Checkoff Results for Prior Years   

Checkoff Program    Current Awards     Current Results

Marketing and Promotion    Education     Research

üMarketing and Promotion

2003: Prepare Two Newsletters Annually: The MGPA grant funded the writing, printing and mailing of two newsletters.  One was mailed April and included the MGPUB annual report and a follow-up newsletter will be sent out in December.  This is a change from previous years and provides a six-month interval between mailings.  Detailed information about results from the grants awarded in 2001were in included with the December newsletter.  The mailings are sent to approximately 4,000 individuals using NCGA mailing list developed with Farm Journal, MGPUB's refund recipient list and grain buyers list, and to members of MGPA.

Conduct an Annual Meeting to Promote MGPUB functions and Hold Election of MGPUB officers: MGPA conducted the fifth Maryland Commodity Classic jointly with the Maryland Soybean Board.  The event was held on Thursday, July 24, 2003 at the Queen Anne’s 4-H Park in Centreville.  The program included a status report on the MGPUB funded ethanol plant along with other checkoff-funded activities. Booth space was provided for grant recipients so they could provide information on the results of their research and activities to the grain producers attending the event.  Elections for MGPUB Board members were held at the meeting.

Promotion and Education Programs: The MGPA carried out several promotion and education projects to generate awareness of the checkoff program, and the results from research and educational activities funded with MGPUB grants. Efforts were made to expand the use of ethanol in Maryland , improve farm profitability through an expansion of the available crop insurance options and to develop educational materials on nutrient management.  Debra Spurrier continues to carry out an expanded public relations effort and to develop a relationship with the media.  Debra is also organizing the Speakers Bureau.

Articles/Editor’s Letters: Over the course of 2003, several news articles were sent to papers and other publications across the state.  Not every article was tremendously long in length.  Some may have been reminders for workshops, Commodity Classic, etc.

There has been a good response from the newspapers towards printing grain information.  The farm-friendly papers were consistent all year and other papers throughout the state kept abreast of the topics.  In many cases after speaking with a reporter, though they may not always use our article, they would follow up with a written piece they investigated.  This achieved the desired goal.

Speakers Bureau: The Speakers Bureau has had a slower year than when first initiated.  We continue to promote the program to clubs and organizations on both the Western Shore and the Eastern Shore .  The speakers spoke to several Rotary Clubs, Ruritan Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Optimist Clubs, and Career and Technology Classes (grades 10-12).  Speakers were encouraged to send in the reimbursement form to be paid the $75.00 plus mileage fee, however, not all speakers actually claimed for payment. Many volunteers said they incorporate the speaking dates with their workday or just felt as if they didn’t want to be paid for promoting agriculture. Some simply claimed the mileage expenses.  Other expenses were kept at a minimum.  The plan for 2004 is to develop a new presentation on biotechnology and to place greater effort on promoting the speakers.

Administer the Scholarship Program: MGPA promoted the scholarship program and reviewed the applications.  The selection committee approved two recipients for the two $2,500 scholarships.  Eighteen applications were received and the two recipients were announced at the Maryland Commodity Classic.  Recognition was given to MGPUB for funding the grants and the press, including the Delmarva Farmer, provided publicity on the winners. Grant recipient: www.marylandgrain.com.  

2001: Prepared Two Newsletters Annually: The MGPA grant funded the writing, printing and mailing of two newsletters. One was mailed in April and included the MGPUB annual report and a follow-up newsletter was mailed in December. This is a change from previous years and provides a six-month interval between mailings. Detailed information about results from the grants awarded in 2001 was included in the December newsletter. The mailing was sent to over 4,000 individuals.

Conducted an Annual Meeting to promote MGPUB functions and hold election of MGPUB officers: MGPA conducted the fourth annual Maryland Commodity Classic jointly with the Maryland Soybean Board. The event was held on Thursday, July 25, 2002, at the Howard County Fairground in West Friendship. The program included a status report on the MGPUB funded ethanol plant along with other checkoff-funded activities. Booth space was provided for grant recipients so they could provide information on the results of their research and activities to the grain producers attending the event. Elections for MGPUB Board members were held at the meeting.

Promotion and Education Programs: The MGPA carried out several promotion and education projects to generate awareness of the checkoff program, and the results from research and educational activities funded with MGPUB grants. Efforts were made to expand the use of ethanol in Maryland, improve farm profitability through an expansion of the available crop insurance options and to develop educational materials on nutrient management. Debra Spurrier was hired and took the public relations position in June. She has continued to carry out an expanded public relations effort and to develop a relationship with the media. Debra is also organizing the Speakers Bureau.

Articles/Editor’s Letters: Over the course of 2002, 25 different news articles were mailed to papers and other publications across the state. Not every article was tremendously long in length. Some may have been reminders for workshops, Commodity Classic, etc. There was a good response from the newspapers towards printing grain information. The farm-friendly papers were consistent all year and other papers throughout the state kept abreast of the topics. In many cases after speaking with a reporter, though they may not always use our article, they would follow up with a written piece they investigated. This achieved the desired goal.

Speakers Bureau: The Speakers Bureau had a successful year with continued interest in the program from clubs and organizations on both the Western Shore and the Eastern Shore. The speakers spoke to many Rotary Clubs, Ruritan Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Optimist Clubs, and five Career and Technology Classes (grades 10 through12). Speakers were encouraged to send in the reimbursement form to be paid the $75.00 plus mileage fee, however, not all speakers actually claimed for payment. Many volunteers said they incorporate the speaking dates with their workday or just felt as if they didn’t want to be paid for promoting agriculture. Some simply claimed the mileage expenses. Other expenses were kept at a minimum. One of the speakers arranged to have all the slides copied and put onto a CD as a PowerPoint presentation, which has been made available to all speakers.

Administered the Scholarship Program: MGPA promoted the scholarship program and reviewed the applications. The selection committee approved two recipients for the two $2,500 scholarships. Over 20 applications were received and the two recipients were announced at the Maryland Commodity Classic. Recognition was given to MGPUB for funding the grants and the press, including the Delmarva Farmer, provided publicity on the winners.

National Corn Growers Association

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) works year round to serve as a catalyst for rural business development and increase opportunities for Maryland growers.

2003: In 2003, NCGA’s efforts advanced research and awareness related to products manufactured from renewable resources that promise to open new corn markets. Aiding the success of innovative bio-based goods, in the spring of 2003, NCGA launched the interactive Corn-Based Products Guide on the Technology and Commercial Development Center section of the NCGA web site at www.ncga.com. The Corn-Based Products Guide allows users to search its contents by product application, general category, supplier or product.

NCGA continues to forward bioproducts initiatives like the Federal Buy Bio program by forging lasting working relationships with the appropriate agencies.  Other critical NCGA research projects include:

NCGA also conducts programs to help corn producers remain competitive. Monumental to that task, in 2003 NCGA helped lawmakers understand the importance of ethanol to national security and the U.S. farm economy. Thanks in part to those efforts, lawmakers have passed a historic comprehensive energy package that includes the imperative Renewable Fuels Standard.

