Agriculture

I get lots questions about how to market food and farm products but, the question that always seems to linger unsaid is “How do I get started?” Whether it’s launching an enterprise, getting the training needed to become a successful food entrepreneur, putting together a multi-component marketing plan, or just deciding what to produce, we all seem to struggle with a “starting point”. When tackling a venture of any kind, “we just don’t know, what we don’t know.”

Farmers’ markets (FMs) could be considered the original flag bearer of the local foods movement. They represent one avenue in addressing customer demand for “locally grown” and provide a means for farmers to capture 100% of the customer dollar. FMs may also increase customer loyalty and create noneconomic benefits and ties between farmers, consumers, and communities.

The University of Maryland Agriculture and Food Systems (AgFS) Extension Program serves the leading private industry in the state. In 2017, the market value of Maryland crops and livestock sold exceeded $2.4 billion and contributed $8.25 billion to the Maryland economy.

The Agriculture and Food Systems (AgFS) Program held two Urban Farmer Winter Meetings in January of 2021.

The MidAtlantic Women in Agriculture program engages, educates, and empowers women on common issues in risk management. Farming is a unique business that has strong ties to family, values, and land. These strong ties lead to the need for outreach and education on risk management topics such as financial planning, estate planning, marketing, communication, computer programs, budgeting, insurance, and much more. As profit margins slim and expenses rise the importance of mitigating these risks has increased.

Annie’s Project is a nationally recognized and accomplished farm management program for women. It provides education, tools and resources for women in agriculture to gain more knowledge of farm business operations. Annie’s project empowers participants with the knowledge to make educated decisions for their family and future.

Corn, soybeans, and wheat are the major agronomic crops are grown in Maryland representing over 1,335,000 acres of cropland and valued at over $500 million (NASS 2017). In order to provide the most current education and research, the University of Maryland Extension provides winter agronomy meetings for Maryland farmers, crop advisors, and agriculture professionals. The goal is to provide updates on products, research results, and regulatory certifications to increase farm vitality through increased yields and profits.

Since 2013, the University of Maryland Extension has provided outreach and education through the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI). ALEI is a collaboration of the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB); the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP); and the School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). ALEI is an initiative of the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, a collaboration between UMB and UMCP.

Read about local Dorchester County Featured Farmers. Articles and photos by Lisa Trice.

In 2010 Mike knew it was time to leave his career with NASCAR and return home to the family farm. He went from NASCAR to a 1947 Farmall M tractor.