Market and Trade News

• Latin America and the Caribbean see competitive advantages in U.S. wheat supplies, more here.
• Organizations celebrated the latest Food for Peace of 28,000 metric tons of U.S. soft white wheat, more here.
• A team of Mexican craft brewers were in the U.S. this week, more here.
• Canada lowered its forecast for durum production to 30.5 bushels per acre, more here.
• Global wheat ending stocks in marketing year 2023-24 are estimated to decline to their lowest level in eight years, more here.
• U.S. Wheat's most recent harvest report can be found here.
• Check out the latest grain bids online here.

Maryland Crop Progress

• Corn is 94% fair or in better condition.
• Corn is 97% in the silking stage, 89% in the milk stage, 66% in the dough stage, and 16% in the dented stage.
• The webpage can be found here.

Mexico Update

The U.S. Trade Representative today requested a panel information under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement over Mexico's decision to ban imports of biotech corn used for human consumption. If USTR's request is granted, a group of objective experts will be empaneled to hear the case and make a final determination based on the commitments both parties signed as part of the free trade agreement. Read more about this process here.

Mid-Atlantic 4R Symposium

Join the Delaware Maryland 4R Alliance and Pennsylvania 4R Alliance for their first-ever joint 4R Symposium on August 31st. This free event has a great line-up of speakers and will be held at Cecil College in North East, MD. Registration is required for lunch numbers, register for free here.

Optimism Persists Despite Hurdles

A recent gathering of Southern Maryland growers at a local high school brought to light the complexities of supporting local agriculture through government initiatives. The county's purchase of the grain elevator was a step aimed at supporting local farmers and ensuring a market for their produce. However, the path to reopening the elevator has proven to be more intricate than anticipated. Read the full story online here.

MDA - Positive Confirmation of Locally Transmitted Malaria Case

MDA has received confirmation of a positive case of locally acquired malaria in a Maryland resident who live sin the National Capital Region. The individual was hospitalized and is now recovering. Read more here.

LEAD Maryland

Applications for the LEAD Maryland Fellowship Program Class XIII for participation in 2024-25 are now being accepted. The application closes on October 1st. Read more about the program here.

We Are Here for YOU

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

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

Jennifer Gannon, jennifer.mdag@gmail.com, Programs and PR Assistant

Elaine Draper, thompsonagconsulting@gmail.com, Administrative Assistant

Enroll Now: Farmers for Soil Health Offers Financial Assistance

Farmers in 20 states can now enroll in cost-share programs through Farmers for Soil Health. This corn, pork, and soy commodity initiative, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities, establishes financial and technical assistance for corn and soybean farmers who adopt cover crops. Participating farmers who plant cover crops will receive payments to help transition new acres of cover crop planted. More here.

USDA Awards MARBIDCO Funding

The USDA recently announced that it is awarding $3.8 million from its Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program to MARBIDCO to finance the start-up and expansion of independent meat and poultry processing facilities in Maryland. Learn more about this here.

Spotted Lanternfly Management Tips

Penn State Extension provides valuable resources, such as its Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide, to help people manage the pest effectively. Find it here.

Sustainability Practices to Build Soil Tilth Need to be Profitable

Soil tilth building practices should be considered offensive management tools. Read more about Mitchell Hora, a seventh-generation farmer from Southeast Iowa practices offensive management, here.

New Falling Number Test Prevent Wheat Contamination

As wheat harvesting season comes to an end, farmers brace for a potential threat to their crop that costs tens of millions of dollars each year. Unfortunately, falling number tests can only be performed in a laboratory. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is awarding a $835,888 Seeding Solutions grant to Washington State University to develop a faster, cheaper, and more accurate test to use in elevators. Read more online here.

Deer Donation Charity's Contributions Rallying

The contraction of processors here and nationwide, as well as a series of other issues, including decreased government support, have led to a decline in the number of deer donated to Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. It's a problem that's slowly begun to improve in recent years as Wilson works to distribute venison to food banks, soup kitchens, and other charitable outlets across the region that serve the one in 10 Marylanders struggling with food insecurity. Read the full story here and make a donation here.

Farm Program Update Would Yield Big Losers and Some Winners

The idea of updating the base acreage that's used to determine who gets commodity payments, and how much, has gotten a fresh boost with the endorsement of NCGA. Members of the group believe the savings from requiring farmers to update their base acres could be used to fund increases in commodity program reference prices. Read more here.

Buzz Over Short-Stature Corn has Industry Talking

Buzzing around the industry for several years in research stages, seed companies are within a few years of commercially releasing new hybrids that mature two to four feet shorter than traditional hybrids and grower anticipation is rising. Dillehay said on Delmarva, there are about eight to ten hybrids in Bayer's Preceon Smart Corn System in demonstration plots and a few larger Growers Experience Trials. Learn more here.

Farm Progress Show

The 2023 Farm Progress Show is celebrating its 70th anniversary in Decatur, IL on August 29th -31st. Learn more online here.

Webinar - Balancing Needs at the Meat Case

Held by USFRA on August 30th at 11:00 AM, listen in on the trends and insights into today's consumers. A closer look at the research and segments will be shared. Register online here.

Mid-Atlantic 4R Symposium

The Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association is having a 4R symposium in lieu of a 4R field day at Cecil College on August 31st. Register for free here.

MAEF Scholarship Golf Tournament

The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation will hold its annual scholarship golf tournament on September 13th at Oakmont Green Golf Course in Hampstead, MD. Learn more here.

USFRA's Honor the Harvest

USFRA is having its annual event from September 13th through 14th. More information is forthcoming and will be available online here.

Delmarva Chicken Festival

A beloved public event is returning this year to celebrate 100 years of growing chicken on the Delmarva. The free festival will take place October 7, 2023, from 1:00 - 7:00 PM at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, MD. More here.

National Sorghum Yield Contest

Registration is currently open and closes on November 15th. Learn more here.