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May 31:
Office closed
July 5: Independence Day (observed) Office closed
August 4: Crops Twilight & Ice Cream Social |
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April-May 2021
Dear Friends and Clients,
It seems very appropriate that April 1 is the opening day for Major League Baseball. The spring season is a time of new beginning and hope springs eternal, even for my beloved Orioles. It appears that through a lot of hard work, sacrifice and the promise of vaccinations, this terrible pandemic may finally be coming to an end. We can only hope....
As we slowly and cautiously begin to reengage with all our clients and customers, we want to ensure you that your health and safety is paramount to us. Our staff and educators have all been trained in the latest protocols related to COVID-19 safety and will continue to use caution even as restrictions are being relaxed or lifted all together. While our office continues to be closed to the public, we are here taking phone calls, returning emails and providing the services that you have come to expect from your Extension office. We look forward to the day we can reopen our doors to you.
In the meantime, please continue to reach out to us, by calling or emailing, we are here to serve you.
Thanks and we hope to see you soon!
Robert Baldwin
Acting Area Extension Director
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We're still in business, but with some differences!!
For well over 100 years, University of Maryland Extension has fulfilled its mission of delivering science-based education to Maryland citizens and communities.
While our offices are closed again for the health and safety of our faculty and staff, we are always committed to meeting the needs our clientele and stakeholders to ensure that you have the information you need to protect your families, farms, and communities. 
- Call or email us: We continue to answer questions and conduct field research to deliver the resources you need.
- Field visits: If needed and following social distancing protocol, we continue to conduct on-site field visits for diagnosis of production issues.
- Access University of Maryland Extension Online Resources at:https://extension.umd.edu.
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Master Gardener Coordinator's Corner
Nancy Allred, Interim Master Gardener Coordinator
University of Maryland's Anne Arundel County Extension Office is located in Gambrills, Maryland on a site that once supported a thriving dairy operation. The farm supplied milk for midshipmen at the Naval Academy. Today, MD Sunrise Farm LLC maintains a farm operation, grass-fed beef and the property, still owned by the Navy, is leased to the County and managed by its Department of Recreation and Parks.
University of Maryland Extension moved to the Gambrills location in 2013 and so on after, Master Gardeners began developing plans for demonstration gardens. The overall objective of Master Gardener activities at the Dairy Farm is to provide the public with information and examples of how native plants can work well in residential landscapes. Native plant species provide nectar, pollen, and seeds that serve as food for native butterflies, insects, birds and other animals. Native plants are also advantageous, because, they do not require fertilizers and require fewer pesticides than lawns. The Village Garden consists of demonstration gardens of various types (rain garden, herb garden, butterfly garden) and plantings include native shrubs and flowering plants. Raised vegetable beds were recently constructed. Master Gardeners demonstrate best practices for home gardening. Examples include no-till, companion planting, use of row covering, and succession planting.
Master Gardener volunteers are on site and happy to answer questions on their normal workdays, the second Saturday and fourth Thursday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. To arrange a tour of the village garden or to find out more about the Master Gardener Program, contact Interim Master Gardener Coordinator Nancy Allred at [email protected] or call 410-222-3900.
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Jeanette Jeffrey, Healthy Living Educator
The old adage "No rest for the weary" rings true for many farmers. When livestock need feeding or crops need to be put in the ground calling out sick just isn't possible. Working through pain, illness and injury is more the norm, not the exception, when it comes to farmers and agricultural workers. Not surprisingly, pain-relieving opioids found their way to the farm.
In the late 1990's pharmaceutical companies were hard-selling opioids to doctors with the reassurance that these drugs were non-addictive. Doctors, in turn, were writing opioid prescriptions in great numbers to their patients for pain management. With its ease of availability, opioid usage skyrocketed in the United States before its addictive properties were made known. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:
 - Roughly 21 to 29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.
- Between 8 and 12% of people using an opioid for chronic pain develop an opioid use disorder.
- An estimated 4 to 6% who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin .
- About 80% of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.
In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated: - 841,000 people died since 1999 from a drug overdose.
- In 2019, 70,630 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, 70% involved opioids.
Rural communities have been particularly hard hit by the opioid public health crisis. Due to few healthcare facilities and/or treatment centers that specialize in addiction disorders in rural areas, those in need of care may experience limited access to services. The stigma that surrounds addiction also prevents many from seeking help for fear of judgement or rejection from family and community members. An unintended consequence occurred due to COVID in that many healthcare services moved online, increasing both availability and accessibility. If you or someone you know is in need of education, assistance or treatment for opioid use disorder, please refer to the following resources. Recovery is possible. Rural Maryland: Delmarva Resources: Statewide/National: Editor's note: Jeanette Jeffrey is a Family and Consumer Sciences agent for University of Maryland Extension, Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties. This is the third article in a four-part series written for The Delmarva Farmer by the University of Maryland Extension for Mental Health Awareness Month. An expanded group of articles were posted online throughout May at www.go.umd.edu/farmstressmanagement.
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Become an Anne Arundel County Master Gardener
Interested in becoming a Master Gardener? Master Gardeners are a group of gardening enthusiasts who are passionate about gardening, education, and volunteering in their community. The curriculum is presented by University of Maryland Extension faculty and trained Master Gardeners. The class scheduled for this fall-winter is already full but we have started a waiting list for a spring class if we see the need. Call for more information!
Click here for more information.
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Our Agronomy Experts are Here to Help
While our offices are closed we are still working to provide assistance.
- Call or email us: We continue to answer questions and conduct field research to deliver the resources you need.
- Field visits: If needed and following social distancing protocol, we continue to conduct on-site field visits for diagnosis of production issues.
- Online Resources: We are expanding online learning available at the websites below. Find online pesticide and nutrient voucher recertification here: https://go.umd.edu/iKp
We are here to help you. Contact any of your Southern Maryland Agriculture Agents:
Alan Leslie
 301-542-7612 Ben Beale 301-481-7209 Dave Myers 410-980-1768
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Perhaps you have heard that the Anne Arundel County Fair was not held this year, along with most other county fairs. They were missed by many, but there were some virtual
activities in their place, including a livestock Sale of 4-H and FFA project animals. Special thanks to all of the Anne Arundel County residents who supported our youth through purchases of livestock projects! Hopefully next year we will be back to holding our wonderful County Fair.
Do you have children between 8 and 18 or know someone who does? If so, it's easy to learn more about 4-H! Visit our website or email the Anne Arundel County 4-H office at [email protected]. "4-H makes the best better!"
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Do you have a plant question? Pests in your house? Not happy with your lawn? The University of Maryland Home and
Garden Information Center can help. Visit their website:
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Agriculture & Natural Resources
Interested in agriculture? There are many agriculture resources available on our website.
Agriculture Newsletters
Agriculture Calendar of Events
For more information, please contact Dave Myers, Extension Educator, AGNR.
4-H offers plant and animal science programs for youth ages 8-18. See the 4-H website for more details. |
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Healthy Eating - Rockin' Radish Salad
Salad ingredients:
1 head lettuce, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 large cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
10 radishes, washed, ends cut off and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch fresh chives or scallions, washed and finely chopped
Lemon Vinaigrette ingredients:
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
½ lemon, washed and juiced, or 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
zest from 1/2 lemon - optional
Lemon Vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, combine and stir together oil, lemon juice, salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
Salad:
In a bowl, combine lettuce, cucumbers, radishes and fresh chives or scallions. When ready to eat, drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and toss gently until the salad is evenly coated.
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Area Extension Director Robert Baldwin, Acting AED
| Agriculture & Natural Resources
Dave Myers, Principal Agent
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Nutrient Management
Kayla Griffith, Nutrient Management Advisor
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Master Gardener Program
Nancy Allred, Interim Master Gardener Coordinator
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4-H Youth Development
Gretchen Sumbrum, Agent
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Food Supplement Nutrition Education Program
LaTasha Coleman, Principal Agent Associate
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Family and Consumer Sciences
Jeanette Jeffrey, Agent |  |
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