June 22, 2026

Important upcoming BCFB dates!

August 17 –Policy Meeting at 6:15 pm at Ag Center Classroom. Registration will open soon.

This meeting is a great opportunity to get involved in the BCFB. Our county policy meeting is the 'grass roots' first step in developing Maryland Farm Bureau Policy. Attend this meeting if you desire input into this annual process.
To read the current Maryland Farm Bureau policy, visit https://marylandfb.org/
Select the Advocacy tab, select Issues on the drop-down menu, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and select Maryland Farm Bureau 2026 Policy Book under Additional Resources

October 29 – Annual Meeting and Dinner: 6:15 pm
November TBD - Annual Fall Banquet

Make your recommendations now! 2026 Ag Ambassador Contest Calling all BCFB members aged 17-21 and 6-10! The Ag Ambassador Contest has begun! Please submit your application and join us THIS Saturday, June 27th at 6:30pm at The Farmyard located at 21159 Old York Rd, Parkton, MD. More details in the image below.

New! MDFB's Fight Against MPRP Wins Grassroots Award MDFB is proud to announce that their fight against the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project has earned a 2026 Award of Excellence in Advocacy from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)! As one of Maryland's most critical land-use disputes, MDFB is standing strong with their agricultural community, with many of their members sitting directly in the transmission lines path.

Having gained legal standing to represent farmers' interests, MDFB has joined forces with the Baltimore, Frederick, and Carroll County Farm Bureaus to pledge $50,000 toward the legal battle. Learn more about the battle against the MPRP and their award from AFBF by clicking here.

New! MDFB County Policy Summit Get ready for an engaging and energizing morning of policy discussion, collaboration, and preparation for the upcoming legislative cycle! You’re invited to attend MDFB's County Farm Bureau Policy Summit on Thursday, July 16th at the Maryland Farm Bureau office in Davidsonville.

This is a great opportunity for members across all counties to come together, share perspectives, and help shape the direction of Farm Bureau policy. Whether you’re experienced in policy development or just getting started, this summit is designed to be informative, interactive, and impactful.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, July 16
Time: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Maryland Farm Bureau Office
3358 Davidsonville Rd, Davidsonville, MD
Cost: Free to attend
Capacity: Limited to 50 participants – secure your spot early!

View the draft agenda. Learn more and register for the event!

New! Congrats to BCFB Scholarship Winner Congratulations are in order for Scarlett Heffner, who was awarded the 2026 BCFB Scholarship! Scarlett is highly involved in the agriculture community. She has served as the BCFB Ag Ambassador, Maryland FFA State Secretary, Hereford FFA President and Treasurer, and Upper Chesapeake Alt Dairy Princess. She has completed over 50 hours of agriculture based community service at First Fruits Farm, Hereford Junior Farm Fair, and Baltimore County 4-H Fair. Scarlett's future career goals are to receive a degree in political science at Notre Dame of Maryland, and then apply her education and experiences towards helping the ag community. Congratulations!

New! USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers in Maryland Impacted by Drought Agricultural operations in Maryland have been significantly impacted by recent drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from this adverse weather event.

Learn more about USDA Disaster Assistance:

Visit the USDA site for more details and to apply for a variety of assistance opportunities.

Save-the-Date! The Stanton A Gill Symposium: A Focus on Biological Control will take place this summer at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC) on August 4th and 5th, presented by The Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA) and the University of Maryland Extension.

More details to come on the MNLGA website!

New! Women in Agriculture Webinar UMD Extension and Women in Agriculture will hold their next FREE webinar on September 8, 2026 on the topic of Season Extension for Small Farms: Cold Frames, Tunnels, Row Covers & ROI with speaker Hayden Schug. Learn more and register for this webinar.

New! Maryland Agriculture Council (MAC) Grant Opportunity The MAC is again offering an opportunity to agencies and organizations to submit grant applications for the purpose of promoting Maryland agriculture.

For more information and to download a copy of the Maryland Agriculture Council Educational Grant Program Guidelines and a Grant Application, visit the MAC website. If you are interested, please complete the application and email with supporting material to cfs@umd.edu by September 30, 2026. Please note “MAC Grant Application” in the subject line of the email.

Applications received will be reviewed and winners selected by the Grant Committee and honorees must be approved by the Council Board. Notification emails will be sent in December and the grant awards will be distributed at the 57th Taste of Maryland Agriculture on February 4, 2027.

The mission of the Maryland Agriculture Council, Inc. is to promote Maryland Agriculture and to educate the public on its importance. The Council is committed to ensuring and promoting a viable agriculture industry in Maryland under the leadership of a board of directors representing the broad scope of agriculture.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Chuck Schuster at 410-596-2159 or cfs@umd.edu

Survey Extended! UME Survey Extended: Perceptions of Adverse Weather Events and Changing Weather Patterns UME is pleased to share that the survey deadline has been extended to August 31, 2026, providing additional time for participation.

