The UME Connection Winter Edition 2017

University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

2017 Winter Edition

School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences (SANS)

Connection The UME

Growing and Advancing

Dr. Maifan Silitonga—Associate Extension Director

The University of Maryland Extension is a collaboration between the two Land Grant universities In Maryland: the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Both Land-Grant Universities build programs to reach out to stakeholders across the state of Maryland. The Extension program at UMES are designed specifically, but not limited to address the under-served and limited resource farmers, low income families, and/or other disparity communities. Some of the focus areas include: Small Farm programs; Health and Wellness (including Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program); 4H STEM Youth Development; Food Safety; and Small Ruminants.

Recently, there has been additional Extension faculty and staff to advance and grow current extension programs that are offered through UMES. This includes horticulture, agriculture and environmental law; apiary (bee keeping), specialty and alternative crops.

Some of the projects are located in the newly developed Education and Demonstration Farm off of the farm on Stewart Neck Rd. All Extension programs and projects are fully funded by the US Department of Agriculture—National Institute of Food and Agriculture for 1890 Extension or partially funded in collaboration with other entities or organizations.

14th Annual Small Farm Conference

Inside this issue

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Aronia Demonstration High Tunnels and Specialty Crops Hawk Power on the Go Oggun Tractor

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Demonstration Farm Soil Health and Cover Crops Pollinator Habitat Beekeeping “Apiary”

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Agriculture Law Education Initiative Small Ruminants Program Agriculture and Environmental Law Conference

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Ag Field Day Creating Healthier Communities Crabmeat Quality Assurance and Inspection Program

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4-H STEM Youth Development 2017 Maryland STEM Festival Zero Robotics

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Wonders of Watershed 4-H STEM at Sarbanes Center Composting

Berran Rogers, Small Farm Program Coordinator

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore hosted its 14th Annual Small Farm Conference.

Approximately 150 farmers and landowners from 15 Maryland counties and neighboring states such as Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania attended the event. This conference addressed the regional interests of these targeted audiences and provided opportunities for participants to receive information on innovative farming practices, marketing techniques, and agriculture diversification. Participants also benefited from connecting USDA agencies and other Agricultural organizations to learn about farm programs and services available. This year, the conference program was packed with over 15 workshops, field tours, and demonstration activities , as well as seminars over a two-day period.

Aronia Demonstration Michael Sigrist, Small Farm Lead Technician The cultivated Aronia (Aronia mitchurinii) is a hybrid of the eastern U.S native plant or Black Chokeberry. It has a long history of fruit production in Eastern Europe and is presently grown throughout the United States as a fruit crop. The Aronia fruit is loaded with antioxidants; far more than a blueberry which makes it a highly marketable, alternative crop for small farms wanting to diversify and add a new alternative crop to their sales.

Dr. Andrew Ristvey from the University of Maryland Extension at College Park, established an Aronia orchard at Wye Research and Education Center over 10 years ago. He has maintained the orchard and has an ongoing Aronia research program there. He would be available for consultation, direction and guidance (https://extension.umd.edu/ aronia).

Dr. Victoria Volkis of the UMES Department of Natural Science has collaborated with Dr Ristvey for several years studying the phytochemical properties of Aronia. Her studies of Aronia phyto-

High Tunnels and Specialty or Ethnic Crops Nadine Burton

High tunnel system is an ideal environment for growing vegetables. Inside a tunnel, ethnic crops such as bok choy varieties (Rosie, Mei Qing Choi, and Joi Choi) were planted. Seedlings were started in the greenhouse for approximately 2 ½ weeks before it was transplanted into the tunnel. A total of two identical plots of about 10 ft were planted with each variety. Drip irrigation lines that connects to a 50 gallon water tank were set up on each side. A compost tea fertilizer mixture was added to water just before irrigation. The purpose of bok choy demonstration trials is to: 1) introduce new alternative crops with good market potential that grow well using high tunnel systems and 2) observe composting methods for higher production yields and best weed/pest management suppression.

chemicals complement Dr. Ristvey’s horticultural research. Dr. Volkis generates interests of undergraduate and graduate minority students in high -tech Agricultural research (a NIFA priority area) using Aronia as a model for horticultural phytochemistry research.

