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This winter, the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) is partnering with the University of Maryland Extension and USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to host a series of one-day workshops geared towards educating Maryland producers on changes associated with the 2018 Farm Bill. You can register for any of the workshops by going here.
The 2018 Farm Bill has been called evolutionary and not revolutionary as the 2014 Farm Bill was. The new Farm Bill continues basic choices of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) (county and individual levels) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program with modifications. The workshops will highlight the changes to these programs and other FSA programs. Participants will also be given the opportunity to understand how to use the decision tools to select between the ARC and PLC programs.
The 2018 Farm Bill allows producers to choose from ARC and PLC. However, unlike the 2014 Farm Bill, which limited their program selection for all five years of the 2014 Farm Bill, producers will make a two-year decision by March 15, 2020, and change the selection beginning in 2021.
Workshops will also include presentations covering additional issues faced by the Maryland agricultural community, including farm succession/estate planning and opioid addiction.
Seven winter workshops will be hosted around Maryland in February to prepare producers before the March 15, 2020 deadline. “Although many eligible producers may think they understand how the programs operate, its important to remember Congress did make changes to the programs,” said Paul Goeringer, Extension Legal Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland. “These workshops allow growers the opportunity to ask questions to specialists from USDA and the University of Maryland.”
Workshops do require registration to attend to guarantee a lunch. Workshops cost $15 to cover the cost of food. Dates and locations for both workshop series are:
Lower Shore – Monday, February 10, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Wicomico County Extension Office, 28647 Old Quantico Rd, Salisbury, MD 21802-1836
Northern Maryland – Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Baltimore County Extension Office 1114 Shawan Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030
Southern Maryland – Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Charles County Extension Office, 9501 Crain Highway, Box 1 Bel Alton, MD 20611.
Mid-Shore – Friday, February 21, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD 21679
Western Maryland – Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Allegany College of Maryland, 12401 Willowbrook Rd, Cumberland, MD 21502.
Central Maryland – Wednesday, February 26, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Frederick County Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick, MD 21702
Upper Shore – Thursday, February 27, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Calvert Grange Hall, 2357 Telegraph Rd, Rising Sun, MD 21911.
To register for any event in this series, click here.
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