SALISBURY, MD. (June 16, 2015) – A multi-year project lead by the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor the nutrient quality and the age of groundwater as it leaves farm fields along the Upper Chester River continues in Queen Anne’s County.

Funding the project for the 2015-2016 year has been approved by the Maryland Soybean Board.

The $39,923 soybean checkoff grant was one of a total of 10 grants totaling $180,887 authorized by the board before spring planting. The Maryland Soybean Board administers the soybean checkoff program in the state. Through the soybean checkoff, farmers contribute one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale to support research, marketing and education projects.

USGS investigators are monitoring the groundwater that percolates through the ground from both irrigated and dryland corn and soybean fields. They want to know what’s in that water in the way of nutrients – fertilizers – and how long it takes that water to get from the field to the stream.

The research is being supported also by the Maryland Grain Producers Association and is expected to take another two years to complete.

Here’s a rundown on the other checkoff grants awarded by the board:

• A total of $22,106 for two projects by Dr. Robert Kratochvil, University of Maryland grain specialist. He is exploring the role of variety maturity and planting date on the performance of dry-land double crop soybeans, and secondly, the response of full season irrigated soybeans to poultry manure.
• $20,000 to Schillinger Seeds to support the development of non-GMO varieties to be used in feed for poultry and fish. Schillinger is a national firm with a research farm in Queenstown on the Eastern Shore.
• $13,550 to University of Maryland entomologist Dr. Cerruti Hooks to lead a study of how and when to kill a rye cover crop and how that choice may impact soil moisture and soil temperature or weed populations.
• $25,962 to retired University of Maryland entomologist Dr. Galen Dively, who wants to know whether repeated use of herbicide-treated seed has any impact on non-target bugs on the crop above the soil or microbes in the soil under it.
• $24,426 to Dr. Ray Weil, University of Maryland soils who has plotted a six-point study ranging from determining if early planted cover crops can capture the nitrogen that is deep in the soil profile to evaluating the effect of aerial application of early cover crops into standing soybean or corn crops.
• $ 20,000 to University of Delaware plant pathologist Dr. Jeb Jaisi to continue his exploration of the origins of phosphorous in the Chesapeake Bay.
• $6,550 to Dr. William Lamp and Jessica Grant to look at the over-wintering rate of the kudzu bug in Maryland and what the degree-day requirements are for the pest to colonize in Maryland soybeans.
• $8,370 to Caroline County ag agent Jim Lewis to determine the soybean maturity capable of producing, in Maryland, the highest yield with irrigation and at an early or late planting date.

About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.www.mdsoy.com.

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For More Information:
Sandy Davis, Maryland Soybean Board
(410) 742-9500
Sdavis26@verizon.net

Smithsburg, Maryland (May 6, 2015): The 100th Maryland farm to be certified for achieving the highest level of environmental stewardship was recognized May 6th a ceremony outside Smithsburg, Md.

Gardenhour Orchards, operated by Bill Gardenhour and his family, received the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) certificate and sign from the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts. The organization established FSCAP in cooperation with many partners, to recognize those farmers who are good stewards of their natural resources and to encourage and reward farmers to put more conservation-related best management practices (BMPs) on their land.

The Maryland Soybean Board and United Soybean Board both support the FSCAP program with soybean checkoff funds.

The Gardenhours are the fourth generation of to operate the orchard, which encompasses 105 acres within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In their market and pick-your-own orchards and field, they offer apples, peaches, corn, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Elmer Weibley, Washington County Soil Conservation District manager, noted that the first FSCAP farm and the 100th FSCAP farm share something in common. “I’m proud to see that Washington County is home to not just the first and 100th farm, but also 22 other farms in between,” he said. “All FSCAP-certified farmers use a suite of BMPs on their farm to reduce or eliminate erosion and nutrient loss.”

Also speaking at the presentation were partner representatives Dr. Terron Hillsman, Maryland State Conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Valerie Connelly, Executive Director of the Maryland Farm Bureau, Alison Prost, Maryland Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Joe Bartenfelder, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Leigh, Director of Programs and Partnerships with the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Linda Burrier, United Soybean Board Member, Lynne Hoot, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, and Steven Ernst, the first FSCAP steward and Maryland Grain Producers Board Member.

