Cultivate Baltimore: Hand-scale farm tools at Strength to Love 2 in Baltimore, City, August 15, 2019
Updated: March 12, 2024

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.

Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm and the Plant Science Food Safety Group, UMD Present Workshops in Produce Safety for the Urban Farmer


Are you interested in produce safety, but want a focused, interactive, and condensed study on a specific food safety topic? These presentations/workshops will concentrate on just one aspect of produce safety in a two-hour presentation/demonstration/activity. Questions and active participation are welcome! A certificate of attendance will be given for your records.

Location: Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, 3811 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215.
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Cost: $15.00

Workshop Date Topic Registration
Friday, March 22, 2024 Does the urban farmer like to take chances? looking at risk assessment https://www.eventbrite.com/e/does-the-urban-farmer-like-to-take-chances-looking-at-risk-assessment-tickets-843565766917?aff=oddtdtcreator
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 Urban farming and your water distribution system https://www.eventbrite.com/e/urban-farming-and-your-water-distribution-system-tickets-843578735707?aff=oddtdtcreator
Thursday, April 25, 2024 Do urban farmers need SOPs? How do I do that? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/do-urban-farmers-need-sops-how-do-i-do-that-tickets-843590079637?aff=oddtdtcreator

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CONTACT Produce Safety Webinar - What's In and What's Out: Defining CEA and Its Produce Safety Best Practices
When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 3:30 EST
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Register: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZOJEGQqjRPa47iAQd1UzYw#/registration

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Event: 2024 Strawberry Twilight Tour
Date:
May 14, 2024  | Tuesday
Time: 5:30 p.m to 7:30 p.m. | Cost: Free
Location: Wye Research and Education Center, 211 Farm Lane, Queenstown, MD
Description: Come see the latest varieties we have to showcase. Fresh strawberries will be served at the conclusion of the tour.
Register
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Good Agricultural Practices, Introduction to Produce Safety Rule, In Person
When: Saturday, March 16, 2024 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where: East Capitol Urban Farm, 5929 East Capitol St NE, Washington, DC 20019
*New Location*
Cost: Free
Registrationhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/good-agricultural-practices-introduction-to-produce-safety-rule-in-person-tickets-843653930617?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Produce Safety Rule Training, In Person
When: Thursday, March 21, 2024 8:30am - 5:00pm
Where: Phillips Packing House Company, 411 Dorchester Ave., # 202, Cambridge, MD
Cost: $35.00
Registrationhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-psa-produce-safety-rule-psr-grower-training-cambridge-md-tickets-776501074617

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Good Agricultural Practices, Introduction to Produce Safety Rule
When: Saturday, June 15, 2024 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where: Firebird Research Farm (UDC), 12001 Old Baltimore Pike Beltsville, MD 20705
Cost: Free
Registrationhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/good-agricultural-practices-introduction-to-produce-safety-rule-in-person-tickets-843655976737?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Setting Up a Farm Chart of Accounts
Date: July 9, 2024  | Tuesday
Time: 12 noon  | Cost: Free
Location: Online webinar (Zoom)
Description: A chart of accounts is the base to all financial recordkeeping. The chart of accounts is an organized classification of transactions within the business. It makes managing the finances easier to manage, categorize, and understand. This webinar will provide an introduction to setting up a farm chart of accounts. This webinar is sponsored by Women In Agriculture and are free and open to all.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-women-in-ag-webinars-tickets-770439012827

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Land in Maryland: Basic Legal Issues for All Landowners (ONLINE COURSE FOR LANDOWNERS)
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) has released a new online course for rural landowners in Maryland. The So You Want to Own Farmland in Maryland course is now available through the University of Maryland’s Enterprise Learning Management System – Canvas. The free program will cover those legal issues that Maryland landowners may face. A grant funds the program through the Northeast Risk Management Education Center.

The online course will feature Paul Goeringer, a Senior Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist in agricultural law. He will address leasing, landowner liability issues, right-to-farm law, fencing laws, livestock liability, and estate planning. For more information or to register, go to https://go.umd.edu/3ZSkv4r.

Urban Agriculture Meeting Archives (recordings)

2024 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting Recording


2024 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting Recording Part 1 of 2
Video Length: 2:36:31 | Date: January 27, 2024
Location: Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse

 

 

2024 Urban Farmer Winter Meeting Recording Part 2 of 2
Video Length: 58:30 | Date: January 27, 2024
Location: Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse

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
     

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
CCA: 0.5 Crop Management CEUs

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. 

Photos from trainings

Farmers attend workshop

Farmers from Baltimore City participate in workshop on high tunnel best management practices. Three workshops in 2021 were funded by a a grant from USDA-NRCS MD, Award # NR203B19XXXXC003

2021 Urban Farmer Field School Series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA

Neith Little teaches about high tunnel BMPs

UMD Urban Ag Educator Neith Little teaches about high tunnel best management practices. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School Series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA. 

Farmer Chippy Francis

Farmer Chippy Francis grows Trinidad scorpion peppers in the high tunnel at Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA.

Dr. Gerald Brust teaches how to identify insect feeding damage

Dr. Gerald Brust, UMD Extension Specialist, teaches how to identify insect feeding damage. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA. 

Ramon Ortiz and Eric Hines from USDA NRCS at urban farm

Ramon Ortiz and Eric Hines from Maryland's office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) talk with urban farmers about how to access conservation resources. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA.

Farmer Kimberly Raikes

Farmer Kimberly Raikes teaches about using a string trellis to grow tomatoes in a high tunnel at Whitelock Community Farm. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School series. Photo by Jessica Duerstine, USDA NRCS.

Andrew Ristvey teaches

At the July 13, 2021 Urban Farmer Field School, Extension specialist Dr. Andrew Ristvey gave a hands-on demonstration of how to test the pH and electrical conductivity of your soil or growing substrate. Photo by Jessica Duerstine, USDA-NRCS. 

Andy Kness teaches

Extension educator Andy Kness taught about disease management at Whitelock Community Farm, as part of the 2021 Urban Farmer Field School series. Photo by Jessica Duerstine, USDA-NRCS. This training was supported by funding from Maryland USDA-NRCS.

Cucumber beetle and hairy galinsoga

Cucumber beetle is an important pest of cucurbits, because it can spread bacterial wilt disease. Hairy galinsoga is an important weed of vegetable crops, because it grows quickly and produces a lot of seeds. Photo by Neith Little, UMD Extension. 

Dave Myers teaches IPM

Agriculture and Food Systems Extension Educator Dave Myers taught about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the June 21 Urban Farmer Field School at Oliver Community Farm. IPM includes prevention, scouting, and treatment based on pest thresholds. Photo by Neith Little, UMD Extension. 

Professor and Extension Specialist Dr. John Lea-Cox taught about soils and growing media at the June 2021 Urban Farmer Field School. Choosing the right fertility test depends on what material you are growing in. Salinity and pH are also important metrics to monitor. Photo by Neith Little, UMD Extension.

Marcus Williams teaches about food safety

UMD Master Gardener Coordinator Marcus Williams teaches about food safety. 2021 Urban Farmer Field School Series. Photo by Preston Keres, USDA.