UMES listening session builds ‘agricultural resilience’

Princess Anne, Md. – University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension researchers are banding together to address challenges farmers face.

UMES Extension held a Resilient Agriculture Community Listening Session as part of a project with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The program, known as Community Agricultural Resilience through Extension (CARE), invited farmers, rural community members, as well as stakeholders from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to have a space to share their priorities, concerns, barriers and challenges.

“This is one of the opportunity where the community can lend their voice to these conversations,” Assistant Professor and Agri Business Resource Economics Specialist Nazia Arba said. “And we can be more effective as an extension partner towards our program training partnerships that can effectively provide long term resilience to our community.”

Particularly as farmers face extreme weather impacting their crops, CARE representatives say the listening sessions are a way for farmers to inform their research. According to officials, the Extension will use the community feedback to shape programs and resources that strengthen agricultural areas across Delmarva.

In addition to farmers, watermen, agricultural educators, agency professionals, and local organizations are also welcome, officials say.

The listening session was the first of 18 over the course of two years. Arbab said the next listening session in Maryland will take place this fall.