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July 18, 2025
Important! Join us for the BCFB Annual Policy Meeting
August 18, 2025
6:00 p.m.
Maryland Center for Agriculture, Baltimore County
1114 Shawan Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
Light refreshments will be served. Registration is required for the refreshment planning.
RSVP by August 15th if you plan to attend:
Call 410-823-1789 or visit: https://bit.ly/2025BCFBPolicyMeeting
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Save-the-Date for these future BCFB Events:
October 20 – Annual Meeting and Dinner: 6:00 pm
November 11 – Annual Fall Banquet: 6:00 pm
New! 2025 BCFB Ambassadors Awarded On June 21st, the BCFB Ambassadors were awarded at The Farmyard in Parkton, MD. Scarlett Heffner was awarded as the 2025 BCFB Ambassador. Garrett Heffner and Midori Dooling were both awarded as 2025 BCFB Jr. Ambassadors. Congratulations!
Qualifications: Jr Ambassador: 6-10 years old, Ag Ambassador: 17-21 years old (by September 2025). Child/Teen has an interest in agriculture and exhibits enthusiasm to learn about the industry and speak with consumers. Parent or guardian must be a Baltimore County Farm Bureau Member.
Expectations: The winner will participate in promotional opportunities throughout the year, including local fairs, community events, and more. he or she will also complete at the state contest in December.
New! Horizon Farm Credit's On the Rise Grant Program Applications are now open for Horizon Farm Credit’s Farmer’s on the Rise grant program. This program honors beginning farmers with three to ten years of experience who demonstrates excellence in agriculture, leadership, and stewardship. Up to ten recipients will each receive a $10,000 award to help grow their future. Whether you’re eligible to apply or know someone who is, don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate and support rising talent in our ag community. Apply by September 2 at 4:00 p.m. at horizonfc.com/farmers.
New! USDA Risk Management Agency Webinar At 2pm on Thursday, August 7th, RMA will host a webinar for Nursery Producers to to learn about the Nursery Value Select (NVS) pilot program. Nursery Value Select (NVS) is a pilot program that allows nursery producers to select the dollar amount of coverage that best fits their risk management needs. USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is encouraging interested nursery producers to attend this informational workshop to learn more about NVS.
New! Proposed Department of Agriculture Proposed by Councilmen Kach and Marks, Bill 49-25 would amend the County Charter to establish a Department of Agriculture to promote agriculture as a viable component of the County’s economic sector. Agriculture has been one of the biggest economic drivers in Baltimore County for many years.
The bill will be discussed at a Council work session on Tuesday, July 29, at 4 pm. Share your thoughts about the bill via email to countycouncil@baltimorecountymd.gov.
New! LEAD Maryland is Seeking Fellow Applicants The LEAD program is seeking applicants, age 21 or older, with career, service, or interest in: production agriculture, natural resources, the environment and conservation, food (processing, sourcing, distribution, marketing, safety), rural communities and development, business, communications, education, government, science and technology, finance, and much more! Over the course of two years, LEAD program curriculum delivers lessons through a series of 9 multi-day seminars, as well as participation in an international study tour. For more information on the program, visit www.leadmaryland.org. Completed applications are are due by the end of the day October 1 , 2025.
New! UMD New Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources UMD Press Release: UMD has named Wendy Powers as Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, effective July 1, 2025. As Dean, Powers will build on the college's more than 150-year history to promote a culture of impactful scholarship and student success, advancing opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational partnerships that support the university's land-grant mission. Powers holds a B.S. in animal science from Cornell University, and an M.S. in dairy science and Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Florida. Congratulations and welcome, Wendy! Read the full press release.
Register for the Fall Fundraiser Join the Hereford FFA Alumni and Baltimore County Farm Bureau's Young Farmers on September 13th as they team up for a fun-filled night! Live music will be provided by The Mayo Family Band. Guests can support both organizations by participating in the Silent Auctions, Cow Chip Bingo, and other games. Children are welcome to attend. Read more about the event.
