A strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed by laboratory tests in poultry on an exhibition farm in Newfoundland, Canada. The outbreak is on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Flyway, a migratory path that wild birds follow from north to south that puts them directly over the Delmarva. We encourage all farmers to keep up with biosecurity basics when visiting poultry farms getting litter or travel to in-person events that other farmers may be in attendance of. (News provided by DCA newsletter.)

Senator Chuck Grassley (R - Iowa) sent a letter to Attorney General Garland calling on the Department of Justice to investigate concerns raised by American farmers about possible anti-competitive activity and market manipulation in the fertilizer industry. "In an industry with limited participants, fertilizer companies have the means available to manipulate the price farmers pay." Read the full letter here.

If you would be interested in donating to those affected by the tornados earlier this month, the two organizations below directly support farmers and agribusinesses in their respective areas.

Board Member, Nicole Fiorellino and her husband, Tim Bishton, welcomed Carmela Ann Bishton this past Sunday at 7:29 PM. Congratulations to the Bishton family on your new bundle of joy!

Lindsay Thompson, lindsay.mdag@gmail.com, Executive Director

Jenell Eck McHenry, jenell.mdag@gmail.com, Programs and PR Director

Marguerite Guare, marguerite.mdag@gmail.com, Administration

Jennifer Gannon, jennifer.mdag@gmail.com, Student Intern

443-262-8491

A generation of Maryland farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have tried to meet two goals: produce the food our country depends on to keep pace with increased demand from a growing populace; while reducing the amount of nutrients their lands deliver to America's largest estuary. They have made greater advances toward both goals than the farmers before them could ever have envisioned, increasing chicken production substantially over the past 35 years while reducing their yearly nitrogen contribution to the Bay by 11.6 million pounds and cutting phosphorus runoff by 1.2 million pounds a year. Read the full story online here.

Maryland Farm and Harvest asked farmers across the state why they farm. Check it out!

You can watch season 9 live on Tuesday nights at 7:00 PM or online here.

Long considered a laggard in Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, PA last year led the watershed in nitrogen reductions reported by the state-federal Bay Program partnership. Still, the recently released figures show that the region as a whole remains far behind the pace needed to meet its 2025 pollution reduction goals for nitrogen, a key nutrient affecting Bay water quality. Read more about what the Bay Journal has to say here.

The USDA APHIS has issued a revised federal order to allow certain swine products to safely move to the mainland US from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, as long as they meet certain conditions. Movements of live swine and swine germplasm continue to be suspended. Read more here.

On January 8th and 9th from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM, ShoreRivers is having Maryland environmental champions provide a 2022 legislative preview. Register for the online webinar here.

Congratulations to all those named to the LEAD Maryland Fellowship Program's next cohort, Class XII. You can view 2022 fellows here.

The annual convention will be held in person from January 7th to 12th in Atlanta, GA with a virtual option for portions of the event. Learn more about the 103rd consecutive convention online here.

The University of Maryland will be holding the majority of its winter crop production meetings in person. There will be a few virtual options available as well. These meetings will take place until March 30th. Learn more online here.

Upcoming Meetings:

Maryland Farm Bureau and Howard County Economic Development Authority are having a new Agribusiness Forum on January 13th at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Learn more and register today here.

Committed to continuing the tradition of delivering timely, valuable information, and research updates, organizers of Delaware Ag Week is offering virtual sessions with a handful of viewing parties this upcoming January. More information can be found here.

The annual event will take place on Thursday, February 3rd. New this year, the Taste of Maryland will be held at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Arundel Mills. Save $25 by registering before January 5th. More information and tickets can be purchased online here.

In Salisbury, Maryland the 2022 Delmarva Soil Summit will be held on February 7th and 8th. Registration is currently open for in-person or virtual. There are a limited number of scholarships to help defray the cost of attendance. Learn more and apply online here.

The National Farm Machinery Show has announced attendee registration is open for the show starting February 16th. Read more online here.

The 2022 National Commodity Classic is taking place March 8th-March 12th in New Orleans. The Commodity Classic will host a series of educational sessions and updates from various commodity associations. Learn more and see the schedule here.

Registration and housing is now open! Early discounts on registration end January 21st. Read more here.

For students pursuing a degree in agriculture, the National Wheat Foundation is offering two scholarships in the amount of $2,500. Applications are due December 31st. More information can be found online here.

The Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement is kicking off its 2021-2022 scholarship program. High school seniors and students enrolled in two/four year higher education programs with plans to pursue a career in the agriculture industry are eligible to apply by January 7th. Applications and more information can be found online here.

Maryland Grain Producers Association has partnered with the National Corn Growers Association to offer a single application for both scholarships! NCGA has three scholarship applications open for students in the following categories:

The MGPA scholarship is open to students enrolled in two-year vocational schools or four-year universities seeking agricultural-related degrees. Applicants families must be involved in grain production and members of MGPA. For the 2022 to 2023 school year, MGPA will be offering up to 5 scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each.

Scholarship applications are due by January 31st and can be found here.

The Mid Atlantic Certified Crop Advisers will award up to two scholarships in the amount of $1,000 for students enrolled in an agronomy or related field. Applications are due Friday, February 18th, and can be found online here.

For 2022, DCA is offering undergraduate scholarships of $2,000 and graduate scholarships of $3,000. Applications must be received no later than

Friday, April 8th. Students working towards a degree in a subject relevant to Delmarva's chicken community are eligible. Find more information online here.

Created By: Jenell Eck McHenry | jenell.mdag@gmail.com

Please contact us with any questions.