There is an active group of growers that belong to an organization known as the Mid Atlantic Aronia Growers Association (MAAGA) that promote the growing, processing and public education of Aronia in the Mid-Atlantic. They would be very interested in and would support the establishment of a demonstration Aronia orchard at UMES which could be used for workshops, field days, education and research.

UMES is now establishing a site to demonstrate the growth of Aronia, its maintenance and its potential as value-added product. The plant is expected to bear fruits around the third year.

In the meantime, UMES Small Farm Program collaborated with Twin Oaks who provided Aronia-Apple jelly to show how Aronia can be used as a potential value-added product.

Hawk Power on the Go — a solar powered mobile trailer Berran Rogers

The Small Farm Program partnered with students, faculty, and staff from the School of Engineering & Aviation Sciences to develop a solar powered mobile trailer. Two students, Ryan Valente and Abdelrahim Hajabdall, worked under the advisement of Dr. Abhijit Nagchaudhuri and his team.

The initial intent was to have a power source that can be used for livestock management or other agricultural activities in difficult or remote areas. This solar mobile trailer can also be used for other outdoor activities, remote job sites, and emergency situations where aces to power is needed. The solar trailer was featured at the 14th Annual Small Farm Conference where over 100 producers and agricultural professionals toured the unit. Follow up requests/ inquiries have already been made by several farmers who are interested in adopting this technology on their respective farms.

From Left to right: Berran Rogers (small farm Coordinator), Abdelrahim Hajabdall (Engineering student), President Juliette Bell, Dr. Maifan Silitonga (Assoc. Extension Director), and Dr. Moses Kairo (Dean of SANS).

Oggun Tractor

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UMES Extension has purchased a new technology tractor built for small farm operations that is small, uncomplicated, and inexpensive tractor. This tractor will be used to demonstrate single row farming with superb visibility for planting and cultivating rows in the spring of 2018. The tractor is the first all-hydraulic zero turn tractor on the market that can be fixed in the farmer’s field or shop.

Pollinator Habitat Michael Sigrist

UMES Small Farm Program Education and Demonstration Farm on Steward Neck Rd.

Small Farm Program Education and Demonstration Farm Berran Rogers

During the summer of 2017, the Small Farm Program staff began designing spaces to plan for education and demonstration site. There are several projects being developed at the farm, including: high tunnel systems; aronia plot; soil health and cover crop plot; and pollinator habitat plots.

A High Tunnel system, commonly called a “hoop house” has increasingly become popular among farmers. Growing in a high tunnel can provide an easy and costeffective way to establish greater control over the growing environment and extend the growing season. This will help farmers improve their profitability and productivity on their farms.

There are two high tunnels that have been built this season; a traditional prefab system and a sustainable system (with catchment to harvest rainwater and a solar technology to power the irrigation system). The two high tunnels will be used to compare technology options that are available to farmers. In addition, the sustainable system can also be used to demonstrate and educate undergraduate and/or graduate students about sustainable methods for agricultural practices.

The overall goal is to introduce and educate small-scale and beginning farmers and producers about creating high tunnel systems as an ideal environment for growing vegetables, small fruit, cut flowers and more.

More than one-third of the world’s food supply comes from plants pollinated by bees. In recent years, colony collapse disorder has caused an annual reduction of 30-40% of honeybee populations in the United States.

Habitat enhancement for native pollinators on farms, especially with native plants, provides multiple benefits.

In addition to supporting pollinators, native plant habitat will attract beneficial insects that are predators or parasitoids of crop pests and lessen the need for pesticides on the farm.

Pollinator habitat can also provide habitat for other wildlife, such as birds and can also serve as windbreaks to help stabilize the soil and indirectly improve water quality.

