Farmers descend on UMES For fifth annual Ag Showcase

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Nearly 200 farmers descended on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Research, Extension, and Training Farm Wednesday. The gathering was all part of the school’s 5th annual Ag Showcase.

The free event is held in partnership with Simplot Grower Solutions and Atlantic Tractor. Organizers say the whole idea is to provide local farmers with connections to state-of-the-art technology and the latest data.

Some of the showcase topics included smart-farming agronomy, technology, and equipment, as well as crop diversification. Farmers also got to check out the results of corn and soybean field trials, and compare liquid fertilizer and fungicide applications. Precision equipment was on display, while Sentinel Robotics offered high-up views with their agricultural drone demonstrations.

Of course, faculty and researchers who call UMES home were on one hand to show off their stuff. The Hawks demonstrated projects in urban agriculture, grapevine cultivation, and how we can use trees as sources of bioenergy.

Ultimately, officials at UMES say they want participants to walk away with a better understanding of current challenges, setting them up to grow better and smarter.