Ticket Link: https://square.link/u/umOMrJ7v
Deadline August 1st! MD State Fair's U-Learn Farm Exhibit Support Opportunities Amanda Clougherty of UMD shared the following ideas for how to support at the Maryland State Fair from August 21-September 7, 2025:
What can you do? Provide Table Displays & Exhibits, Meet a Farmer, Lead Activities
You will have the opportunity to interact with kids, adults and families to promote and share your programs! You can sign up for as many days as you are available or just one. Entry and parking passes will be provided
About Table Displays: have your own display and hands-on activity? Perfect- We will provide the space, tables and chairs.
About Meet a Farmer: are you willing to bring a few photos and maybe tools you use to be a farmer or in the agri business? Come share 1 hour with us and tell your story!
About Lead Activities: have time to give but no materials or displays? NO problem! We have multiple activity areas that need humans ages 13 and up to lead the activities like- fill a grain jar, monitor the soil and plant maze, read an ag accurate story, teach a craft and more! Shifts are 4 hours. You can receive service learning hours if you are in middle or high school!
When is U-learn Farm open: Thursdays, 5-7pm and Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 11am-7pm
Deadline to sign up: August 1, 2025
Why? Because there is no better time or place to share the importance of the people and products that provide the food, fiber and fuel for everyone!
Other questions? Contact Amanda Clougherty, akbrown@umd.edu
This Month! IPM Scouts' Session in the afternoon of July 30, 2025 at the research center in Ellicott City. Learn more about the event and register on the website.
Agrivoltaic Short Survey As UME continues developing plans for the two experiment station agrivoltaic demonstration sites, they would like to draw on your agronomic, economic, and cropping systems expertise. This effort is to collect input such as which plant species they should consider, how agronomic practices might need to adapt, and what data would be most valuable to collect.
If you are interested and willing to contribute, please complete this short survey [https://go.umd.edu/crop_agrivolt]. UME will follow up directly to schedule a call.
New! Nursery IPM Reports The Landscape and Nursery IPM reports have started back up. Read the most recent report from July 11, 2025. For information on how and where to send submissions and guidelines for sending photos, please see the notice sent out on March 4, 2025.
- Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks to Lead Regional Ag Association as Incoming President
- Maryland Food Center Authority Board of Directors Appoints Katie Zenk as Executive Director
- Department Announces 2025 Cover Crop Grant Sign-Up Dates
- Worsening Conditions of Beech Leaf Disease Confirmed Throughout the State As of June 9th, currently affecting: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Washington Counties and Baltimore City
BCFB Scholarship Awarded to Kelsey Condon Kelsey Condon has been awarded a $2,500 scholarship from BCFB for the 2025 - 2026 school year. Over the past ten years Kelsey has been involved in Baltimore County 4-H, she has held all executive positions on the board: president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. As a charter member of the Woodstock Equine 4-H Club, she was voted the first president of the club. She has applied for the Agriculture Business program at Salisbury University in the fall of 2025. Her immediate goals are to complete her bachelor’s degree at Salisbury University and then manage her own agriculture-based business. Congratulations, Kelsey!
CSA Grant Program Baltimore County Department of Health (BCDH) is recruiting farmers who accept SNAP/EBT benefits to participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) grant program.
Interested farmers should contact BCDH chronic disease prevention program at (410) 887-2725 or email Cdpp@baltimorecountymd.gov attention Dr. Sharon Baucom-Myers to register to participate or receive additional information.
- Baltimore County Extension's 'Ag Insight' July 2025
- New! MD Risk Management Education Blog - July 16, 2025 - Training for Grain Farmers Offers Business and Risk Management Tools
- Baltimore County Office of Agriculture
- Baltimore County Farm Bureau
- Maryland Farm Bureau
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- Maryland's Best Native Plants Program Press Release and Program Application