The Education and Demonstration farm allocated areas to support pollinator habitat.

Honey Bee Apiary Dr. Enrique Escobar Since February 2017, The University of Maryland Extension—1890 Program sponsor the UMES Honey Bee Club for those individuals who want to learn how to promote honey bees and other pollinators on the Eastern Shore. The UMES Apiary has 8 hives.

Small Farm Program—to empower small-scale, limited resource, and underserved farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to own and operate a farm business successfully

Soil Health and Cover Crop Berran Rogers and Michael Sigrist

Landowners and farmers across the nation has increasingly realize that healthy soils are the key to fostering more productive, profitable and sustainable farms for health, sustainable, long-term returns.

The UMES Small Farm Program is partnering with Delaware State University on a Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant to implement a cover crop for soil health initiative geared to educating agriculture service providers and small-scale producers about regionally appropriate cover crop species, benefits, management practices, equipment and technologies.

Plots have been dedicated as a demonstration site where 5 cover crop plots/trials have already been established. Some of the crops include forage radish, spring oats, rye, crimson clover and hairy vetch.

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Agriculture Law Education Initiative Nicole Cook

In 2011, the Maryland General Assembly gave the University System of Maryland a new assignment: preserve Maryland’s family farms and help their owner address the complicated legal issues associated with agricultural estates and trusts, regulatory compliance, and other public policies comprising what is known as agriculture law (www.umaglaw.org).

The Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) is a collaboration of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), the College of Agriculture, & Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCO), and the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. ALEI is an initiative of the University of Maryland: MPowering the State, a strategic alliance between UMB and UMCP created in 2012 to significantly expand research, business development, and student opportunities at each universities.

The Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) educates the Maryland and national agricultural community on how agricultural law impacts farmers.

Small Ruminants Dr. Enrique Escobar

The research and extension efforts at UMES are focused on integrated parasite management, the use of sheep and goats to manage unwanted vegetation , and estrus synchronization.

Currently, there are two species of small ruminants at the UMES Small Ruminant farm. There are about 120 sheep and 90 goats.

The farm is also used as a year-round grazing demonstration plot where up to 41 sheep were managed to demonstrate the plot’s capacity to produce lots of vegetative mass.

The Third Annual Agriculture and Environmental Law Conference Nicole Cook

The Agriculture Law Education Initiative's (ALEI) third annual Agriculture and Environmental Law Conference delivered another opportunity for attendees to learn from and engage with experts about the agricultural and environmental laws that affect Maryland’s agricultural producers.

Secretary of the Environment, Ben Grumbles

Over 100 guests at the November 17, 2017 program at the Doubletree Hotel in Annapolis heard from regulators, industry and advocacy organizations, and educators about laws currently affecting Maryland’s farmers, and from policy experts about what the future may hold for conservation efforts under the much-anticipated 2018 Farm Bill.

Kelley Poole, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Organic Trade Association, and Alison Howard co-owner of Homestead Farm kicked off the conference with a discussion of the challenges and benefits of organic farming, and a review of the recent complaint filed against the USDA concerning organic livestock and poultry standards. Both speakers emphasized the importance to the organic industry of maintaining the integrity of the USDA’s organic seal, and the efforts by the agency and industry to crack down on fraud within the industry.

UMES Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, Dr. Moses Kairo

ALEI’s Senior Legal Specialist, Sarah Everhart, and Dr. Terron Hillsman, State Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, then dug into the impediments to improving soil health on leased land, and how farmers and landowners can use lease agreements to ensure conservation practices improve soil health on leased acres. Dr. Hillsman pointed out that because 42% of farmland in Maryland is leased and restoring soil health can be a years-long process, it is important for landowners and lessees to work together to develop leases that benefit both parties through supporting good soil health on the land. Everhart stressed that communication and a written lease that has at least been reviewed by an attorney is key to avoiding potentially costly misunderstandings between landowners and lessees.