NCGA also helped Maryland growers tackle issues that mean money direct to their pockets. In 2003, NCGA worked to maintain federal funding for supplemental premium subsidies for federal crop insurance through the agriculture management assistance section of the Farm Bill. As a result of changes in buy-up levels of insurance protection, Maryland growers received an additional $2.9 million in subsidies. Throughout the year MGPUB check-off dollars enabled the NCGA to aggressively pursue initiatives that not only help promote Maryland ’s corn industry but also help growers capture opportunities to win market share and remain competitive. Grant recipient: Fred Yoder, yoder@ncga.com, www.ncga.com.  

2002:NCGA has many programs concerning research and business development. With the assistance of MGPUB checkoff dollars, NCGA is leveraging grower funds to find more uses for corn and open new markets for corn growers.

An area that is being explored is the separation of corn fibers and converting into high value chemicals.  Traditionally in the corn wet milling process the fiber is sold to the livestock industry, domestically and overseas. However, in the new process fiber is hydrolyzed and separated into its representative fractions: sugars, cellulose and oils. These components can be used to produce more ethanol, chemicals such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze) and neutracuticals. 

By turning an undervalued co-product (fiber) into more valuable products, the profitability of  milling is improved. This reduces the overall volume of feed produced and may allow even more products to be made economically from corn – resulting in even greater demand for corn.

US Grains Council

2004:  Building Global Markets for Maryland Grain Producers: With 11 international offices and programs in more than 70 countries, the U.S. Grains Council works every day to build global markets for Maryland grain producers. MGPUB’s investment in the Council is multiplied by contributions from other state checkoff boards and agribusinesses, and matched by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and cooperating organizations in other countries. The end result is an annual market development program valued at more than $22 million.

Among the Council’s successes made possible in the past year by the support of the Maryland Grain Producers:

Market Access – In addition to ensuring that the U.S. grain industry’s interests are addressed in WTO negotiations, the Council continues to work behind the scenes in individual countries to create a more favorable trading climate. Examples include organizing India ’s major grain users to fight tariff increases on coarse grains, and continuing to break down barriers to U.S.-Cuba trade relations.

Market Development. Livestock feeding remains a major source of grain demand in developing markets. Therefore, the expansion of local livestock industries remains a major priority for the Council. Expansion of the Egyptian buffalo feeding program this year alone added 1.6 million bushels of demand to an already substantial market. This, in addition to support of the Moroccan poultry federation and swine promotion in China , assures Maryland producers of growing demand for corn.

Market Defense. Thanks to the Council’s work, Taiwan remained a leading customer of value-enhanced grains and corn co-products, with imports expected to reach 400,000 tons (double the 2002 import level) by 2005. Such products continued to capture the interest of countries like Egypt as well, where imports of U.S. corn gluten meal reached a record 70,000 tones in 2003 and demand for high-oil corn remained strong.

Market Intelligence. The Council collects, analyzes, synthesizes and communicates information that helps individuals and the industry understand the forces at play in the market. During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, the Council was on the front line. Reports from its international network of staff and consultants provided insight for members, customers, and the news media regarding the epidemic’s impact on world grain trade. The Council has recently been providing information regarding China ’s reduced corn crop and reduced ability to export, news that is front and center in the rising corn market. Grant recipient: Ken Hobbie, grains@grains.org, www.grains.org.  

2003:  Just a few highlights from the past year’s activities are listed below.

Value-Enhanced/Value-Added Grain Promotion: Undertook study to ascertain world ethanol and Distiller’s Dried Grains (DDG) opportunities/challenges.

Trade Policy: Biotechnology Education Conference in Singapore educated foreign policy makers leaders from ten Asian countries about the need for science-based policies on agricultural biotechnology.

Infrastructure/Transportation/Storage/Handling: Council’s tropical grain quality program improves U.S. grain quality exported to tropical destinations and educates foreign buyers on handling U.S. grains effectively in hot, humid climates. 

Feed and Livestock Production/Consumption: Council leveraged Section 108 and FAS project funds to establish Moroccan poultry federation. Through the federation, obtained reduction in corn import tariffs.  Since the reduction, imports increased threefold to 37.6 mbu (U.S. captured 85 percent market share last year).

Market Education: In cooperation with American Soybean Association, conducted market education conferences and workshops in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Programs also provided essential information on contract specifications, freight contracting and logistics, group buying, and combined cargo procurements of feed grains, soybeans and soybean meal.

2000:  The U.S. Grains Council’s mission – enhancing the profitability of U.S. agriculture by developing export markets for U.S. grains and grain products – has produced a strategic approach that extends the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board’s market development efforts into 80 nations around the world. The Council concentrates on projects chosen to produce U.S. sales by “marketing U.S. advantage.”  The programs:  maintain established markets at their fullest potential; develop new, larger export markets for corn and value-added/value-enhanced corn products; provide market education programs to increase U.S. market share by helping new customers learn to use the U.S. grain marketing system; and, work with foreign customers and U.S. officials to eliminate trade barriers, resolve grain quality issues and keep grain moving.

When the Council was established 40 years ago, U.S. corn exports were 292 million bushels. Exports last year reached 1.98 billion bushels and are expected to reach a similar level this year. The Council projects annual exports of 2.48 bbu by 2008, with additional gains possible.  For more information email grant recipient or contact the web site www.grains.org.

Wheat Foods Council

Wheat Foods Council conducted a consumer opinion survey about grain foods in 2001, partially sponsored by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board to encourage consumers to buy more grain foods.

Consumers think they are only eating 3.1 daily servings of grains, while in reality they are eating over twice that amount. Seventy-three percent of Americans believe complex carbohydrates are good for them and 83 percent understand that grain foods give them energy, while 48 percent believe pasta is fattening up from only 11 percent in 1995. Fifty-two percent think bread is fattening, up from 38 percent in 1997.

The survey also showed 90 percent of 11 year olds claim to be familiar with USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid, while only 75 percent of adults are. Kids are also less likely to mistakenly believe grain foods are fattening. Eighty-two percent of children understand bread is not fattening and those who did think it was cited their parents as the source of that information.

Ethanol URC Race Team – Ashley Parlett

Throughout the 2001 racing season, Ashley Parlett educated the public through shows, races and literature about Ethanol. The team was involved in four county fairs for MGPUB. The shows were a huge benefit to Maryland grain and the community. Many questions were asked and people were relieved to hear of a hope for our country’s future.

When Ashley was being asked about the ethanol, she realized that there were many different reasons why people were so interested in the fuel, such as: farmers - an added use for their crops annually and an increase to the value of their harvest, families - a cheaper and environmentally- friendly way to fuel the world.

When racing on the East Coast, the team was overloaded with curiosity about ethanol. One team informed them that they had heard about a race called “The Ethanol Race of Champions”.  After hearing of this, Ashley decided to do some research. She found that the Ethanol Race of Champions is one of the only racing events in the country where ethanol is required to be used in the fuel mixture. In order to participate in this event each driver was required to use at least 25 percent ethanol in their fuel. After finding this information, Ashley was able to contact many of the drivers who use ethanol on a weekly basis. She found that much of the information they had could be very useful to her and her team.

She found ethanol was much safer and more stable when comparable to gasoline. Ethanol did not increase cylinder head temperatures, therefore not damaging the motor, but increasing performance. This alone can save thousands of dollars on the motor program alone.

