UMD Extension offers a wide variety of educational classes and events throughout the year. Highlighted below are annual classes offered by the Urban Farming Program in Baltimore City. To be notified when registration for these classes opens, be sure to bookmark the UME calendar, subscribe to Urban Ag E-News, and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram).

Urban Agriculture Educational Events
Some of the meetings below contain registration information, event details, and recordings if the event has occurred.
Event: Maryland Beginning Farmer Success Course
Date: Feb. 2, 2023 thru April 6, 2023 (Thursday evenings) | Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Small groups of students will meet in person at one of several locations across the state of Maryland, in either Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, and Charles County.
Cost: $65 plus eventbrite fees (total: $70.59)
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maryland-beginning-farmer-success-course-tickets-468743814367
Description: This course is designed for people in Maryland who are considering or in the beginning stages of starting a farm as a business. Topics covered will include business planning, marketing, crop production, livestock husbandry, soil health, pest management, food safety, and regulations and certifications. Additional elective resources will cover more specialized topics, such as organic production, urban agriculture, and direct marketing to local customers. Students will learn from over 14 speakers, including agricultural Extension educators, farmers, and agricultural industry professionals.
This 10-week course will be offered in a blended in-person and online format.
- The class will meet on Thursday evenings, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., from February 2 through April 6, 2023.
- The course kick-off session on February 2 and the final class and graduation ceremony on April 6 will be held in person. Small groups of students will meet in person at one of several locations across the state of Maryland, in either Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, and Charles County.
- In weeks 2 through 9 of the course, students will complete at-your-own pace homework on the course website on campus.extension.org and will meet online each Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for a live class using the software Zoom.
This course does not provide college credit or an exam-based certification. Students who complete the course will receive a certificate stating that they completed the course requirements. To complete the course, students will need to both attend the weekly class and complete weekly homework on the course website.
Two course textbooks will be used, with supplementary readings and videos from additional sources. Both course textbooks are available for free digitally. Hard-copies of the course textbooks can be picked up at the Feb 2 in-person kick-off session.
By actively engaging in this program, participants will
- Understand each of the topics covered at a beginner’s level, so they will be prepared to take more advanced trainings in future.
- Decide what they need to learn more about next to launch their farm business.
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Event: Cultivating Conservation Workshop
Date: April 5-6, 2023 | Wed. & Thurs.
Time: 3:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m.
Address: Harford County Agricultural Center, 3225 Conowingo Road, Suite 600, Street, MD 21154
Contact: Andy Kness, phone (410) 638-3255, e-mail: akness@umd.edu
Description: Federal programs can be complex to navigate, especially for beginning farmers or individuals who have not established a relationship with the sponsoring agency. “Cultivating Conservation for Maryland and Delaware’s Small and Historically Underserved Farmers” will target historically underserved groups to increase their knowledge of conservation practices and programs. The course will cover an overview of conservation practices, available conservation programs provided by Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies, understanding of application processes, eligibility, and contractual agreements, and how conservation projects can fit into an overall farm plan.
The University of Maryland Extension and Agriculture Law Education Initiative team, in cooperation with University of Delaware Extension, Maryland and Delaware NRCS, and Soil Conservation District field offices, will deliver education and outreach through classroom and hands-on experiences and tours of conservation offices.
The program is open to all. Meals and handouts are included.
For more information visit: https://go.umd.edu/cultivatingconservation.
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/cultivatingconservation
Urban Agriculture Meeting Archives (recordings)
Urban Agriculture Winter Meetings 2021
Urban Farmer Winter Meeting Day 1: Jan. 25, 2021
Date: January 25, 2021 | Monday
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Location: Virtual
Contact: Neith Little | Email: nglittle@umd.edu
View session recordings on YouTube
Description: 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.
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 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.
Agenda
Detailed Agenda: Educational sessions will be 30 minutes long, followed by 15 minutes of networking time.
1:00 p.m. | Value-added product case study: connecting rural cocoa growers with urban chocolate entrepreneurs Anna Glenn, Agriculture Department Chair at Liberia International Christian College and Joshua Zemah, Owner of Redimere Chocolate CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs |
2:00 p.m. | 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 |
3:00 p.m. | 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 |
4:00 p.m. | 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 |
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.
Recordings of the 2021 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting sessions are available on the urban farming playlist of UMD Extension's YouTube channel.
Urban Farmer Winter Meeting Day 2: Jan. 31, 2021
Date: January 31, 2021 | Sunday
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Location: Virtual
Contact: Neith Little | Email: nglittle@umd.edu
View session recordings on YouTube
Description: 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.
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 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.
Agenda
Detailed Agenda: Educational sessions will be 30 minutes long, followed by 15 minutes of networking time.
1:00 p.m. | Food safety for production of dried herbs
Dr. Angela Ferelli, University of Maryland, Plant Science Department, Food Safety Group |
2:00 p.m. | African heritage specialty crop research Dr. Nadine Burton, University of Maryland Eastern Shore CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs |
3:00 p.m. | 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 |
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.
Recordings of the 2021 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting sessions are available on the urban farming playlist of UMD Extension's YouTube channel.
Urban Agriculture Winter Meeeting 2022
Date: January 24, 2022 | Monday
Topics:
- Chocolate Production in Ghanta, Liberia: A local food case study
- How to start growing mushrooms on an urban farm
- Food Safety steps to sell dried herbs in Maryland
- How does a Soil Conservation District help urban farmers?
- Diseases and pests of hydroponic and greenhouse plants
Photos from trainings
Missed one of the classes above. Check out Urban Farming YouTube channel to find the recorded sessions.