Row Crop and Forage Production Meetings

Agronomy

Event: 2025 Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School
Date: November 18-20, 2025  |  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Time: varies |  Cost: Early bird: $350 (Early bird ends on Oct. 24); General Registration: $410 
Location: Princess Royale, 9110 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
Description: The Mid-Atlantic Crop Management School offers a 2 1/2 day format with a variety of breakout sessions. Individuals needing training in soil and water, nutrient management, crop management and pest management can create their own schedule by choosing from up to 5 program options offered each hour. Emphasis is placed on new and advanced information, with group discussions and interaction encouraged.
For more information or to register: http://go.umd.edu/25crop

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Event: Southern Maryland Crops Conference and Dinner
Date: December 2, 2025  |  Tuesday
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  
Location: Baden Volunteer Fire Department, 16608 Brandywine Rd., Brandywine, MD 20613
For more information contact: Hayden Schug

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Event: Washington County Agronomy Day
Date: December 3, 2025  |  Wednesday
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  
Location: Washington County Agricultural Center, 7303 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, Maryland 21713
For more information contact: Jeff Semler

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Event: Northern Maryland Field Crops Day
Date: December 3, 2025  |  Wednesday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  | Cost: $22 pre-register, $25 at the door (includes a catered lunch)
Location: Summit Manor at Hereford Fire Hall, 510 Monkton Rd., Monkton, MD 21111
Description: Presentation topics: New EPA label requirements, IPM Planning in Row Crops, Grain Marketing, Sulphur Management, MDA Nutrient Management Updates, and MDA Pesticide Updates. Light freshments and catered lunch.
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/2025FCD
For more information contact: Erika Crowl

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Event: Kent County Agronomy Breakfast
Date: December 10, 2025  |  Wednesday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  | Cost: Free
Location: Chester River Yacht and Country Club, 7738 Quaker Neck Rd., Chestertown, MD 21620
Description: This year’s program features presentations covering nutrient management updates, precision planting, irrigation strategies, and other key agronomic topics relevant to Maryland producers.
Registration: https://go.umd.edu/kentagbrkfast
For more information contact: Dwayne Joseph

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Event: Talbot County Agronomy Program- 74th Talbot Corn Club and 55th Soybean Improvement Program
Date: January 14, 2026  |  Wednesday
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  |  Cost: Banquet Admission: $20; Adult Corn Club Entry: $10
Location: VFW Post 5118, 355 Glebe Road, Easton, MD 21601
Description: Join us in celebrating the 2025 Harvest. Awards for contestants and recognitions for sponsors will be given out during the evening. The program includes a keynote speaker, a weather report, and a crop summary report.
For more information or to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/talbot-county-agronomy-program-2025-crop-tickets-1618555847109?aff=oddtdtcreator

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Event: Carroll County Mid-Winter Meeting
Date: January 15, 2026  |  Thursday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Carroll County Ag Center-Burns Memorial Hall, 706 Agricultural Center Dr., Westminster, MD 21157
For more information contact: Bryan Butler at 410-386-2760 or email bbutlers@umd.edu

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Event: Lower Shore Agronomy Day
Date: January 21, 2026  |  Wednesday
Time: TBA
Location: Somerset County Civic Center, Cristfield Ln., Princess Anne, MD 21853
For more information contact: Sarah Hirsh

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Event: Cecil County Winter Agronomy Meeting
Date: February 3, 2026  |  Tuesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Cecil County Parks and Rec's Neighborhood  Community Center, 121 Stockton Street, Elkton, MD 21921
For more information, contact: Doris Behnke and Donna Witkowski at (410) 996-5280 (recorded message). Listen for the appropriate number to leave a message for Doris or Donna.

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Event: Harford County Mid-Winter Agronomy Meeting
Date: February 17, 2026  |  Tuesday
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Location: Deer Creek Overlook, 6 Cherry Hill Rd., Street, Maryland 21154
For more information contact: Andy Kness

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Event: Central Maryland Agronomy Meeting
Date: February 18, 2026  |  Wednesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Urbana Fire Hall, 3602 Urbana Pike, Urbana, Maryland 21704
For more information or registration assistance contact: Lisa Strong at (301) 600-3576 or email lstrong@umd.edu

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Event: Precision Ag Conference
Date: February 26, 2026  |  Wednesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Description: The theme of this conference revolves around current and emerging technologies in agriculture, focusing on their impact on efficiency across diverse farming operations. The event will cover topics like Scouting/Field Assessment Technology, Pest Management, Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture, Post-Harvest Technology, Irrigation and Drainage, and Livestock management, showcasing upcoming technologies in Maryland. By uniting experts, researchers, and industry leaders, the conference will provide a platform for discussing innovative solutions, including precision farming, data analytics, automation, and drones. We anticipate a dynamic and interactive session, with attendees eager to learn from thought leaders such as yourself. The event will provide a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and fostering meaningful connections between the Agriculture and Technology community.
Location: Crown Plaza Hotel,173 Jennifer Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401
For more information contact: Hemendra Kumar at (301) 226-7405