Secretary of Agriculture, Joe Bartenfelder expressed how honored he is to be the Secretary of Agriculture in a state that values conservation. “The Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program is not only a way to recognize those who are already doing a great job but also encourage farmers to install more best management practices,” Bartenfelder stated. “Maryland agriculture is making progress towards our 2025 Bay clean-up goals and programs like this one will continue to help accelerate that progress,” he continued.

Linda Burrier, a farmer from Union Bridge, Md., and a director on both the Maryland Soybean Board and United Soybean Board, congratulated the Gardenhours. “Conserving our air, land and water resources is important to all farmers,” she said. “Since 1980, U.S. farmers have increased the adoption of conservation tillage methods by 143 million acres. More than 70 percent of soybean farmers practice some form of conservation tillage every production cycle. Irrigated water use per bushel of soybeans has dropped by over 40 percent since 1980. Continuous improvement is a way of life for family farmers, whether we’re growing row crops or fruit trees. It’s an ethic that we share.”

MASCD represents the 24 soil conservation districts (SCDs) which are political sub-divisions of the state charged with delivery of federal, state, and county natural resource conservation program delivery at the local level. The soil conservation districts work with agricultural landowners, developers, and homeowners to identify pollution problems and to design and implement corrective measures.
About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.www.mdsoy.com.

More information on the FSCAP certification process can be obtained at www.mascd.net or by contacting Lynne Hoot, 410-956-5771.

SALISBURY, MD. (March 3, 2015) – On a cold winter’s day with their fields blanketed in snow, farmers Dave and Linda Burrier don’t get a day off. There’s paperwork to do – lots of it. Maryland farms like Burrier Farms, located in Union Bridge, have to file a nutrient management plan with the state every year. The Burriers, who grow soybeans, hay, corn and wheat on more than 1,200 acres, also raise cattle.

Stewardship of the land isn’t just a legal requirement for these farmers, though. It’s a personal and professional ethic many Maryland farmers share.

So much so, in fact, that Maryland farmers participating in the state’s 2014-2015 Cover Crop Program planted a record 478,000 acres of cover crops on their fields last fall to control soil erosion, reduce nutrient runoff and protect water quality in streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. The 2014 cover crop planting is the largest in Maryland history, exceeding the previous record of 430,000 acres in 2012.

Maryland farmers exceeded the Phase I and II Watershed Implementation Plan milestone for cover crops in 2011 and 2013 and with this planting, have exceeded the milestone commitment for 2015.

Cover crops are widely considered to be one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Collectively, the 478,000 acres of cover crops planted will prevent an estimated 2.9 million pounds of nitrogen, and 95,600 pounds of phosphorus from impacting waterways.

The Burrier farm has been in the family since 1962, and each year the Burriers strive to improve the soil quality, protect waterways and maintain strict conservation practices.

“The Linganore Creek runs through our farm,” says Dave. “To protect this valuable waterway, we’ve planted hay on both sides of the bank. The hay buffers any sediment or nutrients before they can get to the creek. Similarly, we keep a field that tends to flood permanently planted in grass to protect soil erosion.”

“Caring for the land we farm is important to our family. Conservation is the right thing to do, but it also rewards us with high-quality crops. We also use no-till farming, strip cropping, crop rotations and cover crops,” says Dave.

No-till farming is a practice that grows crops without using tilling, also known as plowing, which can be a major factor in soil erosion. Strip cropping also prevents soil erosion by creating natural dams for water, helping to preserve the strength of the soil. Cover crops such as cold-hardy wheat, rye and barley, are planted in the fall. Once established, the cover crops recycle unused plant nutrients that may remain in the soil from the previous summer crop. They also protect fields against wind and water erosion and improve soil health, increasing organic matter in the soil, reducing weeds and pests, and providing a habitat for beneficial insects.

The Burriers also rotate the crops they plant in a certain field each year.

Off the farm, Dave and Linda have made it a priority to serve on agricultural boards and committees, including the Maryland Soybean Board. In October, Linda was appointed to the United Soybean Board.

“Farming is a business, but it’s also a lifestyle,” says Linda. “Not only do we care about our land deeply, we care about sharing our time in the community. It’s important to give back and to help improve farms and teach farmers about new industry practices.”

About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.www.mdsoy.com.

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