Brainstorming
on how to promote the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program
among horse farm owners and managers
First
the good news. We now have 12 horse
farms certified, with the newest addition being Larry and Jo-Anne Shaudies’
Surmont Farm in Poolesville. Horse farms
with a total of 1,154.5 acres now have
FSCAP certification.
Goal: Sign up at least 10 more horse farms for the
Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) in 2014.
Ten
obstacles to signing up more horse farms in the FSCAP program.
Farm owners/managers:
Don’t know about the program
Don’t know if they meet the criteria for
certification
Don’t see the advantages in becoming certified
Think the process will take too much of their time
Do not want outsiders on their farms
Don’t know where to get assistance in meeting the
certification criteria
Are suspicious of environmental initiatives
Don’t want the big green sign at their farm entrance
Don’t want to be bothered with the paper work
Are not willing to meet the criteria for
certification
Ten ideas for actions to overcome
these obstacles:
Promote the FSCAP program at the Maryland Horse Expo
– Standing banner? Encourage MHC
leaders with farms to get their farms certified to demonstrate support for
the program. Distribute more FSCAP
horse brochures at tack shops.
Advertise the program in the Equiery and other farm-oriented
publications and web sites and Facebook (Pony Club, Fox Hunts, H/J, PVDA,
lesson barns, etc). Promote the
program at the Farm Bureau.
Prepare and post a FAQ to clarify the program
characteristics
Prepare a list of reasons to become certified,
including testimonials from certified farm owners/managers
Prepare a description of the process of certification
with all the steps required
Ask owners/managers of certified farms to encourage
their neighbors and friends to apply for the program
Provide a list of resources for interested farm
owner/managers to contact if they would like to become certified,
including Soil Conservation District Equine Specialists
Emphasize the healthy horses/ quality land management
aspects of the program
Offer additional options for certified farms –
invitations to special events?
Special recognition from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation? FSCAP horse blankets? Other creative ideas?
Provide a clear description of the paperwork required
with time estimates for the preparation and farm visit
Provide assistance and information on present and
future regulations which will require elements of this voluntary program
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Fall Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship Meeting
Thursday, November 14, 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Potomac Hunt Club
21350 Peach Tree Road
Dickerson, Maryland 20842
Agenda: Bringing More Horse Farms into the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) for Healthy Horses and a Healthy Environment. What Steps Need to be Taken to Attract More Horse Farms into the Program?
Healthy Stables By Design at the Washington International Horse Show Armed Forces Reception
All Author Proceeds Donated to Equine Charities
Washington, D.C. - October 30, 2013 -Award-winning equestrian architect John Blackburn celebrated the launch of his newly released book, Healthy Stables by Design, at the Armed Forces Reception at the Acela Club in the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. The event was part of Military Night at the 55th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) on Friday, Oct. 25.
Co-author Beth Herman, John Blackburn and Susan Lylis
Approximately 250 VIPs, guests and members of the media joined Blackburn for a short program, cocktails and dinner. A portion of the ticket sales and all author proceeds from Blackburn's book were donated to the Caisson Platoon Equine Assisted Therapy Program and PATH International's Wounded Warrior Project area organizations: Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Therapeutic Riding and Recreation Center and Loudoun Therapeutic Riding.
John Blackburn, Rhonda Van Lowe, Bridget Love Meehan and Former Congressman John Tanner
On hand were members of the Third Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the U.S. Army, serving the nation since 1784. The Old Guard is the Army's official ceremonial unit and includes the Caisson Platoon. Also in attendance were members of the U.S Marine Corps Silent Drill Team, who performed their precision rifle drill for the WIHS audience. WIHS Executive Director Bridget Love Meehan welcomed the group and introduced Rhonda Van Lowe, Chairman of the Board of Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program. Van Lowe shared her experience with horses in the program and described what a wonder they are. She spoke about their new facility, designed by Blackburn. Then she turned over the podium to Blackburn.
Former Congressman John Tanner and Jane Thery who chairs the Farm Stewardship Committee of the Maryland Horse Council listen to Blackburn's remarks.
Blackburn gave thanks to his co-author, Beth Herman; his sponsor, Lucas Equine; the Washington International Horse Show; his wife, Jenni, and others for their support. "Horses have given me so much, and now it is time for me to give back to horses," said Blackburn about his decision to donate all his proceeds from his book to equine charities. The architect and author will travel for the next year for public book signings at booksellers and private events at farms featured in Healthy Stables by Design. Proceeds from every event will benefit equine charities.
