Agriculture and Nutrient Management

Whether you are a farmer or just seeking more information about agriculture, the Extension Office is here to help. Senior Agricultural Agent, Andy Kness, coordinates the agriculture program in Harford County and specializes in:

We also have direct access to University of Maryland specialists who can help with questions about agronomic crops, vegetable and fruit crops, greenhouse and nursey crops, dairy, livestock, poultry, and land, forest, and wildlife management.

In addition, special yearly programming in Harford County includes:

• Private applicator pesticide certification,
• Nutrient management voucher training,
• Pasture walks,
• Mid-Winter Agronomy Meeting. 

The University of Maryland Extension's Agricultural Nutrient Management Program focuses on balancing nutrient applications with crop requirements to optimize crop production while reducing pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

If you would like a nutrient management plan, please contact the Harford County Extension office. Depending on the time of year we may have a sizeable wait list. To help efficiently develop your plan, you will need to provide the following information:

• A recent soil test, less than 3 years old, for each field you manage (preferably from one of the labs in the soil lab comparison sheet)
• A recent manure analysis, less than one year old, if you plan to apply manure or organic nutrient-containing materials (e.g. compost or processing waste) (preferably from one of the labs in the manure lab comparison sheet)
• A map of your farm or come ready to show the advisor the boundaries of your farm and fields
• Management history for each field, including current/previous season's crop, tillage regime, manure/organic application rates for previous two seasons, and yield history, if possible
• Plans for the upcoming growing season for each field, including what crops and nutrient applications are expected. Multiple scenarios can be built into the plan.
• Animal Information, if applicable, including weight, amount and type of bedding used, and turnout/confinement schedule
• Manure import/export information, if applicable, which should include the name and contact information of the export destination
• More information may be required for perennial fruit crops, high phosphorus soils, or other special circumstances; your advisor will let you know

Fill out the data collection sheets ahead of time and expedite plan development:

• Farm Data Collection Sheet (DC-1; 09/2020)
• Field Data Collection Sheet (DC-2; 11/2021)
• Poultry Production and Litter Data Collection Sheet (DC-3; 11/2021)
• Animal Production and Manure Data Collection Sheet (DC-4; 11/2021)
• Guidance: Annotated data collection sheets (11/2021)