Winter-Spring 2023 INAG News

INAG News

From the Director’s Desk

Iknow this is a slightly random topic, but stay with me: it is connected to the IAA, I promise.

For decades, I’ve been hearing urgent pleas to help save the bees. American honey bees are crucial to the pollination of American crops; according to the Department of the Interior, honey bees increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars. For reasons that aren’t yet clearly understood, colony collapse disorder has taken a serious toll on the country’s honey bee population. Understandably, many writers and thinkers have urged us all to get on board with helping to save the honey bees, suggesting techniques such as reducing the use of pesticides, emphasizing pollinator-friendly plants, and even taking up beekeeping.

Cover: INAG123 students, Teresa Kustas and Chase Thompson, harvesting figs at the Community Learning Garden for the campus pantry.

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INAG News is published twice a year by the Institute of Applied Agriculture. You, the reader, are encouraged to share comments, alumni updates, and agriculturerelated news at iaa@umd.edu.

Over the past year, though, I’ve been reading an increasing number of articles about the plight of America’s native bees. That group doesn’t include honey bees, which were imported from Europe in the seventeenth century. Of the over 20,000 species of bee in the world, about 4,000 species are native to the U.S.; those 4,000 species are the primary insect pollinator of agricultural plants in most of the country (again according to the Department of the Interior).

Researchers aren’t sure how much honey bees compete with native bees for resources, but since honey bees will forage almost any plant, they can use up a plant that might be the sole source of sustenance for a particular type of native bee. Many native bees are in danger of extinction, so that possibility should worry us.

Am I suggesting that we should stop worrying about the honey bees or that amateur beekeepers should feel guilty about their efforts? No, of course not. Honey bees are still important.

But I am suggesting that agriculture and ecology are extremely complicated fields. There are few easy answers to the really tough questions. How do we feed the world as the population grows? How can we restore degraded soils? How can golf courses, parks, and other green public spaces help us sequester carbon and curb climate change?

Humanity faces a never-ending stream of complex questions such as these, and that’s where the IAA comes in. Students don’t come to this university just to memorize facts—or even rules—from textbooks; they come to learn how to evaluate evidence, think, and apply ideas. (Granted, many IAA students do need to memorize the Latin names of a lot of woody plants…but that basic knowledge is the foundation on which thinking can be built.)

At the IAA, we strive to give our students hands-on expertise in a wide range of skills. The first and most important skill is learning how to solve problems, weigh priorities, and create plans. That’s why our faculty ask students to practice with as many real-life experiences as possible. IAA students don’t just answer questions about business plans; they create business plans. They don’t just answer questions about fertilizers; they read a case study about a particular site and draw conclusions and make recommendations about how to care for it. Those experiences prepare our graduates to participate in discussions about those difficult, complicated questions.

In case you’re wondering, the Prince George’s County Master Gardeners tell me that the best way to support all of the bees, native and otherwise, is to plant more native plants and mow my lawn less often. Sounds good to me—I always like a beneficial solution that’s actually less work, rather than more.

Heather McHale Interim Director

Heather McHale Interim Director

Rebecka Jones Graphic Designer

UMD LAUNCHES

New Terrapin Commitment Grant Program

Written By: Heather McHale

The University of Maryland’s strategic plan makes a bold claim: “We invest in people and communities.” This semester, the University is upholding that promise by launching a new program, the Terrapin Commitment, to provide additional need-based financial aid to Pell Grant-eligible UMD students from Maryland—including those at the IAA.

Under the Terrapin Commitment, which took effect in January 2023, tuition and fees are fully covered for full-time, Pell Grant-eligible in-state students who have unmet financial need. After the student’s other funding sources—including grants, scholarships, and their FAFSAcalculated expected family contribution—are applied, the Terrapin Commitment program will pay any remaining cost for tuition and fees. After covering tuition and fees, the program will cover 50% of the remaining unmet need, up to the cost of room and board.

For many students in the state of Maryland, this program can help bypass some of the financial obstacles to pursuing higher education. The Terrapin Commitment is the largest single-year investment in need-based

scholarships in the history of our university. At the IAA, we are excited about the role it can play in our ability to provide a top-quality land-grant education for students all over the state who want to study agriculture.

In order to be considered, all students have to do is complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or—for students who are ineligible to use the FAFSA—the Maryland State Financial Aid Application. For full-time, in-state students who qualify, the Terrapin Commitment funding will automatically be extended. The funding is renewable as long as the student completes the FAFSA or MSFAA each year and maintains satisfactory academic progress (at least a 2.0 GPA).

The IAA is proud to be part of the University of Maryland—as the UMD strategic plan says, we are “an institution of change and progress and a proud land-grant flagship campus dedicated to the public good.” Preparing students for agricultural careers is our part of that mission, and we’re delighted that the Terrapin Commitment could help reduce financial barriers and help many students access a world-class education at the IAA.

"We invest in people and communities."

