It is a tradition in Extension to bring farmers together in the winter to learn about the latest research, earn continuing education units for their certifications, and socialize with their peers. This year, we are offering our annual winter farmer meetings online: https://extension.umd.edu/agriculture/winter-crop-production-meetings-2020-2021 [4]
The winter professional development meeting for urban farmers will be offered split over two dates: the afternoon of Monday, January 25 and the afternoon of Sunday, January 31. Educational sessions will be 30 minutes, followed by networking time. Participants will be able to attend whichever sessions interest them.
A special thank you to Farm Alliance of Baltimore [5] for partnering with Extension to plan and co-host previous years’ Urban Farmer Winter Meetings, and for advising on farmer priorities for the 2021 meeting.
Please register ahead of time here, to be sent a link to join the meeting:
https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrdO6prDgsGNS-bmr_MMOOGwopLmNKObX4 [6]
Continuing Education Units:
Sessions in this meeting (see detailed agenda below) have been pre-approved for CEUs for Maryland Nutrient Applicator Vouchers & Certified Farm Operators (NMP) and Certified Crop Advisers (CCA). If you want to earn CEUs for participating in the meeting, please have your certification number available, and be prepared to click on a link and fill out a survey during the meeting.
Detailed Agenda: Educational sessions will be 30 minutes long, followed by 15 minutes of networking time.
Day 1, Monday, January 25:
- 1 pm: Value-added product case study: connecting rural cocoa growers with urban chocolate entrepreneurs
Anna Glenn, Agriculture Department Chair at Liberia Internatoinal Christian College and
Joshua Zemah, Owner of Redimere Chocolate - CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs
- 2 pm: How Do Soil Conservation Districts Help Urban Farmers Conserve Natural Resources?
Kim Rush Lynch and Steve Darcey, Prince George's Soil Conservation District - CCA: 0.5 Soil and Water Management CEUs
- * Day 1 approved for 1 CEU NMP credits. Must attend both 2pm and 4pm sessions
- 3 pm: Disease and pest issues for hydroponic greenhouse growers
Dr. Karen Rane, Director, Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Entomology, UMD - CCA: 0.5 Integrated Pest Management CEUs
- 4pm: Mushroom production
Kwesi Asante, EcoCity Farms
Talk supported by Cornell Community Mushroom Educator Network, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub award number ENE19-156-33243 - CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs
- * Day 1 approved for 1 CEU NMP credits. Must attend both 2pm and 4pm sessions
Day 2, Sunday, January 31:
- 1pm: Food safety for production of dried herbs
Dr. Angela Ferelli, University of Maryland, Plant Science Department, Food Safety Group - CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs
- 2pm: African heritage specialty crop research
Dr. Nadine Burton, University of Maryland Eastern Shore - CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs
- 3pm: How to accept SNAP payments for farm produce
Lynn Rubin Traversa, UMD Extension SNAP-Ed program
Information will also be shared from Farm Alliance of Baltimore on their SNAP programs. - CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs
