Beginning Farmer Resource Guide for Frederick, Howard, & Montgomery Counties, Maryland (FS-2023-0691)

FS-2023-0691  |  February 2025

Beginning Farmer Resource Guide for Frederick, Howard, & Montgomery Counties, Maryland

Compiled by: Kelly Nichols, Ag Agent, UME Montgomery County

Table of Contents

To get back to the top of the page click on the table of contents title.

General Resources

University of Maryland Extension

University of Maryland Extension is the state-wide, non-formal education system within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Agriculture and Food Systems Educators are available to provide technical and educational assistance to farmers.

• Frederick County
  330 Montevue Lane, Frederick, MD 21702
  Main Number: 301-600-1588
  Ag Educator: Mark Townsend, mtownsen@umd.edu, (301) 600-3578
   
• Howard County
  Ascend One Building, 8930 Stanford Blvd, Suite 25, Columbia, MD 21045
  Main Number: 410-313-2707
  Ag Educator: Nathan Glenn, nglenn@umd.edu, (410) 313-2704
   
• Montgomery County
  18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855
  Main Number: 301-590-9638
  Ag Educator: Kelly Nichols, kellyn@umd.edu, 301-590-2807
   
• University of Maryland Extension Agriculture and Food Systems Website
  Learn more about University of Maryland Extension’s programs and find resources for crop and livestock enterprises.

Beginning Farmer Resources

• Beginning Farmer Success Program (University of Maryland Extension) - Information on farm enterprises, business planning resources, marketing, permits and licenses, and the Beginning Farmer Guidebook.
   
• Interactive Beginning Farmer Guidebook (University of Maryland Extension) - This online, self-paced course follows the Beginning Farmer Guidebook. To access the course, visit campus.extension.org. Search for “Maryland Farmer”. Select the Maryland Beginning Farmer Guidebook course. You will need to create a free account to access the course.
   
• Entrepreneurial Coaching Program (University of Maryland Extension) - An opportunity to meet with a trained, impartial coach who can be a sounding board for your ideas, provide resources and contacts, and help sharpen your focus on reaching your business goals. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/cultivating-entrepreneurship
   
• New Farmer FAQs (University of Maryland) - Information on registering a business, financial resources, certifications, and product sale regulations.
   
• How To Start A Farm (U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA)
   
• Beginning Farmer Training Program (Future Harvest) - A 12-month training experience which combines classroom curriculum and hands-on learning.

Business Planning

• Farm Business Planning Workbook (University of Maryland Extension)

Custom Operators & Equipment

• A Guide To Custom Operators (University of Maryland Extension, Frederick County Office)
  Scroll down to the “Ag Frequently Asked Questions heading”.
   
• Contractor's List (Howard County Soil Conservation District) - Found below the “Links” heading. The list includes those who do seeding and pasture work.
   
• Montgomery County Equipment Rental Program (Montgomery Soil Conservation District) - This program is available to limited resource farmers or those interested in installing best management practices in Montgomery County.

Financial Resources

• Horizon Farm Credit
  Horizon Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative. They offer farm, home, and land loans, as well as crop insurance. Horizon Farm Credit also offers a Beginning Farmer Program and the AgBiz Masters Program for young and beginning farmers.
   
• Maryland Agricultural & Resource-based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO)
  MARBIDCO is a quasi-public economic development organization that helps Maryland farm, forestry, and seafood businesses achieve sustainability and profitability. They offer loan and grant programs for farmers and rural business owners, land preservation programs, partnerships with commercial lenders, and business resources and planning tools for rural entrepreneurs.
   
• Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
  SARE offers grants and education to address key issues affecting the sustainability of agriculture. Note that the farmer grants are for established farms only.
   
• Small Farm And Urban Agriculture Program
  This program provides financial assistance to small farms and is administered through the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA).
   
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA)
  FSA is a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). FSA manages the government costshare and price support programs, as well as low-interest loans. They also handle disaster programs for drought, freeze, and hail claims.
   
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Grants and Loans Website
   
• Visit the following county websites for county-specific information.
  • Frederick County Office of Agriculture
  • Howard County Office of Economic Development
  • Montgomery County Office of Agriculture

FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLANS

These plans, also called Forest Management Plans, allow the landowner to maximize the wildlife, timber, recreation, aesthetic value, and other woodland benefits while preserving it for future generations. There are two ways to have a plan written for your farm:

• Hire a professional forester. The University of Maryland Extension Woodland Stewardship Education Program maintains a directory of Maryland-licensed professional foresters and the services they provide.
• Request a plan from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Every Maryland county has a Forest Conservancy District Board, which provides educational activities, critical area timber harvest plan review, and private landowner outreach. For county-specific information, visit the Frederick or Montgomery Board websites.