The most exciting part of finding this information was networking with other teams in the Midwest to bring ethanol to the forefront of the racing community. Thus increasing awareness of the environmental and performance uses of ethanol.

Ethanol URC Race Team 

The Fair Displays give Bunny the opportunity to talk with thousands of local drivers, making them aware of the future of ethanol. Along with using the Ethanol-fueled racecar as an attention getter, Bunny & Crew hand out boxes of literature on ethanol and the many uses of grain. You can see the bright yellow MD grain bags in the hands of fairgoers as they spend their day at the fair. Besides the fair displays, another 100 plus days per year is spent on the East Coast highways with the ethanol logo prominently displayed on the trailer as they make their way to televised racing events.  

National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition - Phil Lampert and Jill Hamilton

2003: the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, with the help of the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board and other members, was successful in protecting the E85 CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) incentives in Congress.  We continue to work for E85 incentives in the Energy Bill.  In Maryland , the NEVC assisted MGPUB in opening an E85 station in Annapolis and the District of Columbia .  However, the DC station opening will be held in early 2004.  NEVC continued to promote E85 throughout the Baltimore and Washington metro areas.  As a result of these efforts, NEVC saw E85 fuel consumption increase from about 100,000 gallons in 2002 to 150,000 gallons in 2003.  Grant recipient: Phil Lampert, plampert@e85fuel.com, www.E85fuel.com.  

2002: During the past year, three new stations were placed in the Metro area. Two new E85 facilities were added under this grant and one county station was added independently.  Those three stations are Montgomery County Service Facility in Gaithersburg, West Street Citgo in Annapolis and Arlington County Maintenance Facility in Shirlington (private).

Montgomery County Service Facility on Crabbs Branch Way began selling E85 last May. A grand opening, held during the county’s Public Works Weeks, was well attended and covered by several news services. Although the station has been dispensing E85 for six months, the public service will not begin until after the first of the year. SESI, on behalf of the NEVC and MGPUB, coordinated the contractual and logistical issues with both the county and the general contractor to install all necessary equipment. Additionally, SESI attended several fleet manager and coordinator meetings to educate the county and other nearby fleets about E85 benefits and handling. MGPUB was instrumental in attracting both the TV/Cable channels and the print media. Since its operation began in late May, the station has averaged about 2000 gallons per month.

Arlington County installed an E85 tank and dispenser in the end of August. During the summer months the station was dispensing 330 gallons/month by December 2002 they were pumping 1,000 gallons/month. The County Fire Department, one of the largest consumers of fuel projected refueling once a week, but due to fuel economy currently refuels five times a month. The county reports that they are pleased with their vehicles’ performance on E85, but are concerned about the high cost of fuel in Virginia.  As of last month there are 34 vehicles using E85, up from 27 a few months ago. The next vehicle deliver is in January and will increase the vehicles to 44. 

2001:  The NEVC subcontractor, Sustainable Energy Strategies, Inc., assisted the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board to secure a contract for the Fort Meade Chevron Service Center to install a 10,000 gallon tank and dispenser. The contract was completed on November 11, 2001. Several press attended the event including the Washington Post and Baltimore Channel 13 nightly news.

Additionally, SESI worked to acquire final approval for three public E85 retail stations and two state facilities. SESI raised an additional $17,000 from Montgomery County for its refueling facility.  All the public stations are expected to be in place within the next quarter.

Development of an Ethanol Fueled Vehicle for Competition in the FutureCar Challenge - Dr. David Holloway, University of Maryland

2004:  The University of Maryland was one of 15 universities to participate in the fourth year of USDOE’s FutureTruck Challenge.  For the first two years GM was the co-sponsor.  Ford has been the sponsor for competition for the last two years, and the event was held June 2003 at their proving grounds in Romeo, Michigan . The competition was a challenge to college students and their professors to improve the fuel economy of the donated 2002 Explorer SUV by at least 25%, and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. This task was to be accomplished with no loss of performance or utility of the stock vehicle.

In order to meet the fuel improvement target, Maryland ’s approach was to turn the Explorer in a parallel-configured hybrid electric vehicle.  The stock 4.0L cast iron engine was replaced with an all aluminum 3.0L engine from a Lincoln LS, and an electric motor from a Honda Insight hybrid was added between the engine and transmission. The electric motor serves as a starter, an alternator, and as a generator to recover energy during braking. The students made many internal modifications to the engine that included custom pistons to raise the compression ratio to13:1 in order to take advantage of the excellent octane rating of E85. The increased compression ratio produces better thermal efficiency, which in turn leads to better fuel economy.  They also made modifications to the catalyst system in order to lower the emissions.

A custom controller was made for the Honda motor, and a new battery box was designed and constructed to house the Prius NiMH battery pack.  New control hardware and software was also employed.  Unfortunately the team was not able to get the hybrid system working properly, and the engine ran slightly too lean during the emission event.  As a result of these problems, the University of Maryland finished overall in ninth place, but had a second place finish in the written report and a fourth place finish in the consumer acceptability event.

This fall, the new group of nearly forty students from electrical and mechanical engineering have identified the sources of our difficulties, and have begun the construction of new hardware and the design of new control software.  The team is confident that they will be back up with the top finishers this coming June, 2004. Grant recipient: Gregory Schultz, gschultz@eng.umd.edu.  

2001: The University of Maryland was one of 15 universities to participate in the second year of USDOE’s and GM’s FutureTruck Challenge. The competition challenged students and their professors to improve the fuel economy and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of a 2000 model year 4A Chevrolet Suburban donated by GM. This task was to be accomplished with no loss of performance or utility of the stock Suburban. The University of Maryland team finished third overall and took home first place trophies in the best-regulated emissions and best trailer towing performance. We reached the lowest emission bracket possible - California’s Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle or SULEV for short. The significance of our accomplishments is but one small step in improving the market for the products produced by the farmers of Maryland.

2000:  Nearly 40 students at the UMD Department of Mechanical Engineering worked hard to take their ethanol fueled Chevrolet Suburban to place second overall in the first year of the FutureTruck competition. Just four points behind the lead with 641 out of a possible 1030 in the 15-University competition, the Maryland entry were victors in Lowest Regulated Emissions and Best Use of a renewable fuel – both very important categories for ethanol. They placed second in Consumer Acceptability and On Road Fuel Economy and third in Combined Handling, Greenhouse Gas Impact and Acceleration. They plan on winning next year!

The teams received their “off the lot” Suburbans in December and have been working hard to transform them into vehicles that will contribute 66% less greenhouse gas emissions with 80 mpg without losing performance. Although not fully operational by the time of this year’s competition, Dr. David Holloway’s team will complete the transformation of the vehicle into a fully operational Hybrid electric/ethanol car for next year’s competition. The Maryland team was the only one using ethanol as their fuel source. 

1999: Since the Fall of 1995, students in the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Departments at the University of Maryland have been working on converting a 1995 Dodge Intrepid to hybrid electric power for an annual competition called FutureCar being sponsored by the US Department of Energy and the “Big Three” automakers. It is an attempt to achieve an 80-mpg vehicle with no loss of passenger space, performance or utility by using advanced power train designs. Each year between twelve and fifteen schools have participated. It is a parallel to the much larger program being conducted by the Government and the automakers called the Partnership for a New Generation Vehicle (PNGV).