Alltech National Horse Show Is the Next Stop on the Blackburn Book Launch Tour The next stop on Blackburn's book launch tour is the Alltech National Horse Show, where he will appear for book signings on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 30, after the show at Gracie Street Garden; onFriday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the Taylor Harris Club; and at noon on Saturday, Nov. 2, in the North Star Rider Lounge. He will also be on hand at the Lucas Equine booth from Wednesday to Saturdayduring the show.
About Healthy Stables By Design by John Blackburn with Beth Herman
Healthy Stables by Design is a museum-quality coffee table book that illustrates Blackburn's approach to equestrian architecture through dramatic photography and compelling writing. It introduces the concepts of aerodynamic ventilation, strategic natural light and passive solar heating and cooling into significant horse barn designs ranging from exquisite to functional.
About John Blackburn
John Blackburn serves as the President and Senior Principal of Blackburn Architects, a Washington, D.C. firm. He has 35 years of expertise in architecture and 30 years of work focusing specifically on equestrian architecture with more than 160 horse farm designs to his credit. His award-winning work is widely known for its beauty, functionality and sustainability.
Blackburn has built facilities for racing, polo, hunters and jumpers and Quarter Horses in a variety of climates and evolving site conditions and he has been featured in dozens of equestrian, architecture and luxury lifestyle publications.
Click here to learn more about Blackburn Architects.
Healthy Stables by Design by John Blackburn is available for purchase. Click here to order your copy.
For more about Healthy Stables by Design, by John Blackburn, click here.
November 1; Examination Required Before Facility Operators Can be Certified
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will administer the Compost Facility Operators exam on Friday, November 1, at 9 am at MDA headquarters, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis. Passing this exam is required to become certified as a Compost Facility Operator. Individuals who want to take the exam must register with Phil Davidson, Registration Supervisor, at (410) 841-2721 or philip.davidson@maryland.gov
The State of Maryland regulates the commercial composting process to ensure that the finished product will benefit plants and customers as intended. Those products are registered with MDA’s State Chemist as soil conditioners or composts. Individuals who are composting materials to be sold or distributed must demonstrate their competency by passing an exam and becoming certified.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Maryland Horse Council
Farm Stewardship Committee
2013 Accomplishments and 2014 Plans
The 2013 goals for the Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship
Committee were to raise the profile of well-managed horse farms as healthy for
horses and healthy for the environment, connect horse farm owners and managers
to quality information, technical assistance and financial resources needed to
improve their farm management, stay ahead of the curve on new laws and
regulations affecting land management – including participating in regulatory
drafting and promoting new ideas for effective manure management – and to sign
up at least 10 horse farms in the Maryland Farm Stewardship and Certification
and Assessment Program (FSCAP) which recognizes environmentally-sound farm
management.
The Committee Chair is Jane Thery and the Vice Chair is Amy
Burk. During the year we held a meeting
each quarter, at Wyndham Oaks Stables, the University of Maryland
Pasture Management Facility, Sagamore Farm and
(forthcoming) the Potomac Hunt Club.
About thirty participants attended each meeting. In
addition to the host venue, Piedmont Insurance Group sponsored each meeting.
Accomplishments are:
·Eleven horse farms in the Farm
Stewardship and Certification Assessment Program (FSCAP), protecting 1,140
acres in eight counties;
·A letter from Governor Martin
O’Malley lauding each horse farm owner for his/her FSCAP certification and
recognizing the importance of horse farms in preserving farm land, open space
and the environment;
·Inclusion of a senior Maryland Horse
Council official on the advisory committee of the Maryland Agricultural
Certainty program to represent horse farms;
·Formation of a new alliance with the Chesapeake
Bay Foundation to promote the voice of the horse community in discussions of
environmental regulations and explore options for upgrades in horse manure
management;
·Presentation of a grant proposal to
the Maryland Horse Industry Board to survey horse farms, haulers and end users
of horse manure and investigate new options for the use of this organic
resource;
·Strengthening the relationship
between the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts and the horse
community through their equine specialists and the FSCAP program;
·Technical briefings on pasture
management, native plants and wildlife habitat, composting, energy-efficient
stable design and environmental regulations;
·Maintenance of a “blog” on the MHC
website to share meeting results and links to resources for horse farm owners
and managers
Goals for 2014 are
to sign up at least another 10 horse farms in the FSCAP program, participate in
the design of the regulations for the Agricultural Certainty program to make
sure they are horse farm friendly, provide horse farms with updated information
on environmental regulations, continue to promote links between horse farmers
and resources available to them, promote modern horse manure management,
including composting options, and to explore top-level alternatives for farm
management including wild-life habitat and energy-efficient stables.
