By Sarah Fielder
Help Us Understand Nontraditional Irrigation Water Uses Are you currently using nontraditional irrigation water uses? If the answer is yes, please take a moment to complete a needs assessment for CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, and Health, a multi-partner project. The needs assessment will help to steer the development of extension outreach by the University of Maryland and the University of Arizona extension specialists. The assessment is available at https://go.umd.edu/q5n.
Considering Crop Insurance in Your Risk Management Plan? If you are considering using crop insurance as a risk management tool for your spring planted crops, the sales closing date is March 15. Coverage is available in Maryland for corn, cucumbers, forage seeding, fresh market sweet corn, fresh market tomatoes, grain sorghum, processing beans, processing sweet corn, processing tomatoes, soybeans, spring oats, and tobacco. You can find out more on how crop insurance can be used in your risk management plan, see http://go.umd.edu/CropIns. To find a crop insurance agent, see http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html.
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Monsanto Last summer, producers across the South and Midwest faced with pesticide drift issues caused by some producers planting a variety of soybeans and corn that had no approved dicamba on the market. In February, a group of Missouri growers filed a class action lawsuit against Monsanto for the damage caused by the drift. The complaint alleges that Monsanto was negligent in releasing a new seed variety without the approved pesticide on the market. To learn more about the lawsuit, click here http://bit.ly/2mxNRD0.
Auditing Your Farm’s I-9s Agweb.com has posted tips this week for producers to consider in auditing the farm’s I-9 forms. A self-audit will allow you the opportunity to correct minor errors now and save fines from the federal government. See agweb.com‘s tips, here http://bit.ly/2myeozV.
Basis Table, Custom Rate Survey Results, Organic Budgets, and Field Crop Budgets Updated University of Maryland Extension has released updated information for 2017 on the Grain Marketing program page (http://www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing). Included in the update are corn and soybean basis tables, custom rate survey for 2017, 2017 field crop budgets and organic crop budgets, and finally cash rental rates for 2016. Check out these updated resources and other resources at http://www.extension.umd.edu/grainmarketing.
Maryland Farmers Market Conference. The Annual Maryland Farmers Market Conference is scheduled for March 14, 2017, at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, 8am-4pm. The conference will focus on the best marketing tips for Maryland farmers’ market, new opportunities for farmers and markets in Maryland, and current regulations in preparation for the 2017 season. For more information: https://go.umd.edu/qdx.
Maryland Farm Labor Visa Workshop. Hosted by the Maryland Farm Bureau on March 8, 2017, 10-2, 3358 Davidsonville Road, Davidsonville, MD 21035. For more information: https://go.umd.edu/qiy