UMES ag dept. prepares for small farm conference

PRINCESSE ANNE, Md. – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is bringing back their 18th annual Small Farm Conference in person and they say, they have a lot on the agenda this year.

After the struggles many Eastern Shore farmers say they experienced over this past year, the UMES ag department says, this year’s annual small conference will be able to help many of those farmers. At the conference, they’ll be hosting outdoor events, showcasing alternative crops, sustainable farming practices and even visiting local farms that are doing innovative work.

We’re told the university wants to give a space for local farmers to come and network, talk about resources available and help increase a farmer’s bottom line, and in turn help them become successful.

“It gives an opportunity for farmers, landowners, ag service providers and people who are just interested in supporting small farms and agriculture to kind of come together to just learn from one another, network, and just kind of see what’s working well and what may need to be addressed to help and support our small farmers,” says Berren Rogers, coordinator of the Small Farm Conference. He adds, “They get a chance to really see some of the things that we’re doing from a University standpoint as well as our partners out in the community to support small farmers.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Senior Advisor for Racial Equity, Dr. Dewayne Goldmon will be the keynote speaker at the Conference.

If you’re interested in joining the conference, you can register here.

If you would like more information on the event, click here.