The University of Maryland’s design is a series drive hybrid which uses a 1 liter engine fueled on E85 (85% ethanol plus 15% gasoline) to run a generator which provides electricity to a 100 horsepower electric motor connected to the front wheels or to batteries located in the trunk, or to both simultaneously. The electric motor, generator and controller were developed by Northrop Grumman in Baltimore, and are presently in use in Daimler Chrysler’s 1999 electric EPIC van.

The University chose to use E85 because of its high octane rating; its good storage and dispensing properties relative to other alternative fuels; and the fact that it is a renewable fuel. The high octane rating enabled us to raise the compression ratio of the engine toll .5:1, which provided improved efficiency and performance. Tuned intake and exhaust manifolds were also designed and built. Peak efficiency of the engine was measured at 31%, which is considered to be very good for an engine of this type.

The competition took place this year at Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, MI in June. Our finish was 4th overall which was the best we have done, and we also won first place in the best use of an alternative fuel, and second place in the use of aluminum. Our combined EPA fuel economy was 28.6 mpg.

The FutureCar Challenge has been replaced with a new event sponsored by USDOE and GM called FutureTruck. The University of Maryland submitted a proposal to participate in the new competition and was one of fifteen teams selected this summer to try to improve the fuel economy and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of a brand new, model year 2000, Chevrolet Suburban SUV. We have selected to use E85 again in the new project because of its excellent characteristics which includes a 28% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over gasoline.

National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG)  

NAWG is engaged every day on behalf of its producer members on important national policy issues.  Here is just a sample of issues we have been and are working on…

NAWG is a grass-roots organization, with hands-on involvement of its members in developing policy and advocating the interests of wheat growers.  NAWG’s board members and state association affiliates are actively engaged through policy committees and in contacts with Congressional and Administration offices.  Full-time professional staff in our Capitol Hill office carry the message laid out by our Board to the Administration and Congress, utilizing and empowering growers to communicate the message at every opportunity.

Contact NAWG at (202)547-7800 for a membership form or download one from our web site at http://www.wheatworld.org. Grant recipient: Daren Coppock, dcoppock@wheatworld.org.  

Development of Hulless Barley as a Valued Added Crop

Winter barley is an excellent crop in rotation with soybeans.  It is a well-known fact that yields of soybeans following barley are significantly higher than those following wheat.  Production of two winter annual crops allows producers to extend the time available for both harvesting of small grains and planting of soybeans, and also provides an alternate crop to reduce the buildup of crop-specific pathogens.

The eastern U.S. is well situated regarding demands for feed grains in that poultry and swine operations provide domestic demand and local export markets provide foreign demand.  However, production of winter barley has decreased since 1996 mainly due to low market prices, even though the region is a feed grain deficient area.

Therefore, the primary objective of this project is to implement a program to develop barley varieties with greater marketability in both domestic and foreign markets and, thereby, make barley an economical cash crop.  The proposed research is designed to improve the feed value of barley by developing hulless varieties that will have lower concentrations of fiber, reduced phytic acid content and higher metabolizable energy.  This transformation should bring the feed value of barley closer to that of wheat and maize. Development of hulless barley varieties possessing higher starch, lower fiber, and lower beta glucan concentrations would also make barley ideal for ethanol production.

The second objective, which is quite converse to the first in end results, is to develop hulless barley varieties that would meet the needs of an increasing demand for barley as a food commodity.  Waxy hulless barley can have beta glucan content as high as 12%.  Such barley would have fiber that is more soluble combined with high concentrations of beta glucan which have both been shown to be important in reducing cholesterol.  Hulless barley also has phytochemicals that behave as antioxidants, which are often associated with cancer prevention. Barley flour or beta glucan potentially could be used in the production of health foods and dietary supplements.

Significant progress already has been made in the development of winter hulless barley lines. The Virginia Tech barley breeding program is pleased to report the release of its first winter hulless barley variety. Doyce (tested as VA00H-137) was released from Virginia Tech barley breeding program in the spring of 2003, and seed will be available to producers in fall 2004. Subsequently, twenty hulless lines are currently being evaluated in State Variety Trials. An additional 33 hulless lines from our Advance test are also being evaluated in cooperating states. To date, we have developed more than 2,300 hulless winter barley populations. In 2003-04, we will advance more than 200 hulless populations, evaluate 250 pure lines in yield tests, and select new pure lines among nearly 13,500 hulless headrows. One hundred and sixty eight advanced hulled and hulless lines with good agronomic performance were sent to the USDA-ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Pennsylvania for analyses of chemical composition and other value-added traits. This season (2003-2004) two of our most elite hulless lines (VA00H-65 and VA00H-88) are being grown in increase strips at the Virginia Crop Improvement Association Seed Farm in Mount Holly , Virginia as potential releases.  

National Barley Growers Association (NBGA)

The National Barley Growers Association represents the interests of the barley producers in Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.  The NBGA Board of Directors met twice in 2003 (March and June) to discuss legislative and research priorities which can be carried to the Legislature for policy makers to consider as new legislation is formed.

The NBGA Board of Directors is comprised of two directors from each dues paying barley state.  They elect a President and Vice-President at their annual meeting.  The current serving president is Robert Rynning, Minnesota and Vice-President Evan Hayes, Idaho, Marvin Zutz, Staff Minnesota, serves as the Secretary – Treasurer.  The NBGA contracts for legislative services through Gordley Associates, Washington, D.C. Dale Thorenson represents the NBGA interests through this firm.

Priorities as set forth by the NBGA for 2003 include: Trade policy, farm programs, research, crop insurance, conservation, pesticide harmonization, and transportation.

American Sugar Alliance (ASA)

MGPUB supports the American Sugar Alliance with an annual associate membership of $150.00. www.sugaralliance.com.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW)

A Steadfast Commitment benefits Maryland ’s Wheat Growers: A couple of years ago, officials with U.S. Wheat Associates, the industry's export market development organization, met with a trade team from Taiwan . Over the decades, Taiwan has been a loyal customer of U.S. wheat, usually giving America 90% or more market share. During the meeting, an official from one of Taiwan 's largest mills explained why:

"I remember years ago, when Taiwan was still very poor, being very grateful when our family received flour donated from the United States . When Canadians and Australians ask why Taiwan doesn't buy more of their wheat I ask them: “What have you invested in our country?”

Work continues overseas, regardless of U.S. conditions: U.S. Wheat Associates, and its predecessor organizations, have invested over 50 years of work overseas, on behalf of America 's wheat producers. Wheat crops may fail one year and thrive the next; farmers may go deep into debt during particularly bad times, or may hit the market at exactly the right time, reaping good prices that will get them through another year. Through it all, regardless of what is happening on the farms between the Atlantic and the Pacific, USW steadfastly invests time, energy, education and financial resources into developing export markets.

"Almost half a century has passed since the Japan Flour Millers Association began to make a strong tie with U.S. Wheat Associates," writes the executive director of the Japanese association. "USW is always the first to provide us the latest information, such as crop conditions of U.S. wheat and the U.S. government farm programs, at the right time, through the distinguished representatives in the USW/Tokyo office."

