December 31, 2019 Issue #268
Dear MNLGA Members:

Happy New Year! If we are passing along this sentiment, it means the MNLGA Annual Meeting and MANTS are right around the corner. Please read below for information regarding both of these events. I look forward to seeing you all next week!

MNLGA Launches New Website and Database : Effective January 1, 2020. MNLGA will be using a new website with embedded MNLGA database. One of the most significant upgrades with this site and database is the integration of all CPHers (whether or not they are MNLGA members) into the database. Now CPHers will be able to go online and renew their certifications and record their continuing education credits. For MNLGA members, the site will function very similarly to the prior site, however, making member changes, renewing, and registering for events will be simpler. The new site also incorporates a Job Board, to which only members may post jobs. I encourage you to review the site, log in and check out the members' only page - which includes access to the plethora of money-saving member benefits. Go to www.mnlga.org; in the upper right hand corner is the member login access. Key contacts will be e-mailed their user names; any member may access their user name and password by following the prompts under the "member login" button.

MNLGA Annual Meeting
Our annual MNLGA Meeting and Breakfast will take place at 7:15 on Wednesday, January 8th in room 337 at the BCC. Don't miss Association and industry updates, board elections, awards presentations, and networking opportunities! The event if free, however, everyone must be registered for our catering count. Register for the Annual Meeting before Thursday, January 2nd here.

MNLGA Booth Volunteers
Love meeting and networking with Industry members at MANTS? We're looking for volunteers to take shifts in our Booth (Booth 15, just inside Lower Pratt St. Lobby) during the Show - sign up here. We still have a few slots available. Shifts are just two hours and a great way to network, mingle, and share the mission of MNLGA with prospective members.

MANTS 50- The Masterpiece of Trade Shows Celebrates a Milestone
It's the most wonderful time of the year- because the 50th Anniversary of MANTS is right around the corner! Need a floorplan, show schedule, or other show resources? You can find more information about MANTS' 50th anniversary here.

MDA - Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine - is now in effect in Cecil and Harford Counties. Please read full press release, below, for details. Permits are required to move regulated items (i.e. plants, landscaping waste, logs, lawn mowers, etc.) within or from the quarantined area. Information on how to obtain your permit is in the press release, see below.

MNLGA has just released the 2018 Maryland Horticulture Industry Economic and Statistical Survey Report . Please read below, for more information.

Sincerely,

Vanessa A. Finney
MNLGA, Executive Director
410-823-8684
 
MNLGA Releases 2018 Maryland Horticulture Industry Statistical and Economic Profile

The most recent survey is now complete and available to all members. Hard copies are available by request from  office@mnlga.org  or electronically via the Association website,  www.mnlga.org , on the Industry Resources tab. The last such survey completed was for calendar year 2012. The MNLGA would like to thank all of our members that took part in the survey this year – as this information is vital when it comes to management decisions as well as marketing strategies, obtaining financing, and working with state and local agencies and governments to better understand the Maryland horticulture industry and its impact. 

Current survey results report gross receipts for all aspects of the horticulture industry, including wholesale and retail activity and landscape installations, exceeded $1.37 billion and are expected to increase 6% in 2019 to $1.46 billion. According to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, based on cash receipts, ornamental horticulture has been the number two incoming producing commodity group, behind poultry, for decades.  

You are encouraged to take a look at the most current survey and share this information with pride that our industry is thriving and has a large impact statewide. 

Survey Highlights
  • Approximately 25,000 people were employed within the industry and were paid wages in excess of $423.7 million (plus benefits of $135.7 million); the average wage rate for experienced workers was $14.94 per hour and $25.49 for supervisors; horticulture maintained over 27,000 acres in production area, including covered and non-covered facilities; and the destination of 91% of finished product is within Maryland. Factors recognized as most significant in limiting further growth in the industry were reported to be labor – finding and maintain a reliable workforce, government regulations and taxes, and the high cost of overhead.
Ladies in the Landscape Meet-up at MANTS

Ladies in the Landscape is a professional trade association for women who work full or part-time, as well as students & interns in the horticultural or landscaping industry.

The Ladies in the Landscape will have a Meet and greet at MANTS on Wednesday, January 8th, at 2 p.m. Find us in the lounge area right outside of the show floor entrance of G Hall, a.k.a. the "Lower Pratt Street lobby." 

Learn more here about this great group!
Education-themed Episode of MPT's Maryland Farm and Harvest Airs December 31 at 7 pm

Tune into MPT on New Year's Eve at 7pm for a special episode of the popular series Maryland Farm and Harvest. This episode will feature locations in Carroll and Montgomery Counties, as well as Baltimore City. You can read the press release here.
Save the Date! Chessie Green 2020 set for February 19th and 20th

The Annual Chesapeake Green Horticultural Symposium will be held at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, MD on February 19-20, 2020.

