Crop Insurance

While many farmers have purchased crop insurance to manage their risk against weather conditions such as the current drought, the Maryland Department of Agriculture reminds farmers to stay in close contact with their crop insurance agent, as there are rules that must be followed to receive claims. Also, the department's State Chemist Section is offering farmers free testing of corn grain and forage for nitrates, aflatoxins and prussic acid. These compounds, which can be deadly to livestock, are often present in grain in dry weather conditions.

Congress may soon finalize the 2012 Farm Bill, and that hefty document should concern all of us in Maryland - especially when it comes to clean water. As we all know, the Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest and most productive estuary. However, the bay is threatened by pollution from its major tributaries, including fertilizer-laden waters from farmlands. Each summer, nutrient runoff leads to algal growth, resulting in oxygen depletion as the algae decays. The loss of dissolved oxygen causes more than a third of the Chesapeake Bay to become a "dead zone.

When Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner says agriculture is important to her state's economy, she backs up her words with bucks. In a move that makes Maryland look a bit cheap, Delaware is boosting its state funding for a farm crop insurance program after Maryland eliminated funding for a similar plan several years ago. Delaware's recently passed budget for fiscal 2009 included a $150,000 increase in the state's crop insurance cost-sharing program that helps...

A reminder to grain farmers from the folks at the state Department of Agriculture: The recently enacted federal farm bill links crop insurance with future disaster payments and the deadline for signing up for such insurance is not far off. Sept. 30 is the crop insurance sign-up deadline in Maryland for farmers planting winter wheat, barley and forage. "Any Maryland farmer who wants to be eligible for disaster assistance on 2009 crops must have insurance coverage on all insurable fall seeded crops before the sales closing deadline," said state Agriculture Secretary Roger L. Richardson.

When Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner says agriculture is important to her state's economy, she backs up her words with bucks. In a move that makes Maryland look a bit cheap, Delaware is boosting its state funding for a farm crop insurance program after Maryland eliminated funding for a similar plan several years ago. Delaware's recently passed budget for fiscal 2009 included a $150,000 increase in the state's crop insurance cost-sharing program that helps...

Crop insurance programs signup deadline is Sept. 30 The Carroll County Farm Service Agency in Westminster reminds producers that Sept. 30 is the deadline for signing up for two programs. They are: Crop insurance for wheat barley and oats. Current small grains policyholders must make any changes to their coverage. Price elections, per bushel, for the 2006 crops are wheat, $2.80; barley, $1.85; and oats, $1.33. Crop insurance on forage production. Changes to the current policy must be made to existing contracts.

Congress may soon finalize the 2012 Farm Bill, and that hefty document should concern all of us in Maryland - especially when it comes to clean water. As we all know, the Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest and most productive estuary. However, the bay is threatened by pollution from its major tributaries, including fertilizer-laden waters from farmlands. Each summer, nutrient runoff leads to algal growth, resulting in oxygen depletion as the algae decays. The loss of dissolved oxygen causes more than a third of the Chesapeake Bay to become a "dead zone.

Community college students awarded Regents Scholarships Carroll Community College students William Matthews, Daniel McDonald and Deborah Schwartz have been awarded Regents Scholarships by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements. According to the University System of Maryland, transfer students who receive this award "must complete an associate's degree with an outstanding grade point average, thus continuing the tradition of high academic standards demonstrated by all Regents Scholars."

Here is how members of Maryland's delegation on Capitol Hill were recorded on important roll-call votes last week:Yes ... N: No ... X: Not votingHouse: Training for womenVoting 207 for and 214 against, the House declined to continue gender-equity requirements in the government's main vocational education law. The House acted as it passed a bill (HR 1853) extending the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act for five years without any pro-women requirements. The bill ends the current requirement that 10.5 percent of funding be used to train displaced homemakers, single pregnant women and single women with children.

Farmers with crop losses because of drought or other natural disasters in 1990 or 1991 are eligible for federal disaster aid and may apply for it Feb. 3 through March 13.Farmers who have crop insurance must have losses of more than 35 percent; those without insurance must have losses of more than 40 percent, according to the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service office.The program provides cash payments, which are scheduled to be issued by April 16.Meanwhile, farmers participating in the wool and mohair incentive program must turn in their sales receipts to the ASCS by March 2 to be eligible for price support payments under the National Wool Act.Information: 848-2780.

When Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner says agriculture is important to her state's economy, she backs up her words with bucks. In a move that makes Maryland look a bit cheap, Delaware is boosting its state funding for a farm crop insurance program after Maryland eliminated funding for a similar plan several years ago. Delaware's recently passed budget for fiscal 2009 included a $150,000 increase in the state's crop insurance cost-sharing program that helps...

When Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner says agriculture is important to her state's economy, she backs up her words with bucks. In a move that makes Maryland look a bit cheap, Delaware is boosting its state funding for a farm crop insurance program after Maryland eliminated funding for a similar plan several years ago. Delaware's recently passed budget for fiscal 2009 included a $150,000 increase in the state's crop insurance cost-sharing program that helps...

"There are some small net gains for Maryland farmers," said Bruce Gardner, a professor at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "But when it comes to direct payments for commodities, the big bucks still go to farmers in other parts of the country." In the past, Gardner and other state agriculture officials have argued that Maryland did not get its fair share from previous federal farm bills. While Maryland farms accounted for 0.8 percent of the country's $240 million in farms sales in 2006, they received only one-half of 1 percent of the $20 billion paid out in federal support funds.

It is a sight farmers don't believe until they see it - a "city slicker" governor coming to the aid of agriculture. But that's what happened when Gov. Martin O'Malley recently announced a $1 million emergency loan fund to help Maryland farmers whose crops were damaged in this year's drought. Though $1 million for the whole state may not seem like much, it is a lot more than the federal government is likely to provide after declaring every county in Maryland a disaster because of the drought, agriculture officials said.

There is bad luck and then there is a Maryland corn farmer's luck. Three months of drought have proved just how bad the latter can be. After several years of bountiful crops but low prices, corn farmers find themselves in a far worse predicament this summer: Corn prices are at record highs, but the drought has dramatically lowered production. How hard hit is Maryland's corn crop? Estimates won't be officially released until Aug. 10, but Maryland Agriculture Secretary Roger L. Richardson says farmers in Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore are anticipating that corn yields will be off by 70 percent.

In funding programs ranging from farmland preservation to cover crops, the General Assembly smiled on farmers during the 90-day session that ended last week. In a year when money is tight, lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Martin O'Malley seemed to favor the Department of Agriculture in the budget process, members of the farm industry say. Legislators approved $70 million for agriculture land preservation programs and $8.5 million for cover crop initiatives designed to limit pollution of waterways.