"USW's continuous daily activities steadily deepen the mutual understanding between us," the gentleman continues. "We appreciate the dedication and hard work that USW staffs have extended."

Japan is historically among the top three customers of U.S. wheat, annually buying about three million tons, demonstrating the value of long-term commitment in market development.

Maryland wheat farmers reap the benefits:  The importance of a steady presence, a true regard for customers, and persistence in following a smart strategy is equally important in this hemisphere. For almost a decade, U.S. Wheat Associates has been battling to gain a foothold in the Brazilian market, fighting against spurious claims by competitors and superficial trade barriers. Finally, a breakthrough. Last year, Brazil bought over half a million tons of U.S. wheat, almost a third of it the soft red winter wheat grown in Maryland . And what happened to the constant derogation from U.S. competitors?  Reuters news service in Sao Paulo reported this year:

"It's now basically a question of quality. Argentina just doesn't classify its wheat well," Reuters quotes the vice president of Brazil 's milling association. "The United States is very good at this and local mills have begun to appreciate the consistency of knowing what they are buying."

In the first five months of the current wheat marketing year, Brazil is still buying American wheat, soft red winter included.  And they're not the only ones.  Sales of soft red winter wheat, as of November 6, are up 23% over sales at the same time last year.

Nobody else in the world provides the services that USW has provided since 1955 -- not the U.S. government, not the grain trade, not the big agricultural conglomerates. The only ones developing markets overseas on behalf of America 's wheat farmers are the experts at USW.  Their long-term commitment, no matter what happens domestically, keeps America 's customers loyal, and Maryland 's wheat producer’s benefits.  Grant recipient: Ruth Bracken, rbracken@uswheat.org, www.uswheat.org.  

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üEducation

The Computer Lease to Learn – Susan Schoenian

The Computer Lease to Learn program is an educational program, whereby farmers can lease a personal computer for six months to determine its usefulness to their farming operation. The computers are Windows PCs, on-loan from the USDA Federal Excess Property Program and Maryland Cooperative Extension. They are upgraded, repaired as needed, and loaded with software that is suitable for the farm family. Accessing the Internet is a key feature of the Lease to Learn experience. The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board funded the purchase of high speed modems so that participating farmers could experience the Internet, to determine its value to their farm. So far, ten farm families have participated in the program. Two have already purchased their own computer systems. The program is on-going and will continue to benefit farmers by giving them the chance to “try before they buy” and learn what the Internet is all about.

Kent Foods Agricultural Project - John Hall

Chesapeake Fields Institute, Inc., (CFI) was established in 2000 to respond to critical issues affecting the Upper Eastern Shore of Maryland. The mission is to address the loss of profitability in traditional agricultural markets for Upper Eastern Shore family farmers, while conserving the region’s natural resources and protecting the region’s community and heritage. The Corporation is organized exclusively for research and educational purposes, including the encouragement of economic development in Kent County and the surrounding area in a manner that retains the rural and agricultural heritage of the area, and more specifically to receive and administer funds for such research and educational purposes to serve the public good in the Upper Eastern Shore Area. This is an innovative project whose success will depend on contributions and support from farmers, government and the public.

The effort began early in 1999 as a series of Study Groups. These Study Groups brought together farmers, other Upper Eastern Shore residents, Maryland State Department of Agriculture officials, Maryland Economic Development officials, and regional food manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

Upper Eastern Shore farmers primarily grow feed grains. This has proven not to be profitable, leading to a reliance upon Government subsidies. We analyzed 8 years of data for 14 larger scale farms on Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore whose average size of operation ranged from 450 acres in 1992 to 731 acres in 1999. On a per acre basis, these farms yielded gross receipts of $390 per acre per year, (including federal subsidies). Farm expenses averaged $268 per acre per year, for a gross margin from operations of $122 per acre. Interest, taxes and depreciation consumed $94 per acre per year. Principal payments consumed another $36 per acre per year. On a cash flow basis, these farms lost about $10.75 per acre per year.

In 1999, it is estimated that these farmers spent $44.50 per acre, (or about $32,500 per family) for living expenses. Income from farm operations was insufficient to support these expenses, even with federal loan deficiency and other support programs. It is clear that most farm operations are being supported by non-farm income earned off the farm by the farmer and/or the spouse.

In attempting to save farms and rural communities, the CFI has realized that its true challenge is to create a sustainable farming economy working on the economic, social, and the environmental level, (e.g. producing crops using organic, non-GMO and/or other sustainable production methods). For more information email grant recipient.

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üElementary Education

Grain Fun for Children in Calvert County – Ruth Miller

Calvert County Extension reached over 1500 children and over 1400 adults with interactive grain activities at nine fairs or festivals. Children played the Brainy Grainy Spinning Wheel Game or enjoyed making snack packs with a variety of cereals.

Extension educators added three new events to the usual fairs. These were Maryland Day (an open house at the University of Maryland), a church summer bible school, and the SMECO Holiday Open House. Meals were prepared by 50 low-income parents who attended Evenstart (sponsored by the Board of Education) or the SHARE program. These meals featured grain products as the base for easy to make casserole dishes. The importance of grain in the diet and the low cost of grains were discussed. A bread machine was purchased and will be used for grain demonstrations in schools and classes during 2002.

CarrolI’s Great AG-Venture Program – Denise Frebertshauser

The purpose of this program is to give children an understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from and the importance of the industry of agriculture in today’s society, especially since it is the number one industry in Carroll County. Over 800 third grade students in Carroll County participated in Carroll’s Great AGVenture Program. Two sessions took place every day. The students were divided into groups to participate in the 20-minute hands-on learning stations: grains, dairy, fiber, machinery, eggs and nutrition.  

The information presented at each learning station related to the grain industry as well as the economic importance of agriculture to the county and to the students’ everyday lives.

Evaluations indicated that the program was a huge success in meeting the program’s objectives and that the students had learned at least five new facts about the agriculture industry within Carroll County. Many of the teachers have requested additional agriculture education materials from the county Extension program to use with their students; this would provide the opportunity for further agriculture awareness in the classroom.

Kids in the City Growing with Grains – JoAnne Leatherman

The Montgomery County Agricultural Center, Inc. with the City of Gaithersburg provided agricultural education programs for children enrolled in the City of Gaithersburg’s summer day camp program.  In the past, the focus of this program has largely been farm animal production oriented.

However, in 2001, the addition of the Growing with Grains program provided children with a broader horizon in agriculture, made possible by grant monies from the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. 

Eight hundred to 1000 children went through this program, which was held during the month of July.  Some of the activities the children took part in were identifying large and small grains, grinding grains by various means (mortar & pestle, mechanical grinder), and making grain-related snacks and crafts.  Pots of various kinds of grains were grown so the children could learn what the grains look like while they were growing. 

Caroline County Rural Life Day - Donna Kimble

Rural Life Day is a unique program that the Maryland Cooperative Extension – Caroline County has held for the past 24 years. This program invites the 5^th graders from six schools (approximately 350 youth) to participate in activities, demonstrations, exhibits, research, and promotional displays of rural life in Caroline County. This program serves to educate the youth currently via 35 exhibits, demonstrations, displays, and hand-on experiences.

