Funding Options for Your Horse Operation

Brought to you by MHC Sponsor Farm Credit and Keith Wills, Loan Officer.

Small businesses have had it tough the past few years, and equine operations are no exception.   In the past, loans from your local lender were relatively easy to obtain and could be used to purchase farms, operate your business or even make capital improvements.  In today’s economy, those loans are harder to get.  The good news is there are still many options available to you, as an equine operation, that can help finance your business.  Consider these options:

-       MidAtlantic Farm Credit’s StartRight Program for young, beginning and small farmers – Contact your local Farm Credit office for more information or visit www.farmcreditequine.com.

-       Maryland Department of Agriculture Special Projects and Tributary Strategies - Visit the MD Department of Ag Conservation website (http://www.mda.state.md.us/resource_conservation/index.php) for a list of possible grants available for equine related conservation projects.  

-       Maryland Departments of Agriculture and Environment Low Interest Loans for Agricultural Conservation (also known as LILAC) – LILAC eligible loans offer a significant reduction in your interest rate for eligible purchases of certain types of equipment and installation of approved best management practices on agricultural land that help protect water quality.  Contact your local Soil Conservation office for assistance with the application and to have your project referred to Maryland Department of Agriculture and Maryland Department of Environment. 

-       US Small Business Administration or SBA – The SBA provides loans to small businesses for startup and growth.  For more information visit their website at www.sba.gov.

-       Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation or MARBIDCO – MARBIDCO offers low-interest loans to most agricultural producers.  These loans are offered for the purchase of land and equipment.  The loan programs are available to most farmers including equine.  Also, MARBICO will work in conjunction with your lender to offer a combined lending package.  Visit their website at www.marbidco.org for more information.

As you research the above options, remember to visit your local state, and federal, department of agriculture websites for additional information on subsidies, grants and low interest loans.  In most cases, horse owners are not considered agricultural producers and are not eligible for certain state and federal programs.  For example, FSA guarantee loans and direct loans are restricted to production agriculture.  However, there may be rare instances that a second enterprise on the farm would be considered production agriculture such as cash grain and change the qualification status.   

            Take the time to document the diversification of your operation.   When completing the research for applicable loans, grants, and subsidies, your documentation of the operation could aid in the qualification process.   Also, periodically revisit local state and federal websites for possible changes in requirements for aid and additional projects offered.   Lastly, don’t forget to contact your farm lender with any questions concerning your borrowing needs.

Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship Committee, July 12 Meeting Report

It was a lovely evening to visit Persimmon Tree Farm in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland to discuss horse farm stewardship under the auspices of the Maryland Horse Council.  Jane Thery, the Committee chair, welcomed the group to this first meeting.  About forty people came to the meeting which began with an educational tour of the farm from owner Carolyn Krome who demonstrated the results of her engagement with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and with the Farm Stewardship and Assessment Program.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=cep Persimmon Tree Farm has large areas of tall grasses on land not suited for pastures which serve as wildlife habitat.

The Maryland Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP), recognizes farmers for being good conservation stewards and meeting the Agricultural Conservation Stewardship Certification Standard (ACSCS) (PDF Link Here).  This program was identified by the Farm Stewardship committee as a legitimate way to show how horse farms, which make up one quarter of Maryland’s agricultural land, are contributing to protecting the environment through maintenance of open land, tree stands, healthy pastures and grasslands.   Farms interested in having their efforts at providing a healthy home for horses as well as being champions of the environment can work with this program and receive as public recognition an impressive farm sign that includes the logos of the Core Partners: Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts (MASCD), Maryland Farm Bureau (MFB),Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA).

Twenty seven farms received recognition so far, including three horse farms, Persimmon Tree, Bloomsbury Forge and Edgewood.  Carolyn Krome pointed out how she fenced off her streams, planted trees along the banks, harrows her fields, has barn manure stored on a cement pad and frequently hauled away, uses carefully calibrated fertilizer and reseeding to maintain quality pastures and installed pasture waters.

Gerald Talbert directs the Farm Stewardship Certification program and encouraged the meeting participant to contact him about the steps needed for certification.  His email address is geraldtalbert@verizon.net.  Karla Stoner, owner of Bloomsbury Forge, spoke on her positive experience with the receiving her farm certification and encouraged others to start the process.  A goal of the Farm Stewardship Committee is to see how we can significantly raise the number of certified horse farms under this program.