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Event: Caroline County/Mid-Shore Agronomy Meeting
Date: February 19, 2026  |  Thursday
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Caroline County 4-H Park, 8230 Detour Road, Denton, MD 21629-2166
For more information call the UME-Caroline office at 410-479-4030

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Event: Queen Anne's County Agronomy Meeting
Date: February 27, 2026  |  Wednesday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Queen Anne's County 4-H Park, 1945 4-H Park Rd Centreville, MD 21617
For more information contact Jenny Rhodes

Forage

Event: Parasite Management Workshop
Date: November 8, 2025  |  Saturday
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM | Cost: General Admission $30.00; Admission plus FAMACHA© certification $50.00 
Location: Western Maryland Research and Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road.,Keedysville, MD. 21756
Description: University of Maryland Extension invites grazers, livestock owners, and associated industry personnel to attend an upcoming parasite management workshop this fall.

The parasite management workshop will be held on November 8, 2025 at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The workshop will include a mix of classroom and hands-on activities and will provide a comprehensive overview of the basics of parasite management. Topics covered will include an overview of common parasites, managing dewormer resistance, fecal collection and fecal egg counts, putting together a deworming kit, minimizing parasites on pasture, calculating dosages and drenching, body condition scoring, and FAMACHA© scoring.

Participants will have the option to earn their FAMACHA© certification from a certified FAMACHA© instructor (via the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control) and receive an official FAMACHA© score card at the event. Certification will be available to the first 25 people who request certification when registering for the event.

Registration for this event is required, for full details and registration information please visit https://go.umd.edu/parasite. Keep in mind that portions of this event will take place outdoors, so please dress accordingly for the weather.

For more information on all upcoming forage events visit https://go.umd.edu/forageevents or sign up for our monthly newsletter at https://go.umd.edu/forageemails. If you have questions or need accommodations please contact Amanda Grev (agrev@umd.edu; 301-226-7575) or Brittany Fletcher (bfletch1@umd.edu; 301-226-7576). If you need reasonable accommodations to participate please contact us at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Hope to see you there!
Registration:  https://go.umd.edu/parasite

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Event: Pasture Walk at University of Maryland - WMREC
Date: November 13, 2025  |  Thursday
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  |  Cost: free
Location: WMREC, 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedsyville, MD 21756
Description: Join University of Maryland Extension and NRCS for an educational pasture walk at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD (Washington county). Extension educators are working on an ongoing mixed-species grazing management study utilizing annual forages as a means to extend the grazing season and will discuss grazing and parasite management, mixed-species grazing, and strategies for working annual forages into a pasture system. Join us to hear preliminary findings and learn about winter annual forage options for late fall/early spring grazing, stockpiled forage for winter grazing, and managing a mixed-species grazing 'flerd' with sheep and cattle.
For more information or to register: https://go.umd.edu/pasture-november

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Event:  Southern Maryland Forage Conference
Date: January 20, 2026  |   Tuesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  |  Cost: TBA
Location: TBA
For more information or to register, contact Ben Beale at (301) 475-4481 (bbeale@umed.edu), Dave Myers at (301) 226-7473 (myersd@umd.edu), Hayden Schug at (301) 226-7502 (hschug@umd.edu), and Amanda Grev at (301) 226-7575 (agrev@umd.edu)

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Event:  Western Maryland Forage Conference
Date: January 21, 2026  |   Wednesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  |  Cost: TBA
Location: TBA
For more information or to register, contact Willie Lantz (301) 334-6960 (wlantz@umed.edu), or Amanda Grev at (301) 226-7575 (agrev@umd.edu

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Event:  Central Maryland Forage Conference
Date: January 22, 2026  |   Thursday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  |  Cost: TBA
Location: TBA
For more information or to register, contact Nathan Glenn at (410) 313-2704 (nglenn@umd.edu), Kelly Nichols at (301) 226-7954 (kellyn@umd.edu), and Amanda Grev at (301) 226-7575 (agrev@umd.edu)

Ag Law

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 more information go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/grant-proposals/hiring-and-retaining-farm-employees

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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, go to https://extension.umd.edu/resource/so-you-want-own-rural-land-maryland-basic-legal-issues-all-landowners-online-course/

Farm Stress Management

Farm Stress Management Course
This online self-paced training is designed for Agriculture Service Providers to equip them with the skills and knowledge to support farms and farm families in times of distress. The training was developed by the University of Maryland Extension Farm Stress Management Team. The goals include: identify signs of distress, develop skills to communicate with those experiencing stress, and provide resources both locally and nationally. Financial and regulatory topics will also be discussed as they are often contributors to stress on the farm. To access the course visit our online portal at https://umeagfs.teachable.com/p/farm-stress-management.

For more information on the Farm Stress Management program visit go.umd.edu/farmfamily. The program is open to all and is funded through a grant with the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub award number ENE20-160-34268.