Agriculture

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “urban agriculture?” It certainly depends on your perspective and where you live. Yet, I was surprised the other day during interviews we were conducting to fill an educator position that will focus on urban agriculture. I should say I wasn't surprised by the subject or even some of the candidates' perceptions. I've had the privilege to travel a fair bit in my career, including several trips abroad. I have long been impressed with the European model of growth and their collective respect for agriculture.

Many people love the fall with the crisp air and the beautiful color. They will go to historic sites and remember, or do they? Regular readers know I have a passion for both agriculture and history and I like to share both with anyone who will listen. However, one of my pet peeves is how we all tend to romanticize things. Society romanticizes agriculture as this bucolic lifestyle, sort of a cross between “Mayberry” and “Green Acres.” I wish I had a nickel for every time a person moves to our county, purchases a bit of acreage and wants to grow something.

Have you ever had an "aha" moment? I mean one that really takes you by surprise. I write in this very paper 40 to 50 times a year with the intent of informing the public about agriculture. Well the other day my "aha" moment occurred in my office and centered on just how serious an image problem agriculture has. I mean I expect the uninitiated not to know much about agriculture and I have gotten used to my employer, the University of Maryland, forgetting their charge as a Land Grant University.

Apple production in West Virginia this year is expected to rebound from 2010 when drought, frost and insect damage lowered estimates by more than 20 percent, according to the latest forecast for this year's harvest. West Virginia's apple orchards, most of which are in Berkeley, Jefferson, Hampshire and Morgan counties, are expected to produce 73.5 million pounds, or 1.75 million bushels, this year, up 15 percent from 2010, according to estimates released earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

People used to ask Mike Drake what kind of turkey tastes best. "I'm probably the worst one to ask," Drake said. "I don't even particularly like turkey. " It is an ironic response, given that Drake raises and sells turkeys as owner of Corner Oaks Farms. Though he is not given to eating turkey, he does enjoy raising and selling them, he said. So he resolved to find the answer through a good old-fashioned taste test. His idea came to fruition Saturday at a turkey-tasting event at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center.

Last Thursday, Sept. 29, was “A Day in Agriculture” put on by many individuals and coordinated and posted to the Internet by the folks at AG Web powered by Farm Journal. It was an opportunity for Americans and others around the world to see food being produced by those stewards we call farmers and ranchers. The site is still live, and you can see photos and watch video. I am proud to be involved in an industry that involves every human on earth, whether they are a consumer or a producer.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture recently recognized employees for their years of service to the department. The following area employees were recognized: 30 years Edward Crow, Thurmont, Md., pesticide regulation Thomas Lupp, Frederick, Md., forest pest management 25 years Christopher Firme, Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., forest pest management Moana Himes, Frederick, resource conservation...

Clear Spring farmer Steven "Steve" Ernst doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. The state of Maryland has recognized him with Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship, as a 2011 Smart Green and Growing Award recipient. "It was a surprise to us," Ernst said of being honored for his years of sustainable, conservation farming. Ernst Grain and Livestock also was recognized in 2010 as one of two Maryland farms, along with Rinehart Orchard in Smithsburg, in the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program launched last year, Ernst said.

The Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation Inc. invites the community to attend an evening of support for agricultural education.   The event will be Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Barn at Springfield Farm, 14 Springfield Lane in Williamsport. The event will feature a Wild in Western Maryland Dinner, offering local beef, pork, lamb, goat, local sweet corn, new red potatoes and fresh-baked apple dumplings. There will be a live and silent auction, and the local bluegrass band Fertile Soil will provide the music for the evening.

Ten years ago Sunday was a day just like Dec. 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy. Sept. 17, 1862, was a day that still echoes through the corridors of time for us in Washington County. The area will mark that day on Saturday. What do any of these dates really have in common? What they have in common is how the people affected responded. This sleepy valley was busy being a part of the bread basket of the nation in 1862. Wheat and barley dominated the cropping of most farmers, and the mills that dotted the streams and creeks of the area ground the grain into flour for export down the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal or over the National Pike.