Steuart Pittman, the president of the Maryland Horse Council, and Jane Seigler, the vice president, addressed the importance of the horse community’s active voice in environmental discussion among Maryland politicians and regulators.  They noted that the fact that the Maryland Horse Council formed a Farm Stewardship Committee helps entree into state-wide debates over laws and regulation in this area and serves as a bridge between the agricultural and environmental groups.  Jane Seigler reviewed the proposed changes in nutrient management regulations.  The details on this regulation are presented in the legislative section of the Maryland Horse Council web site. Comments are due on August 13 and everyone was encouraged to attend the regional consultations and speak up for the horse community. http://www.mdhorsecouncil.org/legislative.htm

George Maurer, a conservation specialist, presented an update on nutrient trading programs.  These programs are evolving but the present policy does not allow horse farmers to get nutrient trading credit for the fact that many apply much less fertilizer to their land than is allowed under their nutrient management plans.  Other options for providing private sector funds for horse farms in exchange for nutrient credits may become available. http://www.mda.state.md.us/nutrad/

Les Vough, in representation of the Grazers Network, described how the network identifies mentors and farm management partners to promote the exchange of information on best practices in pasture management for healthy livestock and healthy pastures.  The next step will be to identify horse farm mentors, who would receive some compensation under this project, and match them with horse farm partners to provide targeted assistance. http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/publications/maryland-grazers-network

Last but not least, Jennifer Reynolds of the University of Maryland Equine Extension program http://www.ansc.umd.edu/erg/  described the pasture management programs available and encouraged participation on these seminars and workshops, especially those focused on rotational grazing.  She was representing the Farm Stewardship Committee vice chair, Amy Burk.

During the discussions, some participants raised concerns about the lack of response from officials of Soil Conservation Districts who are key in identifying resources to help horse farm owners and managers take advantage of programs for technical and financial assistance.  The Farm Stewardship Committee may raise this issue at the state level to see if there are staffing or resource solutions that we could support.  Another concern raised was the specifications for manure holding area concrete pads.  The specifications seemed to require very “over built” structures according to some participants. The response from officials present who are familiar with the program was that the pads need to withstand heavy machinery, last for a number of years and accommodate possible increases future manure loads.

Future topics for consideration by the committee will be greater participation in policy discussions on environmental issues, perhaps through written comments as well as representation on advisory groups, evaluation of farm certification needs for more high-density horse farms, sharing positive experiences and engaging major horse communities across the state.

The next meeting will be scheduled in the fall.  We hope to identify another farm that is willing to include a farm tour as part of the agenda.  Suggestions of topics for this next meeting are welcome! Please contact the committee chair, Jane Thery at theryjane@gmail.com; or the vice chair, Amy Burk at amyburk@umd.edu with your ideas.

August 13 Deadline for Comments on New Nutrient Management Regs

http://www.mda.maryland.gov/pdf/proposednmregs2.pdf

The link above includes the proposed changes in the Maryland State regulations for nutrient management.  Please look them over and let me know know if you have any suggested changes based on your experience with horse farm stewardship.

Thanks

Land Stewardship for Horse Farms includes innovative ways to manage manure.  One approach would be regional centers for horse manure composting as recommended in this 2004 study from Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Horse Study

 2004

“Another issue that is becoming more and more critical is manure management. With the passage of the Water Quality Improvement Act , anyone with more than eight animal units or who grosses more than $2,500 per year must have a nutrient management plan. As part of the plan, animal owners must account for how their manure is disposed. Many horse properties in Montgomery County who are required to have a nutrient management plan are already having difficulty finding acceptable ways of disposing of their stall waste, either because they don’t have enough land to spread it and the cost of having it hauled away is prohibitive or commercial haulers already have more clients than they can handle. Composted horse manure makes an excellent fertilizer and soil amendment. But most horse operations don’t have the room or the manpower to devote to the composting process. There is a great need for regionally located manure composting facilities, or at least a drop-off point, where the owners of livestock—not just horses—can bring their manure . Gardeners , nursery operators, and landscapers all could make use of the final product . Nominal fees could be charged at both ends to help offset operating costs of the facility.”

Source: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Content/DED/AgServices/equine-survey.pdf

University of Maryland Pasture Seminar Series

Nutrition and Health of the Pastured Horse

Can pasture meet the nutritional needs of your horse? What are some of the health concerns that may affect pastured horses? Learn about these issues and ask your questions of our experts on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 6pm at the University of Maryland Equine Rotational Grazing Demonstration Site - 4241 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042! Please RSVP to jenreyn@umd.edu or 301-406-1547.

Our Featured Speakers:

Dr. Amy Burk: Dr. Amy Burk serves as the Coordinator for the Equine Studies Program in the Animal and Avian Sciences Department at the University of Maryland. Her main responsibilities include teaching Horse Management and Equine Science, advising undergraduate Animal Science majors, advising the 80-member Equestrian Club, as well as serving as a statewide Extension Horse Specialist.  Her Extension education programs, including the Equine Rotational Grazing Demonstration site, teach horse owners about proper equine nutrition and pasture management for optimal horse health.  She has received awards for her teaching and advising including the Poffenberger Excellence in Teaching and Advising from the University of Maryland and the Educator of the Year from the Equine Science Society.  Dr. Burk completed her graduate work in Animal and Poultry Sciences as a Pratt Fellow in Animal Nutrition at Virginia Tech. She specialized in equine nutrition, earning an M.S. in 1998 and a PhD in 2001. 

