Maryland Grain Producers wishes a happy retirement and safe travels to former Executive Director, Lynne Hoot. Her retirement was celebrated last week at Yellowfin in Annapolis, with many of our members in attendance. Bobby Hutchinson presented Lynne with an engraved compass and chart weight from Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board to thank her for guiding us over the 25 years. Lynne received citations from the Maryland House of Delegates, Maryland Senate, and Maryland Department of Agriculture as well. She was presented with a Governor’s citation at the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation District’s annual meeting in August. Lynne and her husband Jerry hope to take full advantage of their retirement and follow another passion of hers, sailing. They will be leaving for their first trip, down the East Coast and over to Cuba, in early November.  

 Lindsay Thompson will be undertaking the role of new Executive Director. Her experience with Lynne will allow a smooth transition of leadership. She, along with Programs and Public Relations Director Danielle Bauer and Administrative Assistant Marguerite Guare, are all set up in their new office outside of Centreville. Please note the new contact information for the business. A new fax number will be forthcoming.   

Lynne's Farewell Address

Did you catch this commentary in the Baltimore Sun last week? Three of Delmarva’s own national leaders, Chip Bowling, Lee McDaniel and Richard Wilkins, collaborated to share the importance of voluntary conservation in the Chesapeake Bay region. The three boasted that, “the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America, is home to more than 83,000 farms that together generate $10 billion in economic activity each year. For decades, these producers have stepped up all across the watershed, assumed responsibility for their share of the nutrient and sediment pollution in the bay, and worked tirelessly toward unprecedented, remarkable change. Just in the past seven years, the agriculture sector has single-handedly reduced its phosphorus and sediment runoff in the watershed by 50 and 75 percent respectively.” 

Maryland Farmers truly deserve much praise for their voluntary conservation efforts restoring the Chesapeake Bay. In the past ten years, farmer’s use of cover crops within the watershed has tripled, helping to reduce erosion rates by 57%, and edge-of-field sediment loss by 62%. In 2015 alone, 492,000 acres of cover crops prevented an estimated 2.95 million pounds of nitrogen and 98,500 pounds of phosphorus from entering local waterways. In addition, the use of best management practices including conservation tillage systems, riparian buffers, and stream fencing, have decreased the loss of nitrogen by 38% and phosphorus by 45%. Many thanks to Chip, Lee, and Richard for sharing this information. Keep up the great work Maryland Farmers!  

Baltimore Sun Commentary

As the fiscal year came to an end last week, so did Chip Bowling’s two year term as President of the National Corn Grower’s Association. He will now be serving as Corn Board chairman, passing the role of President to Wesley Spurlock of Texas. When reflecting on his presidency, Bowling felt that some of his great accomplishments were getting a market-based farm bill passed, which included crop insurance, and keeping the renewable fuel standard moving forward with increased pump infrastructure. “I’ve enjoyed every minute as President of the National Corn Growers,” he said. “I’m sure being chairman is going to be even more interesting and hopefully more fun.”

Looking into the future, Bowling recognizes that there are many more challenges that lie ahead. Bowling emphasized that corn farmers need to continue to protect renewable fuel standards and create demand for their product. When asked if he had any closing remarks that he would like to share with Maryland farmers, Bowling responded that, “Farmers across the nation are interested in how we deal with the Chesapeake Bay mandate. I have given presentations across the country on how Maryland farmers deal with regulations. We are a model for all of ag when it comes to dealing with the mandate.” MGPA thanks Chip for his leadership and for being an exemplary representation of Maryland agriculture.

Chip's Interview with Off the Cob Podcast Series

October 9-15 is National Fire Prevention Week. Harvest season is especially dangerous, with fuel sources such as leaves, stalks, and husks coming into contact with potential sources of ignition from farm equipment. Make sure you are taking caution this harvest season to prevent dangerous and costly equipment fires. The NCGA suggests the following tips to reduce your risk:

• Keep all farm equipment clean, particularly the engine – 75% of all machinery fires start in the engine compartment.
  
• Check engine fluid levels daily – Repair any leaks immediately.
  
• Make sure the exhaust system is in good condition – Repair any damage found immediately.
  
• Check for signs of wiring damage or deterioration daily – Blowing fuses or circuit disruptions are often a sign of a poor connection.
  
• Inspect for worn bearings, belts, or chains frequently.  

Read More Here

Last night, Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB)  attended the VIP screening of MPT’s Maryland Farm & Harvest Season 4. MGPUB  has been the primary funder of the series for all four seasons. Maryland Farm & Harvest  has  reached  over four million viewers! Secretary Bartenfelder spoke at the event and  praised the show for being an educational proponent of Maryland agriculture. The producers of the show thanked Lynne Hoot for her twenty-seven years of service to Maryland agriculture, and for helping to make the show possible. Featured on the first episode of the season will be MGPUB's  very own Bobby Hutchinson, along with Triple R Bull Co, Moore or Less Farm, and Yoder’s Tomatoes. Be sure to tune into the season 4 premiere on  Tuesday November 15 at 7pm !  

Watch Previous Episodes Online

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is offering a grant through the Mathias Ag Program for agricultural producers and ag businesses to install energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The grant will provide free technical assistance, along with up to 50% of the cost for energy efficiency projects, and up to 25% of the cost for renewable energy projects. Renewable energy projects must be done in conjunction with energy efficiency. The program launched late last week and the application deadline date is December 15th. MEA is offering two information webinars on this grant program, Monday November 14 and Wednesday, November 30. Please contact Danielle Bauer (danielle.mdag@gmail.com) if interested in this program.

Program Information and Q&A