Mda

Roy Rogers to host gymnastic fundraiser Tuckers-n-Tumblers, in conjunction with Roy Rogers, will host Family Night today from 5 to 8 p.m. at Roy Rogers at 1730 Massey Blvd. in Hagerstown. The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money to help cover the costs of gymnastics meets and activities. Roy Rogers will donate 25 percent of the proceeds generated at the fundraiser to the Tuckers-n-Tumblers. The donation is based on the number of guests that come into the restaurant to support the gymnastics group.

Hagerstown professional firefighters Local 1605 will conduct a Fill-the-Boot drive Oct. 12-14 to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Proceeds raised during the campaign will help support MDA services and research programs, including MDA's outpatient clinics, summer camp for children and young adults ages 6 to 21, financial assistance with the purchase and repair of wheelchairs and leg braces, as well as the purchase of communication devices....

ANNAPOLIS - Maryland farmers who have purchased federal crop insurance are reminded that crop damage from flooded fields from this past week's record-breaking rain are covered as it would be in the case of drought, the Maryland Department of Agriculture said. In a news release, the department gave tips "for getting the most out of your crop insurance in the coming weeks. " The tips are: Call your crop insurance agent and report what fields are flooded within 72 hours of discovery of loss or damage If you plan on plowing down the crop, have an adjustor evaluate the field before plowing.

ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland Department of Agriculture has received $933,000 from the Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watersheds Grants Program for two projects on farms in the Choptank and Monocacy River watersheds. Together, the projects are to reduce annual nitrogen pollution to the Bay's tributaries by more than 280,000 pounds. "Maryland's farmers are committed to protecting the Chesapeake Bay and are national leaders in the implementation of on-farm resource conservation practices," said Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich.

ANNAPOLIS - Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. has included an $84.6 million appropriation in his budget for the purchase of permanent agricultural preservation easements on farmland, a state official said. The funding, if approved by the General Assembly, would be a "dramatic increase from previous years and could allow the purchase of as many as 185 new easements," the state Department of Agriculture said in a news release. "This is a very strong opportunity for farmers who want to keep their land in agriculture forever to consider selling an easement to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation," said Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley.

ANNAPOLIS - An unusual insect has been designated Maryland's "Invader of the Month" - not because it's been seen here yet, but because it hasn't. The Sirex noctilio, a wood boring wasp new to the United States was identified last February by Dr. Richard Hoebeke after it was collected in a September 2004 forest survey trap sample from Fulton, N.Y. The wasp is known to be a serious pest in South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, attacking and infecting pine forests, the Maryland Department of Agriculture said last week.

The Dairy Regulatory Review Committee will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, in the Administrative Office Building No. 3 at the Great Frederick Fair in Frederick. Committee members include dairy farmers, dairy industry representatives and county health department officials. Former Frederick County Delegate James E. "Doc" McClellan chairs the committee. For more information, call Mark Powell at MDA, 1-410-841-5770.

ANNAPOLIS - Agriculture is entering the age of computers and geo-spatial imaging, seeking better yields, lower costs and environmental enhancement. Whether Maryland farm operators will gain by costly investment in these new technologies is the subject being explored Sept. 21 at the Precision Agriculture Forum, sponsored by the Nutrient Management Program of the Maryland Department of Agriculture. "The volume of information and rate of technological change in agriculture today presents many opportunities and often confusion for farmers," said Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley.

ANNAPOLIS - Growers in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties will be able to dispose of unusable or unwanted agricultural pesticides this year. Growers in other counties may also register for the program and will be served on a case-by-case basis. Any grower not admitted to the current program will have his or her name placed on a waiting list for the next available collection year. "This is an excellent opportunity for growers to safely dispose of old, banned, unwanted or unusable pesticides that may have been stored on their property for years," said Secretary of Agriculture Lewis R. Riley.