Land Access

• Maryland FarmLink - An online place for Maryland farmers to list land for sale or lease.
• Land Link Montgomery - An online forum for Montgomery County farmers and landowners.

Legal Educational Resources

• Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative - Information and resources regarding laws that impact Maryland agriculture.
• So You Want to Own Rural Land in Maryland: Basic Legal Issues for All Landowners - This free, online course focuses on leases, right-to-farm laws, fence laws, estate planning, landowner liability, and more.

Marketing

• Ag Marketing (University of Maryland Extension)
• Farm directories to assist consumers in finding local products. (To be added to the list, please contact the appropriate office.)
  • Frederick County: Homegrown Frederick
  • Howard County: Farm Search
  • Montgomery County: Farm to Table website

Nutrient Management Plans

These plans are required in Maryland if your gross sales are more than $2,500 per year or if you have 8,000 pounds or more of live animal weight on the farm. A nutrient management plan balances the nutrient levels in the soil with what the crop needs and provides recommendations so that nutrients are not over- or under-applied. For more information about nutrient management plans, visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s website. There are three ways to have a plan written for your farm:

• Become certified to write your own plan
• Request a plan from a University of Maryland Extension Nutrient Management Advisor. Visit the directory to find your county’s advisor.
• Hire a private consultant. (See the Directory of Nutrient Management Plan Writers document under the “Farmers” heading in the menu on the right side of the page.)

Nutrient Management Vouchers

These vouchers are required of all farmers applying nutrients (in the form or inorganic fertilizer or organic amendments) to 10 or more acres. To obtain a voucher and keep it current, farmers need to attend two hours of nutrient management training every three years. These trainings are approved by the Maryland Department of Agriculture. For more information, visit the Department’s website.

Permits

• Value-Added Products - See the Value-Added Products/On-Farm Processing section.
• Request a plan from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
  https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/programapps/faland.aspx
• For questions regarding building barns, sheds, farm markets, greenhouses, and other buildings on your property, contact the county office of agriculture or economic development and/or the county zoning/permitting office.
  • Frederick County:
    • Frederick County Office of Agriculture
    • Frederick County Zoning Office
  • Howard County
    • Howard County Economic Development Authority - Farm & Agriculture
      • Director of Agricultural Business Development
    • Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning
  • Montgomery County
    • Montgomery County Office of Agriculture
      • For zoning/permitting questions, visit the FAQs page and Find My Zoning tool.
    • Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services
• A Farmer's Guide to Environmental Permits (Maryland Department of Agriculture) - Under the “Environmental Protection” heading.

Pesticide License

This license is required when applying restricted use pesticides on your farm (includes owned and rented property), or applying general and/or restricted use pesticides on someone else’s property. For more information, visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s website.

Registering a Farm Business

• Maryland Business Portal (State of Maryland)
• The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation has forms on their website, under the “Create or Start a Business in Maryland” heading. These forms can be mailed or emailed to the Department.

Soil & Water Conservation Technical and Financial Assistance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and County Soil Conservation District (SCD) Offices provide technical assistance with implementing soil and water conservation practices on the farm. Example practices include cover crops, no-till, manure storage structures, grass waterways, roof runoff structures, and stream buffers. NRCS may also have financial cost-share programs available for some of these practices. Below is the contact information for local offices.

• Frederick County NRCS & SCD Offices (92 Thomas Johnson Dr, Suite 230, Frederick)
  301-695-2803 ext. 3
  Frederick County SCD Website
• Howard County NRCS & SCD Offices (14735 Frederick Rd, Cooksville)
  410-313-0680
  Howard County SCD Website
• Montgomery County NRCS & SCD Offices (18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood)
  301-590-2855
  Montgomery County SCD Website
• Maryland NRCS Website

Soil Sampling

• Directions for taking soil samples (University of Maryland Extension)
• A list of soil testing labs in the region (University of Maryland Extension)
• Soil probe use - The county Extension Offices may have soil probes available for loan. To inquire about borrowing a soil probe, contact the county Extension office:
  • Frederick County: 301-600-3576
  • Howard County: 410-313-2709
  • Montgomery County: 301-590-2840

Soils Information

• Web Soil Survey - This online, interactive tool enables you to see the soil series and characteristics at a specific location.