UMD Strategic Plan

Epstein and Mazzone Receive TEACHING AND LEARNING GRANTS

Written By: Heather McHale

At the Insitute of Applied Agriculture (IAA), hands-on learning is what we do best. We are pleased to announce that the IAA has received two Teaching and Learning Grants to create new handson student experiences. These grants support UMD’s strategic plan commitment to reimagining learning and will enable the IAA to execute meaningful projects in support of students across the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR).

Senior Lecturer Meredith Epstein, working with partners from AGNR, was awarded a program-level grant for her proposal, An Interdisciplinary Experiential Learning Coordinator (ELC) for the UMD One Health Campus. The ELC, a lecturer who will be housed here at the IAA, will bring together hands-on learning experiences across AGNR. Epstein has lofty goals for this position; she writes, “The Coordinator will bring a radically interdisciplinary approach to creating new and supporting existing experiential learning opportunities across campus. This will aid in breaking down academic ‘silos,’ build a stronger sense of community, and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.”

Epstein imagines the ELC working with scores of different teaching and learning spaces all over campus, “transform[ing] the open, green spaces on our campus into thoughtfully connected experiential learning opportunities.” The grant proposal lists many different ways that the ELC might engage the campus community, including hosting UMD classes for tours and labs; hosting community groups such as K-12 classes or camps; developing and supervising internships; developing and hosting public events; and participating in the design of new spaces.

Epstein has plenty of experience building interdisciplinary, collaborative projects on campus. She drove the creation of the thriving Campus Learning Garden and works

with such other projects as Terp Farm. She looks forward to bringing a new colleague on board to focus on collaborative educational experiences.

At the course level, Lecturer Thomas Mazzone received a grant supporting his proposal, Making Agronomic Decisions on the Fly. The program will use these funds to develop a course on precision agriculture using drone technology, to purchase equipment and software. Mazzone writes, “Students in the course would have the opportunity to work offsite and use a drone to collect agronomic data using a variety of sensors, and then learn to process the data using software to make real-world agronomic decisions that are economical, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.” Students will also have the opportunity to earn their Commercial Drone Operator’s License.

In addition to the basic course, which will run during the spring semester, students will be able to conduct summer fieldwork to apply their skills. Those fieldwork opportunities may be held at a UMD Research Farm or at other locations scouted by the students to reflect the conditions they expect to face in their careers.

Mazzone writes about the benefits of precision agriculture, such as a reduction in soil compaction and the use of chemicals and fuel. It is critically important, he believes, that we “train our students, the future of agriculture, with this technology so that they can better carry out environmentally sound practices that protect our croplands for generations to come.”

UMD’s Teaching and Learning Grants prioritize projects that “explore the grand challenges of our times, build a stronger sense of community and civic engagement, or innovate pedagogical practices by leveraging the use of modern instructional technologies.” Both of these projects certainly accomplish those goals. Congratulations to both of our grant recipients!

IAA Student Life FALL 2022 SNAPSHOT

1. Jonah Webb, Esther Feron, Blake Komisar-Bury, and Hugh Le enjoyed "Pizza & Plants" to kick-off the Fall 2022 semester.

2. Students in INAG251: Landscape Construction work through the patio paver installation lab.

3. This fall was at least the eighth year of IAA Lecturer and Advisor Ken Ingram hosting a Dorm Plant Giveaway (courtesy of PEPSI grants) for all UMD students. Pictured is IAA Lecturer and Advisor, Geoff Rinehart, explaining how to care for the plants.

4. All semester, INAG289: Professional Development students prepare themselves for the Mock Interview and Networking Event that takes place the last week of classes at the UMD Career Center. This year, IAA alumni and industry partners led the mock interviews and participated in the networking event to prepare students for their careers.

5. Alexa Boltax, along with other students in INAG123: People, Planet, and Profit: Digging Into Sustainable Agriculture, helped harvest sweet potatoes at Terp Farm, which were then prepared for the three dining facilities at UMD.

6. INAG103: Ag Marketing students used real-world examples of how supply and demand curves can be shifted as a result of different consumer behaviors, weather, and more. Jon Kasner, Sarah Carney, Lorenzo GonzalesYsern, and Austin Smith then used some of these examples (such as avocados and limes) to make guacamole.

INTERNSHIP PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

HAILEY POOLE Ag Business Management

Hailey learned a lot about farming and entrepreneurship. On the farm side that means she baled and stacked A LOT of hay. She found this little guy on the hay and wanted to relocate it! She thinks he is the same one that bit her the week before when she was loading some bales of hay.

Pepsi Grant Yields HARVEST IN THE GARDEN

Written By: Chelsea G. Mays-Williams

This fall, the IAA kicked off autumn, introducing a new series of events called Harvest in the Garden, sponsored by the Pepsi Grant. All events took place in the Community Learning Garden. Students enjoyed painting pumpkins on a starry night and sipping apple cider. Our painting instructor was Randie Fournier, the former IAA Student Services Coordinator. Our usual spring public speaking event, Impromptu in the Garden, was offered this fall to provide our fall semester students an opportunity to practice and compete to win prizes for their oration skills. Our three winners enjoyed a goodie bag to support them with their finals preparation. Harvest in the Garden events finished with a candy harvest allowing students to enjoy treats during the Halloween season while maintaining distance and becoming familiar with the Community Learning Garden. Thanks to the Pepsi Grant, the IAA was able to help students relieve stress and gain confidence.

