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February 5, 2026
February 9th! Agricultural Business Planning & Growth Seminar This free seminar will cover financial readiness for agricultural lending and insights into Maryland’s value-added agriculture and agritourism. Registration is appreciated, and walk-ins are welcome. This agribusiness seminar will be presented by John Eaton of ANCB Bank and Martin Proulx of MDA. The seminar will take place at the Baltimore County Ag Center at 1114 Shawan Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030 on February 9th from 10:00am - 12:30pm. Register for the seminar.
February 11th! 2026 H2-A Labor Workshops and Farm Succession Workshops The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC), University of Maryland Extension, and the Ag Law Education Initiative will host the final one-day workshop on Feb. 11 at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center, in the English Room. The Estate Planning workshop will be from 10 am to 2:30 pm. For more information or to register, go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/events. For more information, please contact Paul Goeringer at lgoering@umd.edu. View the event flyer
February 26th! Precision Agriculture Technology Conference on February 26, 2026 University of Maryland College Park is thrilled to welcome experts from across the state and beyond who are advancing research and technology that directly impact field-level agricultural practices. This year’s conference features a speaker on virtual fencing for livestock management, a cutting-edge topic with a limited number of experts who bring together research-based knowledge and practical, real-world experience. Register and learn more about the event speakers on the conference website.
Maryland Farm Bureau Has a New Website Address! Be sure to check out the MDFB's new website: http://www.marylandfb.org/
Maryland Farm Bureau Demands Dismissal of MPRP Project: Legal Filing Highlights Project’s Failed Timeline On November 3rd, the MDFB in partnership with the Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick County Farm Bureaus, announced that it has filed a crucial motion with the Public Service Commission of Maryland (PSC) demanding the outright dismissal of the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) transmission line application by PSEG. The filing argues that the PSEG’s own admission that it cannot meet the project’s critical June 2027 deadline is sufficient reason to immediately halt the case, saving Maryland taxpayers and hundreds of farmers from months of needless legal and financial burdens. Read the full press release.
- BCFB Members! McGinnis Family from Baltimore County to Receive Maryland’s Prestigious Agriculture Award Congratulations to the McGinnis family, long-time BCFB members! “The McGinnis family truly embodies the spirit and dedication of Maryland agriculture,” said Governor Moore.
- New! MDA Extends Deadline for Farmers to File Annual Implementation Reports (AIRs)
- New! Department Launches Outreach Campaign to Promote Stream Protection, Herd Health
- Secretary Atticks Appoints Elizabeth Hoffman as Program Manager for Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming Initiative
- Registration Now Open for Maryland’s Farmers Market Conference
- Ends March 1st! Winter Ban on Spreading Manure, FPRs, and Other Nutrient Sources Began December 16
- Deadline March 1st! Blackout Dates for Lawn Fertilizer Applications Began November 16
- Deadline April 30th! Enrollment Period for Maryland’s 2025 Conservation Buffer Initiative Began November 1st
February 18th! Immigration Policy Webinar with the Governor's Office
FREE ONLINE WEBINAR
Wednesday, February 18
11:30 noon - 12:30 p.m.
The Maryland Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Governor's Office, invites you to a critical virtual roundtable addressing the immediate impacts of recent and looming immigration policy changes on your business operations. Maryland Employers:
How Will Federal Immigration Policies Affect Your Business in 2026?
New! Seeking Industry Partners: Sustainable Greenhouse Heating Pilot A team of senior mechanical engineering students from the University of Maryland is developing a low-cost, geothermal heating solution specifically designed for small-scale greenhouses in the Mid-Atlantic region. Their project aims to extend the growing season and reduce reliance on propane and electric heating for early seed starting. They are currently seeking input from Maryland growers, nursery managers, and greenhouse operators to ensure our design meets real-world needs. If you are interested in sharing your challenges with winter heating or learning more about potential geothermal applications for your operation, please contact them at lmaroclo@terpmail.umd.edu
New! UMES Extension Survey The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) invites you to participate in a USDA NIFA-funded, multi-state research project titled “Perceptions of Adverse Weather Events and Changing Weather Patterns.” This study spans 18 states and 19 1890s land-grant universities, seeking to understand how farmers and agricultural communities perceive and adapt to increasing weather variability and changing weather patterns.
UMES kindly requests your participation by completing the survey. The survey takes about 15–20 minutes to complete, is completely anonymous, and provides an opportunity for farmers’ voices to be heard on issues like drought, flooding, heat stress, and crop resilience.
Your assistance will help ensure that agricultural realities and producer experiences directly inform future research, outreach, and policy efforts across the South and Mid-Atlantic.
For more information, please contact Nicole Cook (nlcook@umes.edu or 410-651-6182), Environmental and Agricultural Faculty Legal Specialist at UMES. View the survey flyer. Due by April 1st.
February 20th! CCBC Landscape and Nursery Career Exploration and Job Fair On Friday, February 20th, from 10am - 2pm, CCBC Sustainable Horticulture will be hosting a job fair at the CCBC Dundalk campus. Meet with more than 30 landscaping companies, garden centers, and nurseries to explore employment opportunities and learn about the industry. Questions? Contact Christiana Hoffman at choffmann@ccbcmd.edu or 443-840-3765. View the event flyer.
Landscape and Nursery IPM Reports The UME's IPM bulletin will resume in March. 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.
Winter 2026 Conferences: A list of commercial horticulture conferences is available on the UMD Extension web page.
MARBIDCO Offers Two Maryland Resource-Based Industry Financing Fund (MRBIFF) Options MARBIDCO's popular “MRBIFF” Loan Program now offers a Participation Loan option in addition to its traditional Direct Loan option. The Participation Loan option is currently offered through Horizon Farm Credit and Colonial Farm Credit. MARBIDCO welcomes other lenders to adopt this lending approach.
- New! Baltimore County Extension's 'Ag Insight' February 2026
- February 17th! MD Risk Management Education Blog: January 8, 2026 - Understanding Eminent Domain Workshop to Be Held Feb. 17 at Garrett College
- New! Baltimore County Division of Agriculture February Newsletter
- New! Maryland Farm Bureau
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- Updated Application! Maryland's Best Native Plants Program Press Release and Program Application