For more information about the conference please visit http://umaglaw.org/alei-ag-andenvironmental-law-conference/.

UMES Small Farms Program, Erroll Mattox

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Creating Healthier Pollinator Habitat Communities Michael Sigrist Engaging Local to Work Health More thanYouth one-third of thewith world’s food supply comesaction from plants Councils and implement plans pollito ennated by bees.members In recentcan years, colony sure all community be healthier collapse disorder at every stage of life. has caused an annual reduction of 30-40% of honeybee populations in the proposed United States.

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou’s work led to Habitat enhancement forUMES nativebeing pollinators on farms, especially with naselected as one tive plants, provides multiple benefits. of five landIn addition to supporting pollinators, grant universinative plant habitat will attract beneties to partner ficial insects that are predators or Nationparasitoids of crop pestswith and the lessen al 4-H Council the need for pesticides on the farm.

Pollinator habitat can also provide and the Robert habitat for other wildlife,Wood such as Johnson birds and can also serve Foundation, as windthe breaks to help stabilize the soil and nation’s largest indirectly improve water quality. health philanThe Education and Demonstration thropy, to imfarm allocated areas to support polliprove nator healthhabitat. in local communities over the next two years. UMES is among the many Honey Bee Apiary LGUs that will work on this partnership over Dr.ten Enrique Escobar the next years to build a culture of health in 1,000 communities across the nation.

Dr. Naveen Kumar showing the newly established orchard

Since February 2017, The University of Maryland Extension—1890 Program the UMESQuality Honey Bee Club for MD sponsor Crabmeat those individuals who want to learn how Assurance and Inspection to promote honey bees and other pollinators on the Eastern Shore. The UMES Program Apiary has 8 hives.

Ag Field Day Dr. Naveen Fnu Kumar

On October 13, 2017, the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences held an Ag Field Day to showcase the establishment of the new orchard to growers, and other individuals from surrounding communities. The new established orchard will be used as teaching, research, and outreach site that aims to help bring back the apple and other fruits to the Lower Shore. During this field day, approximately 60 people visited the orchard with students coming from local schools.

This orchard was established in the Spring of 2017. Dr. Kumar then received a three-year funding of $60,000 from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant to hold training and workshops for local producers. Currently there are 660 fruit trees with 34 apple varieties, 24 peach varieties, and 10 varieties of each nectarines, plums and grapes. Farmers interested in growing fruit said the university orchard could help them in determining the varieties and rootstock to plant on their own land.

According to the 1925 agriculture census, more than 6 million pounds of apples were produced in Somerset, Worcester, and Wicomico Counties. With the newly developed orchard at the University, this effort is anticipated to bring back interests from the local growers.

In 2017, two thirds of Maryland crab processors joined a unique voluntary program, the Maryland Crabmeat Quality Assurance and Inspection Program. A total of over 150 crabmeat samples were collected and tested for microbiological quality control purpose. Dr. Catherine Chengchu Liu prepared over 150 industry reports, representing approximately 750 test procedures, and mailed them to participating processors detailing the microbiological status of their operations, implications and recommendations.

Above: students visit the 4-H STEM table.

Below left: apple producers. Below right: UMES Organic Farm

In addition, the specialist provided extensive on-site training, outreach service and technical support to the MCQAP program member and non-member crabmeat processors so that the industry is able to comply with FDA and state food safety regulations, remain current and competitive in a changing world.

The Specialist inspects a MD crab processing plant and assists the processor in calibrating the cooking retort thermometer.

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4H STEM Youth Development 4-H is the largest youth development program in the nation.

With over 6 million members, the programs are delivered through 100 public schools, by 3,500 4-H professionals and 500,000 volunteers.

This program empowers young people to lead through local 4-H clubs, 4H camps, as well as in-school and after-school programs. 4-H programs are available for children ages 8-18. 4 -H cloverbud programs are available for children ages 5-7.