Value-Added Products/On-Farm Processing

• Value-Added Products - The Processing/Selling Value-Added Products in Maryland fact sheet (listed at the bottom of the page under the “Processing” heading) provides information on required permits/licenses for various value-added products. The permits mentioned can be obtained from the county health department.
  • Frederick County Health Department - Food Control Office
  • Howard County Health Department - Food Protection Program
  • Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services - Food and Facilities Licensing
• The Maryland Department of Health provides information on the following:
  • On-Farm Processing
  • Maryland Cottage Food Businesses
• The Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative has free regulatory decision tree resources to help growers understand and identify the laws that affect the production of value-added products. https://umaglaw.org/about/direct-marketing/ (under the "On-Farm Value-Added Food Production" heading)

Crop & Livestock-Specific Resources

Cattle

• Maryland Beef (University of Maryland Extension)
• So You Want to Raise Beef Cattle? (Penn State University Extension)
• Cattle and Beef (USDA)

Christmas Trees

• Christmas Tree Production (Penn State University Extension)
• Christmas Tree Enterprise Fact Sheet and Budget (University of Maryland Extension; scroll down to the “Christmas Tree Farm” heading)
• Nutrient Management Recommendations (University of Maryland Extension)
• Forest Conservation and Management Program (Maryland Department of Natural Resources) - Forests that are managed properly may be eligible for a reduced tax rate. Land used to grow Christmas trees is eligible as long as the trees are cut instead of digging living roots out at harvest.

Cover Crops

• Growing Cover Crops Profitably (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)

Cut Flowers

• IPMnet for Commercial Horticulture (University of Maryland Extension)
• Nutrient Management Recommendations (University of Maryland Extension)
• Web Resources: Cut Flowers (North Carolina State University Extension)
• Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association
• Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

Fruits

• Tree Fruits (University of Maryland Extension)
• Fruits (Penn State University Extension)

Goats

• Maryland Small Ruminant Page (University of Maryland Extension)
• Dairy Goat Production (Penn State University Extension)

Grapes

• Grapes and Fruit (University of Maryland Extension)
• Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America
  • Hard copies can be ordered through Cornell University

Herbs

• Selection and Care of Herbs (University of Maryland Extension)
• Culinary and Aromatic Herbs (North Carolina State Extension)
• The Herb Society of America
  • Local chapter: Potomac Unit
• Lavender resources:
  • Cornell University
  • Sequim Lavender Company

Horses

• Horses (University of Maryland Extension)
• Horse Owner's Guide to Best Management Practices (Maryland Department of Agriculture) - Located on the right side of the page under the “Publications” heading.
• Poisonous Plants
  • Plants Toxic to Horses (Penn State University Extension)
  • Poisonous Weeds in Horse Pasture (Rutgers University)

Livestock (General)

• Animal Science website (University of Maryland Extension) - Information and resources for cattle, horses, poultry, sheep, and goats.

Mushrooms

• Specialty Mushrooms (Cornell University)
• Mushrooms (Penn State University Extension)
• Natural Resource Income Opportunities (University of Maryland Extension) - Includes information on Shiitake mushrooms.

Poultry

• Backyard Poultry (University of Maryland Extension) - This website includes resources for flock management, housing, diseases, home processing, and preventing predation.
• Poultry Registration (Maryland Department of Agriculture, or MDA) - MDA requires poultry owners to register their flocks in order to be notified of disease outbreaks (e.g. avian influenza) when they occur.
• Egg Inspection (MDA) - The Egg Inspection program is responsible for enforcement of the Maryland Egg Law enacted to provide Maryland consumers with wholesome, high-quality eggs. Applications and guidelines are found in the menu on the right side of the page.
• Maryland Egg Quality Assurance Program (MDA) - The Maryland Egg Quality Assurance Program is a voluntary program to minimize the risk of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) contamination of chicken (shell) eggs and provide standards for the quality of eggs marketed under the provisions of this program.

Pigs

• Raising Small Groups of Pigs (Penn State University Extension) Note: references to nutrient management plans in this article refer to Pennsylvania-specific regulations. For Maryland nutrient management information, see the Nutrient Management section of this guide.

Sheep

• Maryland Small Ruminant Page (University of Maryland Extension)

Small Fruits

• Berries (University of Maryland Extension)
• Small Fruit Portal (Southern Maryland Agriculture Development Commission)

Vegetables

• Sample Vegetable Budgets (University of Vermont Extension)
• Vegetable Crop Budgets & Irrigation Cost Calculators (University of Delaware Cooperative Extension)
• Vegetables (University of Maryland Extension) - Includes information about the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendation Guide.
• When to Plant Vegetables in Maryland (University of Maryland Extension)
• Plant Science Food Safety Group (University of Maryland) - Information about produce and food safety laws as well as recommendations.

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