Maryland Farmers Attend Commodity Classic
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A strong delegation of Maryland farmers attended the National Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida last week. We were pleased that these farmers were viewed as leaders of the agricultural community through the event. John Bruning of Snow Hill represented Maryland in National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) meetings, and Eric Spates of Poolesville represented the state in National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) meetings. Drew Haines of Middletown was recognized for placing first in the National Corn Yield Contest. Jonathan Quinn of Warwick was recognized as a National 4R advocate. In total, over twenty local farmers and industry representatives were a part of the 9,000 in attendance at the meeting. The 2019 event saw the second highest farmer attendance in history.
Trade was an important focus of this year’s meeting. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue spoke during the general session about various trade agreements and the status of year-round E15 availability. USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs also gave insight to trade during NCGA’s Corn Congress. “Your voices are needed now,” he shared in regards to encouraging Congress to ratify the new USMCA agreement before withdrawing from the current NAFTA agreement. You can do so by responding to this
action alert
from the National Corn Growers Association.
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Drew Haines of Middletown honored as 1st place winner of the National Corn Yield Contest.
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Donald Maring of Woodbine listening to a presentation on the Main Stage.
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John Bruning of Snow Hill serving as MGPA's delegate for Corn Congress.
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Mike Harrison of Woodbine with Friend of the Corn Farmer Award Winner David Coors of MillerCoors.
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Grain Bin Safety Week Recognized
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Last month, Grain Bin Safety Week was recognized February 18-24. Maryland Grain Producers Association would like to take this opportunity to remind farmers of dangers when working in bins. It only takes seconds to become helplessly trapped in flowing grain. Suffocation from an engulfment is the leading cause of death in grain bins.
Nationwide Insurance offers assistance to rural fire departments, who are often the first responders when someone does become trapped, through their grain bin rescue tube program. Through this program, you may
nominate
your local emergency first responders to receive a rescue tube along with training at no cost. Last year, one was awarded to the Funkstown Volunteer Fire Company in Western Maryland.
The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board will also be offering training for farmers on this topic at their annual Commodity Classic in July. Keep an eye out for more details on this program as we get closer to the event.
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National Wheat Yield Contest Open for Entry
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The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting grower enrollment for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest! The Contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The Foundation is accepting entries for Winter Wheat. Any wheat grower 14 years old and up and a member of a state wheat grower organization or NAWG will be eligible to participate in the contest. The deadline for Winter Wheat entries is May 15th with an early registration deadline of April 1st.
Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc. and Syngenta AgriPro will be offering an extra incentive to their customers in Maryland who participate in the contest. The two will pay the state winner $1000 if the entry is Mercer Brand or Syngenta seed. In addition, Eddie Mercer will pay all county winners $200.00 if they win with a Mercer Brand MBX Wheat.
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Soybean Board Spreads Word on Palmer Amaranth Control
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Maryland Soybean Board has teamed up with the University of Maryland Extension to spread the word about Palmer amaranth, an invasive weed spreading in the Mid-Atlantic. A species of pigweed, Palmer amaranth can crowd out crops in fields and competes for nutrients. They have prolific seed production -- more than 100,000 seeds per plant -- and they should be aggressively managed to prevent their spread. As the spread of these weeds continue in the Mid-Atlantic, it is imperative for landowners to learn management strategies that will help control the weeds.
Palmer amaranth can look like other weeds. When trying to identify, look for these traits:
- no hair on the stem, petiole or leaves
- seedling leaves are broad and egg-shaped
- may see a purple or white chevron
- very long petioles
- long seed heads often appearing above plant canopy
- whorled, poinsettia-like appearance
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Farmers Urged to Participate in March Planting Survey
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As the 2019 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact Maryland producers to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season. “NASS surveys produce the most credible agricultural data available,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “The information obtained by this current survey helps to inform everyone from farmers to lawmakers and will surely have an impact on the agriculture industry. I urge all Maryland farmers to participate in the survey so we can make sure that everyone is working with the most accurate data possible.”
NASS mailed the survey questionnaire in February, asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2019, how many acres they intend to plant, and the amounts of grain and oilseed they store on their farms. NASS encourages producers to respond online or by mail. Those producers who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone or personal interview.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. Survey results will be published in the
Prospective Plantings
and
quarterly Grain Stocks
report to be released on March 29, 2019. For more information call the NASS Maryland field office at 800-675-0295.
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MDA Offers Cost-Share Grants for Manure Injection
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Enhance Soil Health and Nutrient Management on the Lower Shore
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The Maryland Department of Agriculture is offering cost-share grants to help farmers cover the cost of injecting manure into cropland to lower the potential for nutrient runoff to surface waters and reduce on-farm odors. Cost-share assistance is available to hire custom operators, rent or lease equipment, or offset operating costs associated with using equipment needed to inject liquid manure into the soil. Eligible farmers may receive up to $45 an acre in cost-share funds based on a maximum application rate of 6,000 gallons per acre. In addition, grants are available to haul manure. Rates for manure transport are based on the distance between the manure source and the field.
Manure injection and manure transport grants are administered by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. Applicants must be in good standing with the program and in compliance with Maryland’s Nutrient Management Regulations. All spring and summer injected manure must be completed by September 9 and all claims for payment received by October 9. Other restrictions apply. Farmers should visit their local soil conservation district office as soon as possible to apply. For more information, contact MDA at 410-841-5864.
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Farmers on the lower Maryland Eastern Shore can now apply for $2.6 million in funding from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement enhanced nutrient management and soil health practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. A portion of the funding will also be set aside for installation of poultry mortality freezers. Focal practices will include enhanced nutrient management, conservation practices that reduce erosion and improve soil health, such as multi-species cover crops and no-till, and mortality management.
Producers who receive services from the following USDA Service Centers may be eligible to participate in this project: Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester. Interested individuals should call or visit their local NRCS office to confirm eligibility and complete an application by March 15 to be considered for fiscal year 2019 funding.
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IRS Waives Estimated Tax Penalty for Farmers who File Returns and Pay Tax by April 15
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The Internal Revenue Service will waive the estimated tax penalty for any qualifying farmer or fisherman who files his or her 2018 federal income tax return and pays any tax due by Monday, April 15, 2019.
The IRS is providing this relief because, due to certain rule changes, many farmers may have difficulty accurately determining their tax liability by the March 1 deadline that usually applies to them. For tax year 2018, an individual who received at least two-thirds of his or her total gross income from farming or fishing during either 2017 or 2018 qualifies as a farmer or fisherman.
To be eligible for the waiver, qualifying taxpayers must attach Form 2210-F, available on IRS.gov, to their 2018 income tax return. This form can be submitted either electronically or on paper. The taxpayer’s name and identifying number, usually a Social Security number, must be entered at the top of the form. The waiver box—Part I, Box A—should be checked. The rest of the form should be left blank.
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