With the help of the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, we were able to broaden our days’ events to include grain production, utilization, and the importance of grain consumption for good health to the Caroline teachers and school children. Since Caroline County is one of the largest grain producing counties in Maryland, we feel that we helped to educate the teachers and students on the importance of grains in our lives, in our county, and in the state of Maryland.

The objectives were achieved by setting up different stations. Station 1: Speakers discussed what grain plants look like growing, uses of farm equipment, and the economic value to Caroline County. Station 2: 4-H volunteers and 4-H’ers discussed animal consumption of grains and had by-product displays at each of the animal stops. There were also samples of harvested grains for the students to touch and see as well as information on the nutrient management processing of animal waste. Station 3: Incorporating grain in the diet was discussed and bread tasting was popular. Samples of consumer grain products were also on display for students to see and study. Station 4: Fifty other volunteers had displays, exhibits, and demonstrations educating youth on various aspects of rural life in Caroline County. Packets were also sent to the teachers in advance to help prepare the students for the days events.

2001:  Nine hundred youth, teachers and parents became aware of grains growing in the fields, feeding animals grains and the human consumption of grains as a result of participating in the All About Grains program. This experimental learning opportunity held in five schools and during community fairs, helped youth become aware that food is more than just buying it in a grocery store. They learned that wheat, corn, barley, soybeans and other grains are harvested and processed for animals and people.

Close Encounters with Agriculture - Doug Tregoning

2003:  Close Encounters with Agriculture is an outreach agricultural awareness program geared for Montgomery County 4th grade students. Since its inception in 1993, over 27,000 students have participated in the program. The students have gained an awareness and appreciation for agriculture’s importance in their daily lives.

The local agricultural community is very supportive of the program donating time, money and livestock to be used in the program each year. Over 140 different individuals volunteer each year to help operate the learning stations. Volunteers teach a variety of the activities. They also assist in unloading school buses, reloading, take home materials, and assist in moving the children between activities.

About 30 elementary schools from all over the county participate over a 3-week period in early spring. The program can accommodate up to 250 students per day. Learning activities are short (5-15 minutes per station) and hands-on to keep students attention. Production agriculture, environment and nutrition and the interrelationship between these areas are the focus of the program. Six hands-on learning stations consisting of grain and grain products, sheep, dairy, beef, swine and horticulture are used to teach production agriculture concepts. The environmental segment emphasizes the positive relationship farmers and farming practices have on the environment. Children are able to develop an understanding of soil conservation practices, such as no-tillage, strip cropping, etc., as well as water quality, nutrient management, soils and related issues. The nutrition segment emphasizes the relationship of agricultural products to nutritious diets and focuses on uses and benefits of grain products.

Participating schools and teachers are given an orientation session and provided with teaching packets containing learning activities for the students prior to their field trip to the Extension Office Farm Park . Follow-up activities are also included in the teaching packet including pre/post tests to measure the students learning.

The program has received a number of awards and national recognition. It was recently selected as one of three national winners in the American Farm Bureau’s County Idea Exchange Program as one of the 2003 Showcase Winners in the Ag in the Classroom category. The program was showcased at the American Farm Bureau Convention held in Honolulu , Hawaii . Extension personnel from various parts of the country have implemented similar programs based on presentations made at several national meetings. Individuals from Ohio and North Carolina have visited in person to see how to the program works. Grant recipient: Doug Tregoning, dt21@umail.umd.edu.  

2001:  Close Encounters with Agriculture is an outreach agricultural awareness program geared for Montgomery County forth grade students.  Since its inception in 1993, over 20,000 students have participated in the program. The students have gained an awareness and appreciation for agricultures’ importance in their daily lives. Over 140 different individuals volunteer each year to help operate the learning stations.  Volunteers teach a variety of the activities, assist in unloading school buses and reloading, take home materials, and help keep the children moving between activities.

1999:  The Close Encounters With Agriculture program is designed for non-farm 4th grade students. The program promotes and increases the understanding of agriculture and also demonstrates the inter-relationships and positive aspects of production agriculture, nutrition and the environment. A total of 2211 4th grade students and teachers participated in the program in March 1999.

The program is evaluated through pre and post tests for the students and by teacher evaluations. Students scored an average of 18% correct on the pre-test. After participating in the program, students’ test scores rose to 62% correct on the post-test. Teacher evaluation scores averaged 4.75 out of a high of 5 in the following areas: importance of topics for youth; relevance to 4th grade curriculum; appropriateness of materials for age/grade of student; interest of students in topics; and quality of presentation.

1998:  “Close Encounters with Agriculture” is designed to promote and increase the visibility and understanding of agriculture and to demonstrate the interrelationship between agriculture, nutrition and the environment. The program is targeted toward Montgomery County 4^th grade students. Thirty elementary schools and over 2,500 students participated in 1998.

Teaching packets featuring a variety of classroom and interactive activities were distributed during orientation sessions with teachers conducted at each participating school. A field trip to the Extension Office located on a rolling 400-acre farm is the culminating activity for the agricultural teaching units.

The Extension faculty, staff and volunteers effectively educated 200-250 students per day. The program was conducted for twelve days in 1998. The children were divided among the three areas of educational emphasis; agriculture, nutrition and environment. The children spent 50 minutes in each program area and then rotated to another area. Every student participated in each activity.

In the agricultural educational area the children are further divided into 6 small groups of 10 to 15 children and sent to one of 6 learning stations. The learning stations include: a relay race to match finished products with raw materials, sheep, beef, dairy, swine and horticulture. Learning activities in the stations are short, generally 5 to 6 minutes to match 4^th grade attention spans. The groups of children are rotated to enable them to visit each learning station. Mostly volunteer instructors (farmers, 4-H leaders, Master Gardeners, etc.) do the teaching. The students particularly enjoy being able to see, touch and learn about live animals. Similar methods are employed in the nutrition and environmental educational areas. The nutrition area emphasizes the food pyramid, grains and grain products, granola making and a nutrition bowl game. The critical link between agriculture production and the finished food product is reemphasized in the nutrition program. The environmental area features a variety of hands on activities including: soil types and soil structure, nutrient management, water quality and wildlife habitat management. Farming conservation practices and stewardship of land are emphasized. The students learn how agriculture enhances the environment. Most of the activities of agriculture and environment are conducted outdoors, while the nutrition activities are conducted indoors.

Each student and teacher are provided a biodegradable goodie bag of corn which is filled with agricultural promotion and educational products. The goodie bag contains chocolate covered soybeans, green apple and strawberry candy flavored with honey, dairy cow erasers, pens, a soil conservation comic book, magnets, stickers, a 4-H promotional flyer and granola the children make while participating in the nutrition area. Each child also receives a seed starter kit and a seedling tree with planting instructions.

“Close Encounters With Agriculture” enjoys overwhelming support from the Montgomery County agricultural community. Financial support is provided by the Montgomery County EAC, the Friends of the Farm Park, Montgomery County Fair Board, the Montgomery County Farm Bureau and the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. The Montgomery Soil Conservation District, the Farm Bureau, the Natural Resources and Conservation Agency and the Consolidated Farm Services Agency, all have an active role and participate in the program. In addition, 149 farm, 4-H and community volunteers were active participants in Close Encounters with Agriculture.

