Advanced Cover Cropping

Advanced Cover Cropping

Description

Ticket Prices

If Eventbrite tickets are sold out, register by emailing Sarah Hirsh at shirsh@umd.edu or Call Somerset Extension Office at 410-651-1350.

This all day cover crop event will include tours of two Queen Anne County farms that are using cover crops to advance soil health and agronomic outcomes. Cover crops are an integral piece in improving soil quality outcomes by armoring the soil, maintaining a living root, and adding diversity to a cropping system. Learn how these farms of varying agricultural enterprises use cover crops in their management practices to improve their soil and their bottom line!

Farmers and ag service providers are invited to learn about cover cropping strategies from two successful farmers and how they came to their current practices. We will also offer hands-on training about how to use the Maryland Soil Health Card, a discussion about cover crop planning strategies and tools, and information about opportunities for conservation technical and financial support through NRCS and MDA. See the detailed agenda below.

This event is FREE. Ticket includes coffee and snacks in the morning, and lunch to be held indoors at the Ruthsburg Community Hall. There are 4 nutrient management credits for MD and DE and 5 CCA credits approved for this event. You will need to transport yourself from Arnold Farm to Ruthsburg Community Hall to Mason Heritage Farm, but there is ample parking at all locations.

Detailed agenda with locations:

Arnold Farms vegetable operation (219 Double Creek Point Rd, Chestertown, MD 21620)

8:30-9:00 Coffee and donuts

9:00-10:00 Maryland soil health card hands-on training (Dana Rushovich)

10:00-11:00 Discussion of cover crop purpose, challenges, and opportunities in vegetable production (Bob Arnold)

Ruthsburg Community Hall lunchtime presentations (105 Damsontown Rd, Queen Anne, MD 21657)

11:45-12:15 Purposeful cover crop planning (Sarah Hirsh)

12:15-12:45 Opportunities for conservation technical and financial support through NRCS and MDA (Dana Rushovich, Nicholas Miller)

Mason Heritage Farm organic grain operation (1905 Ruthsburg Rd, Queen Anne, MD 21657)

1:00-2:00pm Discussion of cover crop purpose, challenges, and opportunities in organic grain production; No-till in organic grain (Steve Kraszewski)

2:00-3:00pm Opportunities and challenges with transitioning from conventional to organic grain (Steve Kraszewski)

This program is being hosted by NRCS, University of Maryland Extension, Future Harvest, Queen Anne’s County Soil Conservation District, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Sustainable Chesapeake, and the Million Acre Challenge. Funding for this project provided by Maryland NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Implementation 2021 and NIFA 1980 Capacity Building grant.

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

This is a partially outdoor event. For questions or to request special accommodations email Sarah Hirsh at shirsh@umd.edu. Please request special accommodations at least two weeks prior to event.