDC and the Kaiser Foundation. Warning signs of excessive adversity and the strategies that youth development practitioners may employ to promote resiliency are detailed.
Farmer-saved Seed: What is Legal? What is Not? Most wheat and soybean seed sold in Maryland is protected by either U.S. Patent Law or the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA). These protections severely limit the age-old practice of “farmer-saved seed” or prohibit it entirely, depending upon the protection the owner of the variety secures.
Considerations for Equine Lease Agreements Offering a horse for lease can be a good option for an owner who is unable to ride or care for their horse due to physical, time, or financial constraints but still wishes to maintain ownership. A lease can be an alternative to selling the horse, a way to cut maintenance costs, or an avenue to ensure the horse remains in work.
Enterprise Budget for Firewood Business This information sheet provides an enterprise budget for a small business that will buy, cut and split logs, and deliver in cord quantities, primarily for home heating or fireplace wood. It includes sources of income and expenses using real work values and a downloadable Excel file allows the user to change values for their potential enterprises and determine potential profitability.
How to Report a Foodbourne Illness in Maryland The purpose of this fact sheet is to 1) give consumers addtional information on whom to contact when sick, 2) how a sick person would be diagnosed, and 3) the questions your health care provider may ask.
Permeable Hardscapes Permeable hardscapes help manage stormwater (surface water from heavy rains or snow) and are an alternative to hard surfaces.
NIche Marketing-Outside of the Box, but in the Black The Mid-Atlantic Region, which Maryland anchors, is the 4th most populous region in the country. This offers tremendous direct-to-consumer markets as well as institutional markets such as schools, colleges, and governmental agencies. Direct marketing can give farmers a larger share of the food dollar and a higher return per unit sold.
Manure to Energy Byproducts are Useful Nutrient Sources Manure is a great fertilizer for nutrient-poor soils. However, when transport costs limit utilization, alternative uses such as energy production become viable. In most cases, manure-to-energy practices produce nutrient-rich byproducts that can be used as a soil amendment.
A Mindfulness-based Approach in Reducing Stress  
Maryland Farm Internships and Labor Laws Many farms across Maryland use interns to lighten the overall farm workload and help young people gain practical farming knowledge.  Although interns can be a welcome addition to a farm’s workforce, farm employers need to be aware of how to properly compensate interns and the legal consequences of adding them to the payroll.
Maryland Consulting and Industrial Foresters Directory The Maryland Consulting and Industrial Foresters Directory lists licensed professional foresters who offer a wide range of services to woodland property owners. Services include forest stewardship plans, timber stand and wildlife habitat improvement, and much more. The Directory is for reference only and is not an endorsement of any forester listed.
Precision Soil Sampling One soil sample often represents 10-50 acres and works well for whole field nutrient application. For those who use precision agriculture equipment to target nutrients where they are needed, different methods must be used. Two that have been developed include grid and zone sampling. This publication discusses the methods and ideas behind each sampling type.
Stress and Health We usually associate “stress” with overpowering emotions and out of control situations. It is true in most cases, however, it is not the whole truth. Stress is a body’s respone to a change. It helps in preparing for uncertainty and urgent situations. However, chronic exposure to stress can lead to burn- out, chronic diseases, mental health issues, and lower productivity.
Protecting the Family Farm in Divorce  Divorce can be financially devastating for a family farm. Protecting the family farm from divorce is possible if farmers plan ahead with a valid prenuptial agreement, understand the legal parameters of marital vs.
How to Lease Your Land With a Conservation Easement (FS-1049)  A conservation easement is a right or power which a landowner gives to a third party. Landowners may choose to donate easements for a variety of reasons, including tax benefits and/ or an interest in land conservation for environmental or other concerns. This guide walks through some legal considerations for landowners interested in leasing land with an easement for agricultural use.
Frequently Asked Questions: Can I Cut My Neighbor’s Tree Back From Our Property Line? This is not a substitute for legal advice.  Image by Edwin Remsberg
Family Farms Should Consider a Family Business Governance Plan Photo by Edwin Remsberg This post is not legal advice or advice on how to deal with family members, in-laws, or other relatives
Partnerships Need a Plan for Winding Down Affairs Photo by Edwin Remsberg This post is not legal advice

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