Once again, we
join Governor O’Malley in congratulating the FSCAP Certified Agricultural
Stewards of the following horse farms:
Carolyn Krome,
Persimmon Tree Farm; Steven Darcy; Edgewood Farm; Karla Stoner, Bloomsbury Forge;
Milly Welsh; Graden; Lori Larson, Wyndham Oaks; Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm;
Rick Terselic, Potomac Horse Center; Michael Rubin, Breezy Hill Farm; Linda
Santomenna and Robert Alphin, Blue Waters Farm; Barbara McDonald, Shamrock
Arabians and Marko Bulmer, Roedown Farm.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Hold the Date
Fall Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship Meeting
Thursday, November 14, 3:30 - 5:30 pm
Potomac Hunt Club
21350 Peach Tree Road
Dickerson, Maryland 20842
Agenda: Bringing More Horse Farms into the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) for Healthy Horses and a Healthy Environment. What Steps Need to be Taken to Attract More Horse Farms into the Program?
It was a truly beautiful afternoon at Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland
for our Summer Farm Stewardship meeting.
Our group of twenty-five gathered under an old shade tree in front of
Native Dancer’s Barn. Jane Thery, the
committee chair, welcomed the participants to the Farm Stewardship meeting with
a reminder of the mission of this Maryland Horse Council committee to promote
high-quality horse farm land management for healthy horses and a healthy
natural environment. She reviewed the
agenda and introduced Randy Lewis, our host at Sagamore Farm. Randy gave a brief history of this 530-acre
racing and breeding operation. The farm
was successful under the ownership of Alfred Vanderbilt from 1933 to 1986 and
was the home of Hall of Fame horses Native Dancer, Bed of Roses and
Discovery. In 2007, Under Armour CEO
Kevin Plank purchased the farm and began a major renovation of the barns, track
and pastures and established his own Sagamore breeding and training operation. His top trainers, Ignacio Correa and Graham
Motion, are doing well with Sagamore stakes horses.
Randy gave the group a tour of the
impressive oval barn, the new high-tech surface on the training track and the
modern training barn designed by John Blackburn. John presented his new book, “Healthy Stables
by Design” which includes photos and information on the natural light and
ventilation of the Sagamore stables.
Jon Passero, the Land Stewardship
and Facilities Manager, described how the farm was renovated with new pasture
plantings of orchard grass and blue grass.
He noted that the orchard grass was doing very well. The new farm design fenced off all the
streams and manages water run-off to avoid erosion. Pastures are rotated and fertilized based on
careful soil testing and analysis. All
manure from the stables is shipped off to the mushroom growers. Jon began his career in the plant nursery
business and noted that, with available technical assistance and professional
guidance, it is possible to successfully take on a large operation such as
Sagamore and have very positive land stewardship results. He found the Farm Stewardship Certification
and Assessment Program (FSCAP) promoted by the Maryland Horse Council to be an
easy win for Sagamore as the farm is managed to the highest standards. Jon was pleased that Sagamore was one of the
eleven horse farms recognized by Maryland Governor O’Malley for FSCAP
certification. Gerald Talbert, Project
Leader of the FSCAP program, congratulated Sagamore on their land management
practices.
Ciara McMurtrie, Baltimore County
Soil Conservation District Equine Specialist, told the group of her own
background with horses and opportunity to work with horse farms to improve
pastures and farm management. She
underlined that her office is providing help with advice and access to
cost-sharing programs and is not in the business of enforcing regulations. Ciara said that work with the right grass
seeding mixtures continues with analysis of orchard grass, fescue, blue grass
and Bermuda grass. She said that each
farm and indeed each pasture of each farm is most successful with targeted
planting according to the soil, slope, location, etc. Ciara reminded the group that newly seeded
pastures require at least six months without horses to become established. She is ready to provide assistance with
pastures, manure management and storage, rainwater run-off, stream crossings
and any other aspect of quality farm management.
