Farmers

SMITHSBURG --Pledging a commitment to farmers, Republican Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. brought his gubernatorial campaign to northeast Washington County on Monday. Addressing a small group at Misty Meadow Farms near Smithsburg, Ehrlich said he wanted to combat the idea that farmers are responsible for Chesapeake Bay pollution. "The first promise we made to farmers in this state was: No more demonization. No more marginalization. No more blaming you for things that are not your fault," he said.

As I write this week's installment, there is again the promise or threat of rain in the forecast. I am not going to dwell on the drought this week. While the crops are way less than optimal, the general mood of local agrarians is cautiously optimistic. They are not Pollyannas. They are not looking through rose-colored glasses. They just know what we all know - it will rain again and when it does we will need it. Instead of panic, they are preparing. I truly believe this fall we will have more acres planted to oats than any time since we farmed with horses.

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.

Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has led to enormous growth in understanding the consequences we face if we do not take care of our natural resources. It has led to more action to protect our planet's land, water, air, wildlife and human beings, and it has strengthened farmers' and ranchers' already strong commitment to being good environmental stewards. Farmers observe Earth Day every day. Where asphalt and pavement turn to gravel and dirt, you will find men and women rising early, greeting the day and working the earth.  Their office space is outdoors in the sun, wind, rain and sometimes snow.

If it were up to a contingent of local farmers, political head-butting in Annapolis would relent over a steaming bowl of Head-Buttin' Goat Chili. Washington County Head-Buttin' Goat Chili is what a group of five county residents plan to serve at Gov. Martin O'Malley's Annapolis mansion Thursday during the annual Buy Local Cook Out. The invitation-only cookout showcases recipes made from locally grown foods and launches a statewide Buy Local Challenge initiative to get Marylanders to eat local food for a week - a habit local farmers said they hope would stick.

During the next several months, the headlines will be dominated by the clamoring from inside the beltway as legislators grapple with how to dig us out of a deep economic hole. I doubt any program or spending will be left untouched. I have written in previous columns how federally supported agricultural programs have taken hits in the areas of research for the public good, and Extension education, where the knowledge of the land grant university system is disseminated to the public.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Eastern Panhandle farmers who have been hit hard by the drought are being offered federal assistance in Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Farm owners can go to USDA service centers in Martinsburg and Ranson to sign up for emergency grain and hay supplies and file loss claims for federal aid, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service spokeswoman Peg Reese said Thursday. Gov. Cecil Underwood has asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to declare a federal agricultural disaster in the state.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania farmers have until July 17 to file acreage reports for crop insurance with their insurance agent and county Farm Service Agency, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said. "Accurate reporting is necessary to ensure that farmers receive their insurance loss claims," Wolff said. "It's also important to keep a signed acreage report for their records. " There may be differences in the report requirements for the crop insurance agent and FSA. If so, a written explanation is required when submitting the reports.

SHARPSBURG -- Agriculture still is a big part of life in Washington County, with 844 farms in the county at last count, officials say. But keeping a farm going can be complicated these days, with slim cash flows and children deciding not to carry on family farms, a financial planner said Thursday night at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center. The center wants to be a neutral source of information for farmers to help them make the right financial decisions, said Leslie Hendrickson-Hart, an agricultural marketing specialist.

By DON AINES / Staff Writer, Chambersburg photo: DON AINES WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Three undersized apples from one of Lee Showalter's trees fit easily in U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum's hand, illustrating the bleak situation many farmers in this region face heading into the harvest. [cont. from news page ] "Loans are not the answer. It has to be grants," said Guy Donaldson, an Adams County orchardist and president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

Colleen Cashell, executive director of Washington County's Farm Service Agency, reminds farmers and landowners that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting its Conservation Reserve Program sign-up, which ends Friday. Cashell also announced the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Highly Erodible Land Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives.

 North Square Farmers Market will open its stands from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 8, at 50 N. Main St., Chambersburg, to host a Health and Fitness Day.   Health and Fitness Day festivities will include an early bird drawing from 8 to 9 a.m. to win a 10-class pass for Chambersburg CrossFit; free BMI testing with Results Therapy & Fitness; a kids' broad jump contest with The Runner's Sole; a cooking demo by Kristi Benbow of B Naturally Nourished;...

The past two weeks, I have been at training sessions out of state. The first was a SARE Fellows tour in Kentucky. SARE stands for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Sustainable agriculture is a popular term nowadays, but let's be serious - agriculture has always had to be sustainable. Now, before you purists get excited, I will share today's definition of sustainable agriculture. In 1996, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Daniel Glickman issued a memorandum on USDA sustainable agriculture policy.

I am constantly amazed between what I think people know and what they actually know. This reality manifests itself in many ways. Just the other day I heard a radio trivia contest and the question was in what city is Independence Hall? The answer given was “Harrisburg, Pa.” I am thinking, really? Then I think about my job and how people have no idea that Extension or 4-H is connected to the University of Maryland, let alone the land grant university system. I know I have stated on other occasions that I am a product of the land grant system.

Donna Litton, co-owner of Litton's Produce and Berries in Fairplay, said she was thinking about ways to improve the presentation of her products and better educate her customers while attending the one of the two farmers market workshops hosted Monday by the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission (EDC). “I wanted to educate myself to see if there's anything more that I could be doing to help sell my product,” she said. Local farmers had the chance to receive information on marketing, etiquette and farmers markets in Washington County at the workshops, held in the Washington County Agricultural Education Center front conference room.

In July, members of a work group created as a result of a measure that passed the Maryland General Assembly earlier this year will start looking at ways to get more information about pesticide use in the state. This group - which will consist of two senators and two delegates, and representatives of various interested parties such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Maryland Farm Bureau - was created to find out if there are any existing gaps in data about pesticide use in the state and decide whether there is a need to create a reporting program for pesticide users such as farmers.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission will host farmers market workshops from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 13, at the Washington County Agriculture Education Center front conference room. This free workshop is open to new vendors interested in learning how they can market and sell their items at Washington County farmers markets during the 2013 season. Presentations by Leslie Hart, Washington County agricultural business development specialist, will cover topics including farmers market etiquette, customer service, up selling and merchandising.

Matt Harsh, co-owner and operator of Chesley Vegetable Farms, a 45-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Washington County, was appointed by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley as one of five new members of the Young Farmers Advisory Board. The board is comprised of representatives from different commodity groups who provide the agriculture secretary with information and recommendations on policies and issues facing the agriculture industry. Members serve three-year terms and are eligible to serve two consecutive terms.

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission announces the Maryland Poultry Swap and Farmer's Market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 8, on Green Hill Farm, 5329 Mondell Road, Sharpsburg. Attractions include coop tours, a poultry show clinic, live bluegrass music, pony rides, moon bounce, flea market shopping including crafts, artwork, handmade jewelry, soaps and lotions, and locally produced jellies, preserves, honey and cheeses. Other items available for purchase include laying hens, chicks, quail, turkeys, pheasants, guineas, ducks and geese, hatching eggs, poultry supplies, horse tack, used and new equipment and more.

Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has led to enormous growth in understanding the consequences we face if we do not take care of our natural resources. It has led to more action to protect our planet's land, water, air, wildlife and human beings, and it has strengthened farmers' and ranchers' already strong commitment to being good environmental stewards. Farmers observe Earth Day every day. Where asphalt and pavement turn to gravel and dirt, you will find men and women rising early, greeting the day and working the earth.  Their office space is outdoors in the sun, wind, rain and sometimes snow.