Pre and post-tests were administered to determine what learning, if any took place during the activity. Teacher evaluations were also used to determine the worth of the program. The teacher comments have always been very positive.

The benefits to grain producers are numerous. Participants achieve a greater knowledge of modern agricultural production, learn about the grain production process and the vast array of food, industrial and medical products derived from grain. The children also learn of the many contributions farmers make as environmental stewards of the land. Agricultural awareness education will become more important as the number of farms decreases and non farm populations continue to grow. It’s a wise investment for Maryland grain producers.

Kids Growing with Grains - Cassandra Corridon

The Kids Growing with Grains program is one that quickly engages young people in the study of agriculture production and consumption.  This program, since its inception in 1994, has students and their teachers actively learning about all aspects of grains, from the preparation of the soil for planting grains to the enjoyment of grain products and everything in between!  

2003: Over a five-day period, three in the spring and two in the late fall, over 600 kindergarten and first grade students, teachers and parents from 14 elementary schools, and a group of home schoolers, had a firsthand experience with farm animals and what they eat.

The field trip consisted of 12 stations for viewing sheep, swine, beef, dairy, cows, goats, chickens, and rabbits, hearing about their care, feeding and uses. They then visited the work stations of grinding corn and wheat. They tasted popcorn and a snack mix of oats, wheat, and rice. Each child filled a grain jar and milked an artificial cow (gloves filled with water), and went home with information about the grains they eat to share with their parents. Each teacher received information for additional lessons.

Teachers rated the program excellent with responses saying the field trip met their needs, was helpful in teaching the unit, materials were useful, and the time period was adequate. New educators were very impressed with the field trip and everyone wants to see it continue in the future. Each year different resources have been given to the teachers. This year it was puppets and a red barn.

Along with the total Extension faculty and staff, 4-H volunteers, Farm Bureau, and Ag Expo members all helped in coordinating the educational activities. These groups also want to continue the activity and include every elementary school in the county. Each year we have added more schools to participate in this activity.

2002: 558 fourth graders and 60 adults from Washington County participated in the program.  The program has always been held at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center and was offered this year September 30-October 3.  While there, students participated in the following four hands-on learning stations: a wagon tour of the farm to learn about planting, growing, and harvesting of grains; a corn station to learn about the unusual uses of corn while sampling grits and making popcorn balls; a human consumption station to learn about the nutritional value and health benefits of grain products while making pancakes and bags of granola; and an animal station to learn about livestock and the integral part grains play in the food chain.  As a remembrance of the field trip, each student constructed a souvenir grain jar as a take home item. Grant recipient: Jeff Semler, jsemler@umail.umd.edu, www.agnr.umd.edu/Washington  

2001: The Kids Growing with Grains program is one that quickly engages young people in the study of agriculture production and consumption.   In 2001, 1,304 forth graders and 208 adults from Frederick and Washington counties participated in the program. Students participated in the following four hands-on learning stations: a wagon tour of the farm to learn about planting, growing and harvesting of grains, a corn station to learn about the unusual uses of corn while sampling grits and making popcorn balls, a human consumption station to learn about the nutritional value and health benefits of grain products while making pancakes and bags of granola, and an animal station to learn about livestock and the integral part grains play in the food chain.

Kids Growing with Grains and Animals Too - Sharon Diehl

2001:  Over a five-day period, over 800 kindergarten and first grade students, teachers and parents from 17 elementary schools, and a group of home schoolers, had a firsthand experience with farm animals and what they eat.

The field trip consisted of 12 stations for viewing sheep, swine, beef, dairy, cows, goats, chickens, and rabbits, hearing about their care, feeding and uses.  Visitors then visited the work stations of grinding corn and wheat. They tasted popcorn and a snack mix of oats, wheat, and rice.  Each child filled a grain jar and milked an artificial cow (gloves filled with water), and went home with information about the grains they eat to share with their parents. 

Each teacher received information for additional lessons. Teachers rated the program excellent with responses saying the field trip met their needs, was helpful in tracking the unit, materials were useful, and the time period was adequate.  They want to see the field trip continued in the future.

2000:  A four-day event was held for 16 schools for kindergarten and first grade students, home schoolers, parents and teachers, totaling over 800 participants. The total staff of the Maryland Cooperative Extension collaborated with the Allegany County Farm Bureau, Ag Expo, and 4-H volunteers to conduct the event. A growth of two new schools added an extra day to the event for 1999.

Live animals were displayed at stations for children to see and pet, and hear what grains were necessary for the growth and development of animals that would eventually be used for human consumption.

At a grain grinding station, children observed the process of how grains are refined, and had to try grinding wheat by hand. They then went to stations where information and tasting of wheat, oats and popcorn were used in human diets. Each child filled a jar with grains, milked an artificial cow (gloves filled with water), and went home with a packet of information about grains to share with their parents.

Each teacher received resource packets with lessons and activities for the classroom. Teachers indicated on evaluation forms that they had used the resource, felt the day was very well organized, and everyone (including teachers and parents) learned many new things. All expressed interest for another year and hoped it can be continued.

A class of “Carbohydrates from Grains” was taught to 34 freshman college students. Participants were enlightened about carbo-loading, complex carbohydrates, and the importance of daily consumption for their bodies.

Maryland Ag in the Classroom

2003:  Ag in the Classroom: To address the need to educate the public about agriculture and the critical role it plays in people’s lives, the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation developed the Maryland Ag on the Move initiative. Funded in part by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, new resources developed in 2003 include a mobile agricultural showcase for public education at events, video/DVD on Maryland agriculture, Maryland agriculture map and an agricultural atlas on CD.

The Maryland Ag Showcase debuted in April and launched a successful season of fairs, shows and events to reach a new public audience and introduce them to agriculture in Maryland . The Maryland Resource Kit includes newly-developed educational resources of the Take Me Out to the Cornfield video, the Maryland Agriculture Map in wall and desk sizes, and the Digital Atlas of Maryland Agriculture CD with 100 maps. A comprehensive teacher guide will be developed to accompany the kit, which will include lesson plans, worksheets and a variety of age-specific learning activities.

Maryland ’s grain industry is prominently highlighted within these resources and is recognized as a Partner in the Maryland Ag on the Move initiative.  The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation also offers teacher training, workshops, Excellence Awards, Mini-Grants and more. Find information on all these projects at www.maefonline.com or call 410-939-9030.  

2001:  The 12th annual Maryland Ag in the Classroom workshop was held at the Best Western/ Westminster Conference Center from June 25-29, 2001. Fifty-seven participants from 13 different counties and Baltimore City attended.

The field trips were to Baugher’s Orchards and Bakery in Westminster and to Edrich Lumber Mill in Randallstown. A catered picnic was held at the Carroll County Farm Museum. The Carroll County 4-H Club conducted a session titled Up Close and Personal at the Ag Center and the Livestock Club catered a luncheon at that facility. This year the new sessions included were Kitchen Science, Sheepy Shenanigan’s, the Amaize-ing Grain, Food for Thought, and Piecing the Food Puzzle Together.