Participants and members have the option to join a hands-on project ideas to complete from, which are: STEM & Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Citizenship. Each program areas include mentoring and career readiness as a core element. Through hands-on learning, youth will be able to build confidence, creativity, curiosity, and life skills such as leadership and resiliency to help them thrive and face life challenges.

4-H program in Maryland is administered through the University of Maryland Extension (UME), which is a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

At UMES, our 4-H program is focused mainly on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and agricultural related sciences (STEAM). With four 4-H faculty located in the lower eastern shore, the team is able to focus on robust STEM programs such as providing children with the opportunity to speak with astronauts from the NASA International Space station, work with robots, flight simulation, 3D printing, and other exciting hands-on learning.

As we grow our faculty and program capabilities through partnerships and collaborations with other entities, we will be able to offer more and exciting life experiences to our youth.

We are proud to say that 4-H grows here at UMES!

2017 Maryland STEM Festival Jocelyn Koller

On November 8th, the University of Maryland Extension 4-H STEM team held the third annual Maryland STEM Festival at UMES. The event was a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland Extension 4-H, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Somerset County Public Schools, and Somerset County Recreation and Parks. The goal of the festival is to “provide inspirational, educational, and accessible programming in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) throughout Maryland.” (Maryland STEM Festival website) The theme for this year’s festival was agriculture, so STEM became STEAM. The event highlighted the STEAM programs on the Lower Shore, especially STEAM programs at UMES. Some of the on campus programs included were: UME Horticulture, UME Seafood Technology, UME 4-H STEM, UMES Dietetics, NOAA Living Marine Resource Cooperative Science Center, The School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences as well as the UMES Departments of Engi-

neering/Technology, Aviation Sciences, and Physics.

Approximately 300 people attended the Maryland STEM Festival where some 20 different STEAM interactive activities were offered at exhibit tables. Examples of some of the hands-on activities at the event were: operating Lego robots, pedaling a blender bike to make a healthy juice, making butter, using potatoes to generate electricity, or flying an airplane using a flight simulator.

Through these hands-on activities, participants learned about various STEAM topics including, but not limited to: robotics, 3-D printing, agriculture, aviation sciences, nutrition, biomimicry, and nanotechnology.

Dr. Deborah Sauder (Chair , Department of Natural Sciences) showed an interested student about rocks and minerals (Left), Students with flight simulation (center), and students on blender bike (right).

Providing students with opportunities and interactive learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) with agriculture and the environment

Zero Robotics Mark DeMorra

Zero Robotics is a computer programming competition where youth program spheres in zero gravity on the International Space Station (ISS). The Zero Robotics program is a partnership between NASA, MIT, Northrop-Grumman, and DoD. This year, University of Maryland Extension facilitated Maryland's efforts, with Mark DeMorra serving as the coordinator for our state. Within Maryland, Wicomico County 4-Hers at the Wicomico County Library participated in the program.

The Zero Robotics Finals were held August 2017. Teams who advanced to the finals sent up their codes to the ISS to compete. The competition included 13 teams from 12 different states and Russia! Maryland was a part of a pilot cohort with the state of New Jersey for 2017.

At UMES, a small group from Maryland and Delaware gathered in the UMES Engineering and Aviation Science Complex to view a live feed of the competition on the ISS and to say hi to astronaut Jack Fischer in space!

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Senator Jim Mathias was in attendance.

Wonders of Watersheds

EXTERNAL FUNDING AWARDS

This year’s University of Maryland Extension 1890 Program 4-H STEM Summer Program theme was the Wonders of Watersheds or “WOW.” This program was a multi-day program that was taught at six Lower Shore summer camps. On-campus at UMES, WOW was taught at the Summer Transportation Institute, AgDiscovery, and Geosciences Summer Programs. Within the Lower Shore community, the WOW program was taught at It Takes a Village in Crisfield, MD; Pocomoke Making a Difference Multicenter; and the Paul Sarbanes Ecology Center in Berlin, MD. Over 100 youth participated in the WOW program which focused on watershed concepts. Youth participated in hands-on, experiential learning activities related to storm water runoff, water properties, water conservation, and water filtration.