Join us for a great program featuring five educational tracks, a vendor showcase and silent auction benefiting the Scholarship Fund. Pesticide and Recertification credits will be available. More information will be posted on the MNLGA's website as it becomes available here.

Keynote Speaker- Dr. Charlie Hall
This year's Keynote Speaker is Dr. Charlie Hall of Texas A&M's Horticultural Sciences Department.

Dr. Hall has a background in economics and was recently featured in Greenhouse Management. Check out the article here.

We're very excited to hear what he has to say about economic indicators and the health of the horticulture industry.
Landscape Management Software Workshop Coming to Baltimore in February

MNLGA Member Benefit Partner LMN is hosting a one day software workshop! If you are interested in learning how to use their landscaping software, and how it could help you increase profits, then you will want to attend! LMN's One-Day Best in Landscape Workshop can help you maximize your business's potential. Learn how to forecast nest year's profits, shorten your sales cycle, attract more customers to your business, and more! Learn more about the event here (February 13, 2020)
Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Comes to Maryland

This is a friendly reminder that as of October 2019, The Maryland Department of Agriculture has issued a  spotted lanternfly quarantine for all of Cecil and Harford Counties ( Click here for map ). This quarantine is effective immediately and will restrict the movement of regulated articles within the quarantine zone that contain the spotted lanternfly in any of its life stages. Quarantine permits will be strictly enforced. Read the full press release here.

Quarantine permits will be strictly enforced. Our neighboring states have added staff to enforce quarantine compliance and trucks not displaying the quarantine permits will be stopped and fined. Please get your quarantine training; it's easy and relatively quick, online. Please visit the DDA website at this link to view the specifics regarding the Delaware quarantine. For a refresher on the PA and NJ quarantines, please visit this link; PA and NJ go hand-in-hand with quarantine training.
MDA Highlights - December 2019

Farmer Training and Certification Courses Offered
Want to get certified to write your own nutrient management plans? MDA is offering two-day workshops for producers who use commercial fertilizer and/or manure. Space is limited, so follow the link today to find out more and enroll here.

Crop Production Meeting Schedule Announced
UMD Extension has announced the dates and locations of crop production meetings across the state for 2020. Meetings are open to the public and pesticide applicator credits, as well as nutrient management credits will be offered. Find out more here.

Professional Fertilizer Applicator Certification Exam and Training Scheduled for February 10, 2020
Lawn-care professionals who want to become certified by the MDA to apply fertilizer can register for the exam on February 10, 2020 in Derwood. Read and download the registration form here.

Recipients of USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Funds Announced
The MDA recently announced that eight projects will receive USDA grant funds. Check out the full press release here.
Maryland Department of Agriculture - Updates

Strategic Plan for Maryland Agriculture - 2019 
A big thank you to the MNLGA board and its members that participated in the strategic planning process, making sure that ornamental horticulture's voice was heard. Please see the note below from Julie Oberg regarding the plan. 

"As you know, our department was tasked with developing a strategic plan for Maryland agriculture. Throughout this process, we have relied on input from you and other members of our state's agriculture community to create a plan that provides a detailed analysis of the current state of our industry that can serve as a roadmap for how best to move the industry forward." View the final Strategic Plan for Maryland Agriculture

Annual Implementation Reporting Forms - Due March 1st
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that the 2019 Annual Implementation Reporting Forms and instructions will be mailed in early January to approximately 5,500 Maryland farmers who are regulated under the department’s Nutrient Management Program. These farmers are required to follow nutrient management plans when fertilizing crops and managing animal manure.

“Now is a good time for Maryland farmers to begin gathering records needed to complete your Annual Implementation Reports,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “The forms are due March 1, and will be used to help us fully account for everything that Maryland farmers are doing to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its tributaries.” Read the full press release. 
In Memory of D. Garth Hetz (1938-2019)

Our condolences to the family of D. Garth Hetz of Fairview Evergreen Nurseries. Mr. Hetz was a great member of and advocate for the horticulture industry, serving as a member of many organizations, including the Pennsylvania Nursery and Landscape Association. Mr. Hetz passed away earlier this month at the age of 81. You can read his full obituary here.
UMD Estate Planning Workshops

Join the University of Maryland at one of their Farm Succession Workshops around Maryland this January. These workshops can help farmers with financial and estate planning specifically geared towards Maryland farmers.

Read the press release and find scheduling information here.
MDA - On Demand Webinar for PFA Renewal

The department is now offering an on-demand, pre-recorded recertification webinar for lawn care professionals who need to renew their Professional Fertilizer Applicator Certificates. Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law requires lawn care professionals be certified by the department’s Nutrient Management Program or work under the direct supervision of an individual who is certified. Certificates may be renewed annually for a $100 fee and verification of two hours of recertification training. Successful completion of the webinar and accompanying quiz awards two education credits. The webinar and quiz are posted on the department’s website.