by Dr. Melinda Schwarz Training RecordsNo matter what training methods you use, start with making paper or electronic records of the training that you intend to do. Having proof that you trained your workers shows you are doing your due diligence. Include: Training TopicsConsider which critical food safety knowledge that applies to your farm: Training…Read more UMES Extension Food Safety Worker Training Tips
UMES Extension offers free webinar series for herb growers
Get ready for spring with a webinar series designed to train those serious about growing and processing specialty herbs with information needed to be successful. UMES Extension’s specialty herb consultant Henriette den Ouden has planned four online classes, March 2, 16, 30 and April 13, from 12-1 p.m., culminating with an in-person field day for…Read more UMES Extension offers free webinar series for herb growers
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in the U.S.
Biosecurity alert: Protect your flock! Word is (hopefully!) getting out that the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in commercial poultry flocks in the U.S. for the first time since 2020 and on the Delmarva Peninsula since 2004. The latest updates bring USDA-APHIS confirmed cases to…Read more Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza detected in the U.S.
UMES Extension takes part in 2022 Delmarva Soil Summit
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…Read more UMES Extension takes part in 2022 Delmarva Soil Summit
Specialty crop growers can receive lab services to determine quality control though pilot program
UMES Extension will be embarking on a pilot program that will offer growers of specialty crops lab services to help ensure that their value-added products meet food safety benchmarks. A nearly $36,000 specialty crop block grant received by the Agricultural Law Education Initiative includes funds that will subsidize testing at the UMES Food Science Lab…Read more Specialty crop growers can receive lab services to determine quality control though pilot program
Aronia cultivation and research on the UMES Research and Education Farm
UMES chemistry professor, Dr. Victoria Volkis, has conducted aronia research slightly over a decade in partnership with Dr. Andrew Ristvey, an extension specialist for commercial horticulture at Wye Research and Education Center in Queenstown, Md. Four years ago, they enlisted the help of extension specialists with UMES’ Small Farm Program to grow aronia on the UMES Research and Education Farm…Read more Aronia cultivation and research on the UMES Research and Education Farm
Growing elderberries on the UMES Research and Education Farm
UMES Extension specialty herb consultant Henriette den Ouden is growing elderberries on the UMES Research and Education Farm on Stewart Neck Road near campus. This year is the first harvest from two varieties of elderberry bushes that were planted last year; the Wyldewood and the Bob Gordon. “Although we have a nice harvest from the plants,…Read more Growing elderberries on the UMES Research and Education Farm
UMES Extension Herb Garden
UMES Extension Specialty Herbs Consultant Henriette den Ouden grows 18 different medicinal and culinary herbs at the UMES Research and Demonstration Farm at 10789 Stewart Neck Road just south of campus in Princess Anne, Maryland. The herb garden is a place for farmers and home gardeners to see the herbs, taste and smell them and learn how to…Read more UMES Extension Herb Garden
UMES Extension is strengthening the community through crop diversification
UMES Extension is playing its part in improving food security and satisfying the demand for locally grown ethnic and specialty crops by educating farmers on crop diversification, said Dr. Nadine Burton, an alternative crop specialist at the UMES Research and Education Farm. “Diversifying crops in our region is of great importance,” Burton said, “to ensure food…Read more UMES Extension is strengthening the community through crop diversification
New extension webinar series focuses on peer-to-peer learning
May saw the kick-off of the Horticulture and Fruit program’s new webinar series, “Ingenuity and Innovation in Agriculture: Talk with a Farmer.” Nearly 100 produce growers and gardening enthusiasts registered for opportunities to learn about the successes and challenges others face in their agricultural pursuits—many of them repeat customers. The first installment on May 1 featured John…Read more New extension webinar series focuses on peer-to-peer learning
