Vegetable and Fruit | Ag Law | Precision Agriculture
IPM Webinar Series:
The series meets on the third Thursday of every month from 12 to 1 pm. For more details and registration, visit https://go.umd.edu/ipmwebinar. Maryland Pesticide Credits are available. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Hayden Schug at 301-226-7502.
Dec 3, 2026: Understanding IPM Basics and Developing an IPM Plan, Emily Zobel, Ag agent, University of Maryland Extension - Dorchester County.
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Beginning Farmer Financials and Business Lunch and Learn Web Series
Date: Wednesdays, September 30 through November 18, 2026
Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m. (Virtual) | Cost: Free
Description: Join this free webinar series designed to help beginning farmers strengthen their business management skills. Each session focuses on a different topic and may be attended independently. Register once to attend one or all sessions.
- October 28: No Session
- November 4: Introduction to On-Farm Insurance for Produce Farms
Presenter: Samantha Capaldo, ALEI, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) - November 11: Introduction to Farm Taxes
Presenter: Nicole Cook, ALEI, University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) - November 18: How to Accept Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Payments
Presenter: Megan Todd, ALEI, University of Maryland
Register online at: https://go.umd.edu/BFFBLL26 or call Emily Zobel at 410-228-8800.
Accommodation Requests: If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Emily Zobel at 410-228-8800 or ezobel@umd.edu by September 13, 2026.
This program is available in Spanish upon request.
Funding Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number SNE25-005.
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Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School
Date: November 17-19, 2026
Location: Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort, 9110 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
Description: The 2026 event booklet and description of courses can be found here.
Registration: go.umd.edu/26crop
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Urban Farming Vegetable and Fruit Production IPM Workshops PAT/NM Recertification
Date: December 17, 2026 | Thursday
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. | Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Location: University of Maryland Extension-Anne Arundel County Office, 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD, 21054
Description: The workshop will explore advanced fruit and vegetable production practices focusing on sustainability, food security and integrated pest management tactics. This meeting will provide Private Applicator Recertification & Nutrient Applicator Voucher Recertification.
To register, please complete the Google Form IPM Workshop, December 17, 2026.
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Urban Farming Vegetable and Fruit Production IPM Workshops PAT/NM Recertification
Date: March 9, 2027 | Tuesday
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. | Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Location: University of Maryland Extension-Anne Arundel County Office, 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD, 21054
Description: The workshop will explore advanced fruit and vegetable production practices focusing on sustainability, food security and integrated pest management tactics. This meeting will provide Private Applicator Recertification & Nutrient Applicator Voucher Recertification.
To register, please complete the Google Form IPM Workshop March 9, 2027
Ag Law
2026 Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference
Date: October 28, 2026
Time: 7:30 am. to 3:30 pm | Cost: General Early Bird (on or before Sept. 30) $100, General: $200; Student*: $25 *Valid Student ID will need to be shown on the day of the event
Location: Crowne Plaza Annapolis by IHG, 173 Jennifer Road Annapolis, MD 21401
Description: This event attracts agricultural service providers, attorneys, educators, environmentalists, producers, landowners, policymakers, and students to discuss the complex intersection of environmental regulation and agriculture in Maryland. ALEI prides itself on hosting an event that brings agriculture and conservation experts together in a forum that allows for exchanging ideas and education for conference attendees on current legal topics of interest. For more information, to view the agenda, or to register, visit 2026 Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference.
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Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do
Are you trying to find, hire and keep great employees? Is it a bit confusing and time consuming? Do you know where to start and who to involve? Are you worried about the legal considerations when having non-family members employed? This course will help you sort through all these questions and concerns. Navigating this process doesn’t have to be difficult as this course will share with you. Through the four modules of this course, you’ll get important information and resources you can adapt for your own operation. For additional details, visit the Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees course information and registration page.
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Land in Maryland: Basic Legal Issues for All Landowners
The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) has released a new online course for rural landowners in Maryland. The So You Want to Own Farmland in Maryland course is now available through the University of Maryland’s Enterprise Learning Management System – Canvas. The free program will cover those legal issues that Maryland landowners may face. A grant funds the program through the Northeast Risk Management
Education Center. The online course will feature Paul Goeringer, a Senior Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist in agricultural law. He will address leasing, landowner liability issues, right-to-farm law, fencing laws, livestock liability, and estate planning. For more information or to register, visit the So You Want to Own Rural Land in Maryland course information and registration page.
