DAVIDSONVILLE, Md. — The Maryland Farm Bureau 2017 Growing Our Agriculture Leaders Team visited farms in western Maryland last week to learn more about Maryland’s diverse industry. The group spent two days learning from the following farmers and stakeholders:
- Chuck Wade of Chuck Wade Sod Farm in Adamstown. They have raised and provided the highest quality Maryland Certified Sod to homeowners and contractors for nearly 40 years. Customers include the State Highway Administration and National Parks Service.
- Mark Seibert of Clear Spring Creamery in Clear Spring. They have a grass-fed, certified organic Jersey herd producing cream line milk, yogurt, cheese and butter in their on-site processing facility. Their products are sold at farmers markets in the DC area.
- Delvin, Wayne and Sharon Mast showed us bear crop damage on their farm in Grantsville. Georgia Johnson from DNR discussed the bear hunt permit system and management options in Garrett County.
- Cheryl DeBerry, the Natural Resources Business Specialist in Garrett County, led a conversation about a future wind turbine site and showed us an existing solar array site in Grantsville with an anemometer that offsets county costs.
- Linda and her son Brandon Kling at High Country Creamery in Grantsville. Local, artisan cow cheese factory with milk sourced from a local Amish dairy. The ‘plant’ is complete with a large viewing window to watch the cheese making process and includes a market with local goods and a small restaurant.
- Kate Livengood and Amber Haney at Frostburg Grows in Frostburg. This five-acre site was formerly a deep-mined and strip-mined for coal, was once used for a county dump and most recently to store FEMA trailers. It has been re-purposed and rejuvenated as a community-based sustainability complex and training center with six large high-tunnel greenhouses, a native tree nursery, composting facility and more.
The 2017 GOAL Team has been traveling around Maryland all year to learn about the agriculture industry and the organization of Farm Bureau. This GOAL program is equipping Farm Bureau members to take leadership positions and have a positive impact on the agriculture community.
For more information on Maryland Farm Bureau and the GOAL program, visit www.mdfarmbureau.com or call 410-922-3426.
— Maryland Farm Bureau