The A-maize-ing Grain - Dianne Miller

1999:  The Family and Consumer Science and Agriculture Agents in Montgomery County conducted two “train the trainer” workshops for third grade teachers in October 1999. The A-maize-ing Grain program provided 37 teachers with the knowledge and materials to present their students with a hands-on unit stressing the uses of grain for human needs. The history of corn, Maryland and Montgomery County grain growing statistics were addressed, as well as the types of corn, the parts of the plant and kernel, the production process, and the nutritional value of corn.

The program was evaluated by teacher evaluations and pre and post-tests. Teachers increased their knowledge of the A-maize-ing Grain from 22% on the pre-test to 95% correct on the post-test. A follow-up survey was mailed to teachers in April 1999 to the 1998 program participants. Forty-four responses were received from the teachers. 82% of these teachers indicated that they had used the program materials, and 1,700 students had been taught about the A-maize-ing Grain. Fifteen volunteers were trained to assist with their programs. A follow-up survey will be conducted in April or May 2000 for the 37 teachers that attended the October 1999 training.

1998:  The A-maize-ing Grain program was developed to fill a need in the third grade science curriculum. The program is a collaborative effort involving the Science Coordinator in the elementary school system, and the 4-H, Family ad consumer Science and Agriculture programs of the Cooperative Extension Service. The program is a train-the-trainer workshop designed to educate teachers who would then instruct students about the history of corn, the relationship to United States and Maryland agriculture, the parts of the plant and kernel, the growth and development of corn, its nutritional value, the production process, and the food and non-food uses. The workshop is primarily hands-on with background information given by formal presentation. At the end of their training teachers receive field and pop corn, grinding devices, corn starch for preparing biodegradable plastic, masa harina for preparing tortillas, as well as teaching materials to use in their classrooms. A pilot program was conducted in December 1995 ad classes were held in April and November 1996. Approximately 60 teachers were trained in March and September 1997. Two workshops were held at a Regional Volunteer Leadership Forum in October 1997. Forty-nine volunteers were trained in two sessions at this Forum. The A-maize-ing Grain program was featured at the National Extension Association Galaxy Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio in a Showcase of Excellence. Four Universities have requested information on how to conduct the program in their states as a result of this presentation. Celebrate Earth Day was held in June 1997. A hands on approximately 400 children and adults.

Maryland Envirothon - Craig Zinter, Talbot Soil Conservation District

2003:  The 2003 Maryland Envirothon was the 13^th anniversary of the Maryland Envirothon. The competition was held on site at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center in Montgomery County on June 24-26. Teams from 18 counties convened for the right to represent Maryland at the Canon International Envirothon.

Teams arrived at the Smith Center on Tuesday and were given a background perspective on the 2003 fifth issue- Agricultural Land Conservation and Preservation, followed by an introduction to the oral presentation problem. Teams were later entertained by Maryland DNR’s Scales and Tales program before heading off for evening educational activities.  The students spent Wednesday participating in three different training sessions on site, given by the various natural resource professionals who were conducting the competition.

The Envirothon culminated Thursday with the actual competition. Teams were tested on their knowledge at five resource test stations and an oral presentation station. A luncheon awards program Thursday afternoon recognized the high scoring teams in each resource area as well as the oral presentation and overall top five teams of the competition. The Maryland Envirothon again presented a scholarship award for the top three teams: $500.00 for each first place team member, $300.00 for each second place team member and $200.00 for each third place team member. Grant recipient: Craig Zinter, craig.zinter@md.nacdnet.net.  

2002: The Envirothon is a competitive environmental educational program for high school students. It supplements local schools’ environmental curricula with hands-on field activities and teaching by natural resource professionals. Students are trained and tested in five natural resource fields: forestry, soils, wildlife, aquatic, and a current environmental issue, which for 1999 was wildfire management. Students compete progressively at the school, county, state and national level. Begun in Pennsylvania in 1979, the Envirothon has spread to 40 states and 22 of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. 80 Maryland high schools participated in 1998, fielding 171 teams of 940 students. The same competitive impulses, which get young people involved in sports, is harnessed by Envirothon contests to environmental studies.

The Envirothon program is a unique partnership between high school science teachers and natural resource professionals. Together, they offer a broader environmental education program than either could separately. Student teams and teachers work closely with biologists, foresters, and soil scientists training for local, state, and national contests. All training is conducted outdoors in natural settings. Teacher surveys and discussions with state and local education officials emphasize the need for such real-life, hands-on outdoor educational experiences. Many schools have had to cut such programs as the funds needed for bussing students have been squeezed out of their budgets. Envirothon training is both science-based and practical; it emphasizes field inventories, identification, and problem-solving. Without the Envirothon this high quality field training would be unavailable to students.

The soil conservation district staff are very involved with the education of the high school students and through their soils presentations provide the students with an agricultural perspective on environmental issues. Since its inception, the SCD’s have provided students with broad based information on the fifth and varied subjects which have included; pesticide usage, wetlands, land use, agricultural land preservation, non-point source pollution, acid rain, groundwater, greenways, watersheds, and most recently wildfire management.

MGPUB supports this program in an effort to help the soil conservation districts maintain their leadership role in this program. Several environmental groups would like to lead this program but they do not possess the districts agricultural knowledge.

Ag Council of America - Max Fisher

2003:  The 2003 National Agriculture Day Program celebrated its 30th year of increasing the general public’s awareness about the important role agriculture plays in our lives. This year’s program, once again, provided the opportunity for organizations, companies and individuals to celebrate agriculture on the first day of spring. In the face of continued reduction in the financial support for the 2003 program, the program was still successful in providing support to hundreds of Ag Day Celebration activities across the country.

This year’s National Agriculture Day Program was organized around three key communications strategies. These strategies targeted: I. Stake Holder Communications; II. Industry Communications, and; Ill. Public Communications. Primary audiences, goals, messages and strategies/tactics were identified for each of these three targets. Grant recipient: Eldon White, eldonw@nama.org, www.agday.org.  

2001:  Over 10,000 educator kits were distributed in 2001. Ag Council’s volunteer base of farmers and ranchers continues to increase and currently make up 30 percent of the program volunteers.  The 2001 program garnered more than 1.5 million participants. In 2002, it is expected to grow yet again to an estimated 2 million participants. Survey results were once again extremely positive. Of those utilizing the materials, 65 percent personally used the information to teach and inform students about agriculture. The remaining material request were utilized by groups sharing this information during meetings, school programs, in newsletters, nursing homes and much more. A full 53 percent of the materials were used in a classroom setting. The poster, Fun Facts about Agriculture, lesson plan and website were highly rated by survey respondents.

All About Grains -  Sharon Pahlman

Approximately 1700 youth and adults learned about the relationship between nutrition and making healthy choices. Learning stations engaged youth and adults in hands-on label reading.  Taste testing and learning to compare fats, sweets, identifying carbohydrates and the awareness of healthy choices of snacks and grain foods were included.   Additionally, approximately 800 citizens became aware of the many everyday items that they use that are derived from grains.  4-H members participating in the livestock projects shared with several hundred folks at the Caroline County Fair about the grains they help grow and harvest to feed their animals. 

Focus on the Farm - Doug Tregoning

2001:  A total of 12 one-half hour cable television shows designed