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: Ag Law Education Initiative Conference
Date: November 16, 2023 | Thursday
Time: 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 173 Jennifer Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401 US
Description: Struggling to stay updated on the latest in agricultural and environmental regulations? Look no further! The Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference (AELC), proudly presented by the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI), is a one-of-a-kind occasion that unites professionals from Maryland’s agriculture, conservation, and legal sectors. Mark your calendars for November 16th, as the event unfolds from 8 AM to 3 PM at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Annapolis, MD.
The conference will include a virtual option for those unable to attend in-person that day. The conference will begin with a look at preparing for a disease outbreak on a poultry operation, PFAS, and a 2023 legal overview of the decisions that will impact agriculture. Sessions are being finalized, and you can look here for an updated agenda (https://umaglaw.org/alei-ag-and-environmental-law-conference/)
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/aleiconf23registration
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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)
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.