Doug Myers, Maryland Scientist at
the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, presented an update on the Maryland Agricultural
Certainty Program regulations. Doug was
instrumental in the design of this new legislation which has the dual purpose
of bringing Maryland up to speed in protecting the Chesapeake Bay and helping
the agricultural sector through science-based regulations and predictable time-frames. The concept of agricultural certainty is that
farms that meet all present regulations for nutrient management – basically
minimizing run-off of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment – will have a ten-year
grace period before having to meet any new regulations. Doug stated that the baseline will most
likely be a combination of the FSCAP requirements plus a farm measurement of
actual run-off using sophisticated software.
The regulations will be based on the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water
Blueprint that sets goals and includes modern methods of measuring farm
run-off. Issues yet to be addressed are
whether standards will be uniform across Maryland, how to best collect the data
and how to protect the privacy of individual farms while analyzing watershed
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay. Doug hopes to work with our FSCAP certified
horse farms to help develop regulations which are user-friendly for our horse
community. He noted that there are plans
to establish a nutrient trading system and, as well-managed horse farms are
positive contributors to the environment, they would benefit from being able to
sell nutrient credits on the exchange.
Doug said that he would be glad to hear from any horse-farm owners with
questions as the regulatory discussions continue. He said that our own MHC Executive Committee
member Steuart Pittman ably represents horse farm owners and managers on the
advisory committee. Doug said that the
draft regulations should be circulated for public comment in the next couple of
months.
Carolyn Krome, owner of Persimmon
Tree Farm which was the first FSCAP certified horse farm,
spoke on naturalizing your horse farm.
She recommends finding buffer areas and areas that are not suitable for
pasture and planting native grasses to both hold the soil and provide wildlife
habitat. She showed the group a
beautiful stand of grasses from her farm, including wild flowers that attract
butterflies. Carolyn strongly recommends
checking out the weekly publication “Lancaster Farming – Southern Edition” for
naturalizing tips and sources of financing for technical assistance. She has worked successfully with the USDA
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and organizations such as Pheasant,
Quail and Trout Unlimited on natural habitat restoration. Unfortunately, the quail she tried to
introduce to their new habitat served as a meal for other wildlife in the
area! Carolyn would be glad to provide
guidance to anyone interested in these FSCAP-plus measures to improve your farm
for your horses, natural flora and fauna and to contribute to a beautiful
landscape.
Finally, Jennifer Reynolds,
representing the University of Maryland Equine program, invited everyone to
visit the Maryland State Fair and to attend two upcoming Pasture Management
Seminars: September 7 at Sagamore Farm in Baltimore County and September 21 at
Hassler Dressage at Riveredge in Cecil County. Jane Thery closed the program thanking our
sponsors, Randy Lewis of Sagamore Farm for hosting the meeting and Andy Bennett
of the Piedmont Insurance Group for the fine refreshments and corporate gifts
for the group.
Information on the
autumn Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship meeting will be available
soon.
The proposed emergency regulation to immediately adopt the new Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) as part of a nutrient management plan was withdrawn this morning by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The hearing of the AELR Committee in Annapolis that had been scheduled at the request of Senator Rich Colburn for Wednesday is expected to be canceled.
“This was a wise decision by the Administration,” said MD Farm Bureau President Pat Langenfelder upon hearing the emergency PMT regulations were withdrawn. “This will allow MDA to work with the farm community to develop a reasonable schedule to phase-in the new phosphorus tool.”
Immediate implementation of the new Phosphorus Management Tool would have caused severe hardship for farmers who raise poultry and livestock in Maryland. The existing handling and distribution system for poultry litter and dairy manure (organic fertilizers) would have been disrupted.
“Farmers, poultry growers and litter handling businesses in Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico Counties did an amazing job of identifying the problem and working with Farm Bureau, DPI, the MD Grain Producers Association and others to tell their story,” Langenfelder explained.
“We appreciate the tireless work of Senators Colburn and Mathias and the entire Eastern Shore delegation for taking those stories to leaders in Annapolis,” said Langenfelder. “This was not a partisan issue and farmers are grateful to have friends on both sides of the aisle who can come together to preserve our farm economy.”