Berran Rogers received a USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) grant in the amount of $195,000. The grant is to implement a project entitled “Improving Farmers Access to Resources and Management Solutions (IFARMS) for socially disadvantaged and limited-resource farmers and veterans in Southern Maryland and on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Jocelyn Koller

The program also emphasized the ecological importance of watersheds, specifically the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Coastal Bays. A watershed demonstration exhibit for the “Wonders of Watersheds- WOW” summer program was also available at this year’s Worcester County Fair during the Safe Kids Day in June and the Wicomico County Fair in August.

Berran Rogers is co-PD on the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant Program awarded in the amount of $175,000 for the purpose of establishing economic opportunities for existing and new small businesses in local communities.

Dr. Virginie Zoumenou received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant in the amount of $89,000 for 1 year. The grant funds will continue over a 10-year period to create healthier communities.

Providing students with opportunities and interactive learning about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) with agriculture and the environment

4-H STEM at Sarbanes Center Jocelyn Koller

The University of Maryland Extension 1890 Program 4-H STEM team collaborated with Dorchester County 4-H to offer an all-day 4-H STEM program to 68 Dorchester County Public Schools DREAM with STEAM summer program students. The program took place at the Paul Sarbanes Ecology Center located on the Sinepuxent Bay and included four hands-on, interactive STEM activities. Student groups rotated through each activity throughout the day.

In the laboratory, students dissected squid and removed the pen/quill from the squid as well as the ink to use as writing utensils. Another activity, allowed students to practice the Japanese art of Gyotaku to create inked fish prints. Outside, at a nearby beach, students used dipnets to catch and examine macroinvertebrates found in the bay. Lastly, students investigated water properties by performing numerous tests on a variety of water samples. Terrell Sample, Director of the DREAM with STEAM summer program, thanked the University of Maryland Extension 4-H for offering such a wonderful program at the Sarbanes Ecology Center where her “students and teachers alike enjoyed their time spent there immensely as they raved about the engaging activities and lessons learned during the visit.”

Composting Lisa Murphy

4-H Vermicomposting in the Classroom is a program made possible through a grant awarded by the Maryland Agriculture Council (MAC) to the University of Maryland Extension 4-H STEM Initiative. The 6-module 4-H STEM curriculum focuses on the importance of healthy soil and reducing and reusing waste through composting and composting with worms.

On any given day, eager students identify the components of soil and compost through becoming “Compost Detectives,” create and maintain a worm composting bine in the classroom, discuss the value of worms and worm castings in the ecosystem, and learn their power to create and maintain a healthy environment.

The program and modules of the program have been offered to approximately 200 second grade youth and almost 1,000 first grade youth in Worcester County along with 20 4-H STEM teachers via a training workshop during the 2014 Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education Conference.

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New to UME Extension—UMES

UME—1890 Program at UMES The University of Maryland Extension (UME) is a statewide educational organization funded by federal, state, and local governments that brings researchbased knowledge directly to individuals, families, and communities. Its mission is to educate citizens to apply practical research-based knowledge to critical issues facing individuals, families, communities, the State, and our global partners.

The 1890 Extension Program, is located at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD. This program is targeted to diverse audiences with special emphasis on those with limited resources and underserved communities to help them improve their quality of life.

Tysha Staten, M.S. Business Manager

Mark DeMorra 4-H STEM Educator Somerset County

Jerrona Truitt-Smith, MBA Program Administrative Specialist

Brad Hartle 4-H STEM Educator Wicomico County

Nicole Cook Agriculture and Environmental Law Specialist

Henry Jackson Farm Technician

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

TO:

University of Maryland Extension— 1890 Program Agriculture Communications University of Maryland Eastern Shore 2133 Richard Henson Ctr. Princess Anne, MD 21853 Phone: 410-651-6084 Fax: 410-651-6207 E-mail: sstreet@umes.edu