Complete the survey

Time Sensitive! MDA EJ Strategic Plan - Stakeholder Feedback Harrison Palmer, MDA Chief of Staff and Director of Legislation and Government Relations, shares the following message:

MDA believes in [their] farmers and agricultural community. [MDA] is dedicated to making sure [their] work, programs, policies, and resources are available and accessible to all. In July 2025, the Valuing Opportunities, Inclusion, and Community Equity Executive Order (“VOICE EO”) was signed, and directed state agencies to develop Environmental Justice Strategic Plans. Environmental Justice is defined under Maryland state law as “equal protection from environmental and public health hazards for all people regardless of race, income, culture, and social status.”
In alignment with the order, MDA is creating its first Environmental Justice Strategic Plan (“EJ Strategic Plan”). The plan will provide background on why environmental justice (“EJ”) is important for MDA’s work and identify goals, objectives, and actions MDA will take to advance environmental justice and equity in its work moving forward.
As [they] plan and work towards the creation of a plan, MDA wants to hear from their partners at every level. What matters to you? How can [they] work together to make sure their community remains a strong and thriving cornerstone of Maryland’s economy and history?
Secretary Kevin Atticks, and MDA, invite you to offer input and feedback in the development of [MDA's] Agency EJ Plan. At this stage, MDA's EJ Coordinator has created an open-ended survey that will remain open for submission until late June 2026.
A link to the survey can be found here: https://forms.gle/a6n9nu7a6KjbGq8j7
MDA would also like to offer the opportunity for a focused discussion on the strategic plan, its conception, the creation of goals, metrics, objectives, and how these can align with the agricultural community's interests.
Additionally, a general contact form is now available. This form will remain open. It may be used to request one-on-one or smaller group meetings, to discuss plan development and goals, and submit any additional questions and concerns.
The contact form can be found here: https://forms.gle/YhzMHM2vrepPdt5v9
Please feel free to pass on the survey and resources to any that may be interested. Links to both above, among further information and resources, can be found on MDA’s Environmental Justice & Community Resilience webpage.

MDA Press Releases:

New! DOL FAMILI Webinars The Department of Labor, Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Division is holding virtual introduction webinars to Maryland's forthcoming paid family and medical leave program. The material covered in these webinars will be similar to what was presented in previous sessions, including:

What is Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI)?
How will FAMLI work in Maryland?
What can you do now to prepare?
What do employers and Third-Party Agents need to know about registration? (NEW)

If you have basic questions about FAMLI and have not previously attended one of our webinars, this is for you!

The next two webinar opportunities will be held on Tuesday, July 21 from 9:30 am until 11:00 am and on Tuesday, August 18 from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm.

Learn more and register for one of the webinars, and sign up for their Listery to stay up to date.

Survey Reminder! Assessing the Frost Damage The late April frost has dealt a devastating blow to Maryland farms. MFB wants to thank everyone who has filled out the survey on frost damage so we can better serve our members; for anyone that hasn't already, please Complete the survey. In addition, MFB is asking members report their losses to their local Farm Service Agency office. As MFB President Jamie Raley points out, this documentation is the critical first step toward unlocking the relief and support your farm deserves. Check out President Raley’s full video message.

Baltimore County Buyer Grower Directory Now Available
The Balt Co Division of Agriculture is pleased to announce that the Buyer Grower Directory is now available. This directory is designed to connect local farmers and producers with buyers across the region, helping to strengthen our agricultural community and support local food systems. If you would like to receive a copy of the Buyer Grower Directory, please email agriculture@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Reminder! UMD Survey on Needs Assessment for Vegetables and Fruits This survey intends to identify the challenges facing specialty crop production in the southeastern/mid-Atlantic US and to evaluate stakeholder interest in emerging technologies related to irrigation, nutrient management, labor reduction, pest management, automation, and artificial intelligence. Information collected will be used to support the development of a multi-state research and extension proposal focused on specialty crops, including vegetables and fruits.

Additionally, if you have stakeholder needs assessments involving growers, and you are comfortable sharing the results, please email them to Mengjun Hu.

New! Landscape and Nursery IPM Reports Read the latest IPM report from June 17, 2026. View Dave Clement's updated report from April 17, 2026. Access previous Landscape and Nursery IPM reports on the UMD Extension website.

IPM Report Index: The IPM report index is updated to include 2025. Access the subject indexes at on the UMD website. You will need to scroll down the page a bit to see the list of links.

2026 Conferences: A list of commercial horticulture conferences is available on the UMD Extension web page.

New! 🐎Baltimore County Extension's 'Ag Insight' June 2026
New! 🚜Baltimore County Division of Agriculture June 15 Newsletter
📚MD Risk Management Education Blog - May 20, 2026 - In re: Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation – Understanding the Preliminary Settlement Approval and Your Rights
❄️Frost Damage Resource: USDA Tree Assistance Program
💰MARBIDCO Offers Two Maryland Resource-Based Industry Financing Fund (MRBIFF) Options: The Participation Loan option is currently offered through Horizon Farm Credit and Colonial Farm Credit
🧑‍🌾Maryland Farm Bureau
🧑‍🌾American Farm Bureau Federation
🪴Maryland's Best Native Plants Program Press Release and Program Application