Withdraw of the emergency proposal will allow the regulation to be promulgated under the regular process, which provides for public comment and will accommodate a phased-in schedule of implementation. Discussions with the industry and a new schedule for implementation will:
Give researchers time to better ground-truth the Phosphorus Management Tool • Give researchers time to adjust the tool to include variable rate options in fields
Allow adjoining watershed states to catch up and adopt the tool on the same timeframe
Provide time for farmers to become educated on the use of the new tool
Provide time for farmers to change their operations to either eliminate or add organic poultry litter or dairy manure to their system
Give farmers time to buy new equipment to use a different type of fertilizer
Allow the private market for organic fertilizer on the western shore to develop • Bring online alternative energy suppliers to burn poultry litter and dairy manure to produce electricity
Coincide with the schedule for the Bay Model update that will measure the phosphorus reductions achieved through the use of the new tool
Allow the MGA to reexamine the current manure transportation cost-share program and target funds to develop a western shore market
Allow state officials, farm and environmental groups to undertake a public relations campaign to “un-demonize” and educate the general public about the benefits of stockpiling poultry litter and manure for use at the appropriate time for optimal crop growth.
“We look forward to working with the Governor’s staff and the team at MDA to build the appropriate infrastructure for poultry litter and dairy manure movement during the phase-in time period,” said Langenfelder. “We are confident we can do what is right for Bay Restoration while preserving the economic viability of our farm businesses.”
Governor O'Malley Congratulates Maryland Horse Farms for Farm Stewardship
Governor Martin O'Malley recognized the eleven Maryland horse farms who are now Certified Agricultural Conservation Stewards, protecting natural resources on 1,249 acres in seven Maryland counties. With assistance from the Maryland Horse Council’s Farm Stewardship Committee http://www.mdhorsecouncil.org/farm_stewardship.htm, horse farms are now actively engaged in the community of Maryland farms benefiting from participation in the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP). http://www.mascd.net/FSCAP_Horse.pdf
The Maryland Horse Council, established in 1985, represents the interests of the state-wide horse industry with about 80,000 horses and one quarter of Maryland agricultural land. FSCAP was established in 2010 to acknowledge those farmers who are good stewards of their natural resources and to encourage and reward farmers to put more conservation best management practices (BMPs) on the land. It developed the Agricultural Conservation Stewardship Certification Standard (ACSCS), which measures compliance with state requirements for the farm's nutrient management plan plus a level of conservation BMPs that prevent any significant sources of pollution from leaving the farm. The project is managed by the innovative Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD) that promotes practical and effective soil, water, and related natural resource programs to all citizens through Maryland’s 24 soil conservation districts on a voluntary basis through leadership, education, cooperation, and local direction.
Through FSCAP, MASCD established a collaborative process to recognize good stewardship by farmers that is acknowledged and respected by both the environmental and agricultural communities. By “setting the bar”, it encourages other farmers to achieve certification and participate in new conservation programs that put more conservation on the land and reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
This Maryland “green” initiative is receiving positive reviews in the horse community, including from Linda Santomenna, the owner of Blue Waters Farm in Chesapeake City who states, “I just wanted to take a moment and thank you again for facilitating our entrance into the MASCD FSCAP program. We are so proud to participate and have received a great deal of interest and positive comments from our colleagues and clients. Thank you for doing such a lovely job!”
This special recognition by Governor O'Malley was received by: Carolyn Krome, Persimmon Tree Farm; Steven Darcy; Edgewood Farm; Karla Stoner, Bloomsbury Forge; Milly Welsh; Rover's Content; Lori Larson, Wyndham Oaks; Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm; Rick Terselic, Potomac Horse Center; Caroline duPont Prickett, Great House Farm; Michael Rubin, Breezy Hill Farm; Linda Santomenna and Robert Alphin, Blue Waters Farm; and Barbara McDonald, Shamrock Arabians. (Full addresses and acreage attached) Text of Governor O'Malley's letter: "Congratulations on being one of the first horse farm owners who are now Certified Agricultural Conservation Stewards. It is an understatement to say that horses are an important part of Maryland. Not only do they have an economic impact on our State, but they’re also helping us preserve our farm land, our open space, and our environment. The Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) was therefore established to acknowledge those farmers who are good stewards of their natural resources and to encourage farmers to put more conservation best management practices (BMPs) on the land. The program is part of our larger effort to preserve our natural resources for future generations of Marylanders. If you look at our State seal, on it, of course, is a plowman and a fisherman, but on the other side of the State seal is a horse. So this is an important part of our heritage, our spirit, our economy, our jobs, and all of those things enriched by the presence of the horse industry throughout our centuries-old history. On behalf of our State, I want to thank all of you who work so hard in Maryland’s horse industry for your strength, your determination, and your commitment to protecting our natural resources. Sincerely,
Special Request: Please bring your own folding chair so we can hold our meeting in Native Dancer’s Barn! Thank you.
