UMES Small Farm Program Coordinator Berran Rogers was among a group of 20 organizers representing agricultural organizations, soil conservation districts, university extension programs and Maryland and Delaware farmers of the 2022 Delmarva Soil Summit. The biennial event took place February 7-8 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Themed “Groundwork for the Future,” its purpose is to “deliver the latest updates on soil health research and regenerative agriculture practices relevant to all crop production systems.”
The committee, Rogers said, “put together educational tracks and sessions aimed at appealing to both large-scale commodity farmers and small-scale diversified growers.”
“Thanks to the leadership of committee chair Jennifer Nelson and other members who took on the lion’s share of work behind the scenes, we were able to develop a well-rounded two-day conference featuring leading soil health experts from across the country,” Rogers said.
Among the speakers were Ray Archuleta, a conservation agronomist at the NRCS in Greensboro, N.C. and Jimmy Emmons a no-till Oklahoma farmer and NACD soil health champion. A panel of local farmers also shared their experiences building better soil. For a complete list click here.
In a WBOC interview during the event, Nelson said, “The summit is most beneficial when we include a broad range of voices. Whether you’re an immigrant farmer, an African-American farmer or a female farmer, we’ve got lots of different ages and diversity.”
“It’s really nice to see an increased interest in farming among diverse and ethnic populations,” Rogers said. “As concerns over food insecurity persist, I believe we will continue to see this growing trend.” Farmers of color make up less than five percent of the total number of producers in Maryland according to the agriculture census. UMES’ Small Farm Program, he said, reaches out to underserved farmers and farmers of color in an effort to increase the number involved in the agricultural industry.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, 410-621-3850.
