Somerset County

Welcome to the University of Maryland Extension (UME) - Somerset County, which is part of a statewide educational organization funded by federal, state, and local governments. Our mission is to support Maryland's agricultural industry; protect its valuable natural resources; enhance the well-being of families and individuals, both young and old; and foster the development of strong, stable communities.

The UME network of local or regional offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes. UME has field offices in all twenty-three Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

This mission is accomplished by faculty and staff within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Maryland, College Park through the discovery, integration, dissemination, and application of research based knowledge in the agricultural, human, and life sciences.

The Somerset County UME faculty and staff provide a broad range of outreach through workshops, seminars, classes, clinics, newsletters, consultations, and media efforts related to the following topics:

4-H and Youth
Agriculture
Food and Nutrition
Home Gardening
Health & Wellness
Money

Major Update Regarding Reinstatement of UMD Plan-writing Services!

University of Maryland Extension (UME) has launched an enhanced nutrient management planning process designed to adapt to modern farming practices and operations that better align with Maryland’s agricultural regulations and environmental goals. Moving forward, UME will now administer and coordinate statewide nutrient management planning following the finalization of the agreement between the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Please contact the local Somerset County Extension office for additional information - 410.651.1350.

University of Maryland Extension Leads the Next Generation of the Statewide Nutrient Management Program...to read more click here.

Uniola paniculate

Plant of the Week...

...or Sea Oats, grow 4- 6 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, are warm season native perennials that thrive in full sun and are mostly found on the dunes by the sea. These Sea Oats are slow growing with deep roots and strong horizontal rhizomes, perfect for holding the sand in the dunes of the Atlantic Ocean. They are salt and cold tolerant from USDA zones 6-11. Plants grow in clumps with tall arching stems that have 8-18 inch long and 1-inch-wide leaves with parallel veins and like many grasses, tapered at their tips. Sea Oats have small white flowers in early summer that mature into oval shaped oat like tan to brown seeds that will stay on the stems through the winter months, providing nutrition to song birds and small mammals like rabbits and mice. They have no serious insect or disease pests.
Ginny Rosenkranz