3:00 pm Welcome
Jane Thery, Chair, Farm Stewardship Committee
3:15 pm Sagamore Farm Tour
Randy Lewis, Sagamore Tours Director, and Jon Passero, Sagamore Grounds Manager with
commentary from Gerald Talbert, Director, Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP)
4:00 pm Update on Equine Issues in the Soil Conservation District
Ciara McMurtrie, Baltimore County Soil Conservation District Equine Specialist
4:15 pm Update on The Maryland Agricultural Certainty Program Regulations*
Doug Myers, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
4:30 pm Practical Tips for Naturalizing Your Horse Farm
Carolyn Krome, Persimmon Tree Farm
4:45 pm End of program, informal networking
5:00 pm Leave farm
Special thanks to Sagamore Farm for hosting this event and Piedmont Insurance for providing our refreshments.
*This is a new voluntary Maryland state program to certify agricultural operations willing to meet tough water quality requirements for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in line with the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. Certification will provide the farmer flexibility as to when he or she has to meet potential new regulatory requirements or nutrient and sediment load reallocations for a period of 10 years. The farmer still must comply with any potential laws or rules by the end of the certification period.
Special
Request: Please bring your own folding
chair so we can hold our meeting in Native Dancer’s Barn! Thank you.
3:00 pm Welcome
Jane Thery, Chair, Farm Stewardship
Committee
3:15 pm
Sagamore Farm Tour
Randy Lewis, Sagamore Tours Director, and Jon Passero, Sagamore
Grounds Manager with
commentary from Gerald Talbert, Director, Farm Stewardship
Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP)
4:00 pm
Update on Equine Issues in the Soil Conservation District
Ciara McMurtrie, Baltimore County Soil
Conservation District Equine Specialist
4:15 pm Update
on The Maryland Agricultural Certainty Program Regulations*
Doug Myers, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
4:30 pm End
of program, informal networking
5:00 pm
Leave farm
*This
is a new voluntary Maryland state program to certify agricultural
operations willing to meet tough water quality requirements for nitrogen, phosphorus
and sediment in line with the Chesapeake
Clean Water Blueprint. Certification will provide the farmer flexibility as
to when he or she has to meet potential new regulatory requirements or nutrient
and sediment load reallocations for a period of 10 years. The farmer still must
comply with any potential laws or rules by the end of the certification period.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance has announced member of the Agricultural Certainty Oversight Committee – the group that will develop the regulations necessary to implement the program and then continue to evaluate the program and make recommendations for moving forward.
The Agricultural Certainty Program, which was passed by the General Assembly during the most recent legislative session, will allow farmers who voluntarily implement advanced best management practices (BMPs) to conduct their business without additional regulations for ten years. After ten years, however, farmers will have to be in full compliance with all regulations in effect at that time. The intention of the program is to help speed up Bay Restoration efforts by encouraging farmers to more quickly implement BMPs while providing them with a predictable regulatory environment.
“The members of the Oversight Committee are proven experts and dedicated environmental and agricultural professionals who will bring a vast array of perspectives and experience to the important task before us,” said Secretary Hance. “I thank each of them for volunteering for this position and I look forward to working with them in the months ahead to make the Agricultural Certainty program the most effective and successful it can be..”
• Wes Messick, Dorchester County Soil Conservation District Chairman
• Doug Myers, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis (Anne Arundel County)
• Judith Marie O’Neil, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge (Dorchester County)
• Steuart Pittman, Dodon Farm Training Center, Davidsonville (Anne Arundel)
• James Raley, Valentine’s Delight Farm, Avenue (St. Mary’s County)
• Denny Remsburg, Frederick/Catoctin Soil Conservation District Manager
• Paul Spies, Chester River Association, Cordova (Talbot County)
• Robert Stabler, farmer, Brookville (Montgomery County)
• Wayne Stafford, Cecil County Farm Bureau (Cecil County)
• Ann Swanson, Chesapeake Bay Commission, Annapolis (Anne Arundel County)
In addition to these members, the committee will include representatives who have not yet been selected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of the Environment.