 Justin Sobota MS, MSM, DVM: Founder of South Mountain Equine LLC, Dr. Sobota is a graduate of Penn State University and the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. He also completed masters degrees in nutrition and management from the University of Florida which propelled him to be employed as an equine nutrition consultant for two international feed companies prior to attending veterinary school. He completed an equine surgical, medical, and ambulatory internship at Woodside Equine Clinic in Ashland, VA prior to the establishment of South Mountain Equine in Middletown, MD.  Recently, he became a member of the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. 

Farm Stewardship Meeting Announcement

Thursday, July 12 

6:30 - 9:30 pm 

Persimmon Tree Farm 

1030 Bloom Road

Westminster, MD  21157-8006

410-876-8645

 ++Farm Tour++

++Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts'

Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program++

++Maryland Grazers Network++

++Nutrient Trading Update++

++University of Maryland Pasture Seminar++

++Open discussion of Farm Stewardship issues++

AND

Celebration of the three Horse Farms now recognized by the 

Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts as "Certified Agriculture Conservation Stewards"

Karla Stoner's Bloomsbury Forge

Steve Darcey's Edgewood Farm 

and our host

Carolyn Krome's Persimmon Tree Farm 

RSVP

theryjane@gmail.com

202-527-2145

Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship Committee

May 15, 2012 Quarterly Meeting Report

The Farm Stewardship Committee's mission is to demonstrate the positive contribution of well-managed horse farms to the protection of our natural environment and to encourage and support Maryland horse farm owners and managers to achieve the highest standards for healthy horses and environmentally-sound farm practices.

Moving toward these goals, we presented three interesting projects at the Quarterly Meeting.  The first presentation was on the relatively new (established 2009) Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP).  http://www.mascd.net/FSCA/index.htm  The program is under the auspices of the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts.  The program director, Gerald Talbert (geraldtalbert@verizon.net; 410-247-1973) made the points that the certification is completely voluntary, meets the highest standards of environmentally-sound farm management, includes a free comprehensive farm evaluation and provides farms meeting the certification standards with an impressive farm sign (attached), "Certified Agricultural Conservation Steward” and a picture and descriptive paragraph on a dedicated FSCAP webpage.  Thirty-sixfarms have been evaluated and 24 have been certified.  These include two horse farms, Persimmon Tree Farm and Steve Darcey’s Edgewood Farm.  The owner of Persimmon Tree Farm, Carolyn Krome (krome@verizon.net), presented lovely pictures of her horse boarding and competition facility and described her positive experience with receiving her farm certification and tapping into other technical assistance and financial support to meet her goals of quality farm management.  She has graciously offered to host a Maryland Horse Council Farm Stewardship Committee meeting at her farm to further explore these and other programs.  

The second presentation was on Nutrient Trading by George Maurer (gmaurer54@gmail.com) and Steuart Pittman (dodonfarm@verizon.net).  They reported that the nutrient trading market was getting up and running and that horse farms may be able to "sell" nutrient credits earned through good farmpractices, such as not using as much fertilizer as allowed under present nutrient management plan guidelines.  George proposed that he could evaluate the potential of Maryland Horse Council member farms to receive credits and help connect with the credit buyer.  Steuart is having his Dodon Farm evaluated for credits and is identifying a potential buyer. 

The third presentation was by Les Vough (vough@umd.edu; 301-405-1322) and Michael Heller (mheller@cbf.org; 301-351-4940) of the Maryland Grazer's Network.  The Grazer's Network was established in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the University of Maryland and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  It has been targeted toward providing technical assistance and, especially peer-to-peer mentoring, on rotational grazing for the cattle, goat and sheep industries.  As our horses also graze and healthy pastures are good for them as well as for the environment, the Grazer's Network is interested in exploring how to engage Maryland horse farms in their activities.  

If you are interested in more information on any of these programs, please feel free to contact the project leaders directly and/or me or Farm StewardshipCommittee vice chair Amy Burk (amyburk@umd.edu).  We will be organizing a meeting of the Farm Stewardship Committee and all interested Maryland Horse Council members.  Please let me know if you are interested in attending and I will make sure you get the meeting information.  We are hoping to hold this meeting at Carolyn Krome's Persimmon Tree Farm (http://www.persimmontreefarm.com/facilities.html) and to include a farm tour. 

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