Pictured: Randie Fournier leading students in painting a pumpkin at the Community Learning Garden.

Turf Terps Take SECOND

Written By: Geoff Rinehart

Continuing a tradition that began almost two decades ago, UMD students participated in January in the first of two annual intercollegiate competitions—the Sports Field Managers Association Student Challenge. The event is conducted annually during the SFMA Conference and Trade Show and allows the student to compete against other turfgrass programs nationally. This year the conference was held from January 16-19 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because of the studying, academic dedication, and required after-class meeting time needed to prepare for these competitions, students participating in the turf competitions have the opportunity to enroll in a 1-credit independent study class in the Fall semester. This year UMD was able to take two teams, one consisting of returning students and the other consisting of new students. After a 6th place finish in the 2-year program competition in 2022 in Savannah, GA, the returning team, consisting of students Brandon Carbary, Jarrett Maynor, Matthew Miller, and Payton O’Connor, was eager to use their experience to improve.

The SFMA competition includes turfgrass species, weed, insect, and disease identification; turfgrass soil questions; turfgrass-related math problems; and a hands-on practical section in which students were required to read and answer questions about an irrigation blueprint. The returning “Turf Terps” were able to earn 2nd place honors in the 2-year program out of 8 teams and placed 5th out of 25 2- and 4-year teams.

In addition to the competition experience, students had the opportunity to attend the educational seminars, browse the tradeshow floor to speak with vendors, and experience the Salt Lake region, traveling to the mountains one afternoon to visit Utah Olympic Park, where the Winter Olympics were held in 2002. Attending and competing in these national turfgrass competitions raises the national recognition for our IAA turfgrass program and provides students with added academic rigor as they practice for the competitions and experience the industry on a broader, national level. We would like to extend a word of thanks to all of the UMD turf alumni for the ways they have supported the team over the years and everyone who has supported the Shields Memorial Fund, funds from which provide the means to bring student teams to these competitions.

Pictured Left to Right: Matt Miller, Brandon Carbary, and Jarrett Maynor accept the plaque for 2nd place in the 2-year division.

Seeking Nominations for Alumni Awards

The Institute of Applied Agriculture is seeking nominations for our two 2023 awards: Distinguished Alumni and Early Career Alumni. Our 2022 winners were Jon Greenstone and Scott Hebert.

The IAA Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who, over their careers, have accomplished significant achievements of enduring value to their professions and society. Nominees should have attained notable achievements or made enduring contributions through their professional, philanthropic, or voluntary endeavors.

The Early Career Award honors IAA graduates who have earned a certificate in within the past 7 years and have made significant progress in their career and/or have shown outstanding service to their industries and/or the IAA.

The Institute of Applied Agriculture’s alumni are extraordinary individuals who contribute to their professions, the IAA, and society. Let’s recognize and celebrate your accomplishments.

Nominations are due by March 31, 2023. For the criteria and to nominate, please visit go.umd.edu/alumni-awards. Self-nominations are encouraged and welcomed.

Class Notes

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Alyssa Chiascone (SUS AG ‘22) secured an internship with the National Park Service as a White House Educational Specialist.

Barbara Sikorski (HORT ‘19) is the Estate Gardener for Planted Earth Landscaping in Sykesville, MD.

Ruby Fishbein (AG BUS ‘17) began a new position as a Registered Veterinary Nurse with Truss Veterinary Urgent Care in Cary, NJ.

Cory Schuch (AG BUS ‘17) graduated from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy in July and works for the Easton Police Department. Additionally, he owns Homberg and Schuch Farms, LLC, a family-owned produce farm with locations in Middle River and Preston, MD.

Joe Shaffer (SUSAG ‘17), with a business partner, has opened an organic farm and CSA, Hidden Waters Farm in Baltimore County. They provide beef, pork, poultry, eggs, and produce for their community.

Meg Smolinski (HORT ‘16), UMD Arboretum Outreach Coordinator, was recognized for her service to the UMD campus.

Andrew Wolcott (TURF ‘11) finished his bachelor’s degree in Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University.

Jake Valentino (GOLF ‘10) started a new position as Golf Course Superintendent at Flanders Valley Golf Course in Flanders, NJ.

In remembrance of Matthew Katsuleres (GOLF ‘06), who unexpectedly passed away on November 13, 2022.

Tom Tuttle (TURF ‘90) is living in Massachusetts and is an Account Manager for Outerland, a full-service commercial and residential landscaping service.

Pictured left is Rachel Heeley (AG BUS '19), Marina Karides (AG BUS '22), and Brooke Knauss (AG LEAD '20) with now former Governor, Larry Hogan, at the Maryland State Fair in August where these three alumni worked with the AGNR Dairy Herd from the Clarksville Research Facility.

Jull Hall, Rm. 2123

4196 Stadium Drive

University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742-2525

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