Publications

Dry field conditions that are ideal for a successful fall harvest also bring the danger of combine fires. Dry crop residue provides the tinder, and a tiny spark or heat source is all that is necessary for a combine fire to start. Combine fires can lead to lost time, substantial property damage, and even injury or loss of life. This fact sheet will share what you can do to lessen your risk. Author: J. Richard Nottingham; Preventing Combine Fires (FS-845).

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) Agriculture and Food Systems team organizes annual winter agriculture production meetings to provide updates on the latest research and practices in various areas, including agronomy, vegetable, fruit, and forage production, as well as urban agriculture systems. These sessions also offer recertification opportunities for pesticide and nutrient management. The meetings attract a wide audience of participants, including farmers, industry professionals, government, and nonprofit representatives, fostering networking and knowledge sharing. To assess the impact of these meetings, the team implemented a survey to gather demographic, production, and economic data from participants. The survey results provide valuable data on production practices and profitability. Authors: Shannon Dill, Serena Taylor Newton, Andrew Kness, and Jennifer Rhodes; Title: University of Maryland Extension Winter Meeting Data 2022 (FS-2022-0642).

Health care expenses can be costly, and it's important to set money aside to manage these costs. One option is to save money in an emergency fund or a savings account that provides tax-saving benefits. The two most common options for saving are Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Authors: Virginia Brown, Maria Pippidis, Dorothy Nuckols, and Kelly Sipple; Title: Saving for Health & Medical Expenses: Health Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts (FS-1019).

Aquaponics is a soilless farming method that combines aquaculture and hydroponics. By combining the two methods the user achieves a mutually beneficial system of plant and fish production that can produce high-yield crops with limited space and water. This factsheet is a step-by-step guide to building a small aquaponics system using repurposed Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) and parts easily found online or at your local aquarium and hardware stores. Do-it-yourself construction may save farmers money on startup costs and may provide a system with which they can learn and practice aquaponic methods before investing in larger or commercial-scale systems. Authors: Andrea Franchini, Jose-Luis Izursa, Neith Grace Little; Title: How to Build a Low-Cost, Small-Scale Aquaponic System

After selecting a health insurance plan, it is crucial to choose a primary care provider. This factsheet will outline four steps to assist you in selecting the right one for you. Authors: Virginia Brown, updated by Jesse Ketterman and Suzanne Cooke; Title: How do I Choose a Primary Care Provider? Ask the Right Questions (FS-1022).

Knowing health care insurance options are important to farm families, employees, and managers of the farm business operation. This factsheet outlines available health insurance options that managers of farm operations can consider and provides some tools you can use to compare plans. Authors: Jesse Ketterman, Paul Goeringer, Maria Pippidis, and Nate Bruce; Health Care Insurance Options for Farm Business Operations (FS-2024-0706).

The greenhouse gas emissions from manure storage and emissions reductions that could be realized through implementation of three animal waste technologies (anaerobic digestion, composting, and thermochemical processing) are presented. This Factsheet is part of the “Animal Waste Technology” series. Authors: Amro Hassanein, Stephanie Lansing, and Danielle Delp; Title: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Improved Manure Management (FS-2023-0689).

Anaerobic digestion of manure with food processing waste resulted in renewable electricity production for 190 house and reduced 81% of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management. The solids were separated from the manure for composting, with the digester effluent injected into the soil as a fertilizer. This FactSheet is part of the ‘Animal Waste Technology’ series. Authors: Kirkland Mahoney, Amro Hassanein, and Stephanie Lansing; Title: A Case Study: Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Manure and Food Processing Waste with Renewable Energy, Composting and Manure Injection (FS-2023-0694).

This brief provides homeowners with safe and responsible deicing salt stewardship practices. These practices can aid in safe walking, reduced costs and reducing environmental impact on water quality. Authors: Andrew Lazur, and Greg Sandi; Title: Being Salt Smart (EBR-2023-0666).

Drones, or UAVs, require a mix of hardware and software to operate and are controlled by ground stations. They offer numerous benefits in agriculture, such as precise crop monitoring, efficient resource management, and data collection. Challenges include high costs, certification requirements, and data interpretation. Key applications include crop scouting, spraying, seeding, yield estimation, and disease assessment. Despite challenges, ongoing research aims to maximize benefits and minimize limitations, promising a significant impact on agriculture. Authors: Hemendra Kumar and Ananth Sriram; Title: An Overview of Drones in Agriculture (FS-2024-0705).