Agriculture

Much of the region was expected to find frost on their windshields this morning, but based on history, it could be for one of the last times until fall. Baltimore's last frost comes by this week nine out of 10 years, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture - typically around April 11 . The milestone comes later the further north you get, though - April 30 in Bel Air and May 4 in Westminster. Frosts and freezes have been of particular concern to gardeners and farmers this year because March's warmth coaxed plants into growing much earlier than normal, leaving them vulnerable to damage.

It's not surprising that changes to the Harford County Charter suggested by a 15-member board appointed to review the county's de facto constitution would contain elements related to residential development policy. The charter review board formally released its report last week and it includes, among its proposals, a suggestion that the county's land use plan have a housing element and an agriculture element so as to direct residential development into appropriate areas. Also included is a provision that would change the public notice requirements for hearings on proposed government action.

Millions of tons of one of theChesapeake Bay'slargest sources of pollution continue to be dumped onto farm lands without proper regulation. Farm animals produce 44 million tons of manure annually in the bay watershed, and most of it is collected and disposed of on farmland - or left where it falls. This ranks the bay region in the top 10 percent in the nation for manure-related nitrogen runoff, and the problem of proper management of this waste is exacerbated by the fact that three highly concentrated animal feeding operation areas contribute more than 90 percent of the manure.

Approximately 50 horses will be on display for auction at the Carroll County Agriculture Center in Westminster on Sunday, Feb. 26. One is blue, another has stripes and another has balloons. Another has the scene of a fox hunt painted on its side. Yet another comes with two tickets to a Broadway show. These horses don't eat much and can easily fit into your car - they aren't real, but rather a mix of ceramic statues, wooden models and others - all created for the "Horses of Many Colors for a Cause Retreat Round-Up," a fundraiser hosted by the Horse of Course 4-H Club, and benefiting The Retreat at Beckleysville.

USDA Maryland Farm Service Agency USDA Maryland Farm Service Agency Last week, we learned that farm income in 2011 is forecast to reach an all-time high, up 28 percent over 2010, signaling that American agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation's economy. The growth in farm income is also making a real difference for America's farm families, whose household income was up 3.1 percent in 2010 and is forecast to increase 1.2 percent in 2011. And despite marginal increases in retail food prices, all American families still pay substantially less for food at the grocery store than residents of nearly every other country thanks to the productivity of our farmers.

Every family celebrates Thanksgiving differently. Some focus on the founding of our nation while others reflect upon their personal blessings, but for almost everyone the celebrating revolves around food and drink. In today's modern and fast-paced economy, there is a huge gap between the producers and the end-users of any product. Children do not know that beef comes from cows. Supermarket cashiers can't identify the vegetables they ring up on the register. Consumers, no longer tied to the land, don't take the time to stop and reflect upon the year's worth of labor that went into harvesting a crop whether it be grapes or grain.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is committing $5.7 million to find non-chemical means to control stink bugs, the brown pests from Asia that wreck fruit and vegetable crops and invade homes when the weather cools. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., announced the grant Friday, saying more successful and less expensive remedies than pesticides are needed to help farmers combat the brown marmorated stink bug. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved requests to use the insecticide dinotefuran on tree fruit, and Bartlett said such "stopgap" methods seem to have helped reduce crop damage but greatly increased growers' costs.

Ralph H. Hemphill Jr., a former Crown Central Petroleum Corp. executive who later worked for the state Department of Agriculture, died Oct. 7 from complications of Alzheimer's disease at a San Diego assisted-living facility. The former Towson resident was 89. The son of a contractor and a homemaker, Ralph Hayes Hemphill Jr. was born in Philadelphia and raised in Upper Darby, Pa. After graduating from Upper Darby High School, Mr. Hemphill worked before World War II at the old Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, Pa., and the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Chester, Pa. With the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the Navy, where he was trained as a carrier pilot and flew Douglas Dauntless dive bombers and F4U Corsair fighter planes.

Aaron Geiman has a gleam in his eye that gets brighter as he talks about education. Whether he's talking about his students at North Carroll High School, school policies, parents, agriculture science or the future of education, Geiman is passionate. All aspects of his vocation intrigue him, and he does his best to do his best for his students. "He is probably one of the brightest, most innovative teachers," said Richard Weaver, the career connections teacher at North Carroll, and the person who nominated Geiman for Teacher of the Year in Carroll County.