Precision Agriculture
Event: 2027 Precision Agriculture Technology Conference
Date: February 25, 2027 | Thursday
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Cost: $90 through January 2; $125 thereafter
Location: Crowne Plaza, 173 Jennifer Rd, Annapolis, MD
Description: The 2027 Precision Agriculture Technology Conference will explore how emerging agricultural technologies are being applied in real-world farming operations. Participants will hear from experts on current and future AgTech trends, artificial intelligence for farm decision-making and cover crop management, robotics for weed control, drones for nutrient management and prescription mapping, and the economics and profitability of precision agriculture technologies. Credits Available: Maryland and Delaware pesticide, nutrient management, and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits.
Register for the 2027 Precision Agriculture Technology Conference in Annapolis, Maryland
Archives
Webinar Recordings
The New Grape Grower Workshop is held yearly during the month of March or April at the Maryland Wine Grape Industry Annual Meeting, sponsored by the Maryland Grape Growers Association and Maryland Wineries Association in cooperation with the University of Maryland Extension.
This course offers a broad overview of commercial vineyard development from pre-plant planning into the third year including economics and marketing information, variety, clone, and rootstock choices, site selection and preparation, pre-plant decisions, equipment, and supply requirements. We will also cover the basics of ordering, planting, and tending the vines through the third year of growth, as well as best practices for training, canopy management, and pest management.
The workshop is classroom format with a lot of time for Q&A.This seminar is a good overview of what is involved with getting a commercial vineyard started in the Mid-Atlantic.
View recordings from previous workshop
Central Maryland Vegetable Growers Virtual Meeting
Date: January 28, 2020 | Length: 4:04:35
Virtual Winter Vegetable Grower Meeting
Date: December 2, 2020 | Length: 4:14:46
Topics discussed: Legalities of Direct Farm Marketing Specialty Crops, Sarah Everhart, Legal Specialist,
University of Maryland; Maryland Food Safety Program Update, Angela Ferelli, Agent Associate & Carol Allen, Agent Associate, University of Maryland; Vegetable Weed Control Update; Kurt Vollmer, Weed Science Specialist, University of Maryland Extension; MDA Pesticide Update, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Odd Insects and Diseases of Vegetables, Jerry Brust, Vegetable IPM Specialist, University of Maryland Extension; Managing Salinity and pH in High tunnels, Neith little, Urban Educator & Andrew Ristvey, Alternative Crops Specialist, University of Maryland Extension; Vegetable Trials Update, Gordon Johnson, Vegetable Specialist, University of Delaware Extension; and MDA Nutrient Management Update, Maryland Department of Agriculture
Virtual Winter Fruit Grower Meeting
Date: December 10, 2020 | Thursday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Location: Virtual
Topics discussed: Spotted Wing Drosophila on Cranberries, Maggie Lewis, Entomology, Graduate Student University of Maryland; Insect Biological Control, Alan Leslie, Extension Educator University of Maryland Extension; Small Fruit Update, Ben Beale, Extension Educator University of Maryland Extension; MDA PAT Update, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Food Safety Update, Angela Ferelli, Agent Associate, Carol Allen, Agent Associate University of Maryland; Soil Health in High Tunnels, Neith little, Urban Educator, and Andrew Ristvey, Alternative Crops Specialist University of Maryland Extension; Fruit Tactics for the Coastal Plains, Dave Myers, Extension Educator University of Maryland Extension; and MDA Nutrient Management Update, Maryland department of Agriculture
Bay Area Virtual Fruit Meeting
Date: February 10, 2021 | Length: 4:23:36
Topics discussed: Legalities of Direct Farm Marketing Specialty Crops, Sarah Everhart, Legal Specialist,
University of Maryland; Insect Control Update, Kelly Hamby, Entomology Assistant Professor, University of Maryland; Fruit Weed Control Update, Kurt Vollmer, Weed Science Specialist, University of Maryland Extension; MDA PAT Update, Maryland Department of Agriculture; Apple Maturity and Harvest, Macarena Farcuh, Horticulture Assistant Professor, University of Maryland; Maryland Vineyard Industry Update, Joe Fiola, Viticulture & Small Fruit Specialist, University of Maryland Extension; Climate Change and the Orchard, Chris Walsh,, Horticulture Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland; MDA Nutrient Management Update, Maryland Department of Agriculture
Explore Meeting and Events
Agriculture Extension Winter Crop Production Meetings
Our local agricultural agents are getting ready and planning our Winter Production meetings later this summer. Get ready for an exciting lineup of events in the fall of 2024 and winter of 2025. Don't miss the opportunity to earn pesticide recertification and nutrient management credits at these meetings.