Maryland

$31,043 AWARD TOTAL

CNE10-077
Stimulating Maryland agricultural entrepreneurship through curbside roundtables and individualized planning
Ginger Myers, Western Maryland Research and Education Center, Keedysville MD
Entrepreneurial farmers often learn best from other farmers and through individual coaching when building new business plans. The project manager will recruit and train these coaches, offer open roundtables that allow new entrepreneurs to get advice, critiques, and feedback, and then ensure follow-up with business plans and resources that will support the launch of new farm enterprises. Outreach will be through the web, newsletters, articles, presentations, and conferences.
$12,008

FNE10-682
Big flip floats for commercial oyster aquaculture
David Chamberlain, Great Eastern Shellfish Company, Snow Hill MD
Modern oyster production often relies on off-the-bottom floats; the results are good but the system is prone to excessive fouling, material waste, and labor issues during harvest. The farmer will build and test a containment system that can hold up to 1500 oysters, flips over easily to dry out and disintegrate fouling materials, and also has oyster bags that can be re-used. He will compare harvest, labor, and losses to waste with a flat bag float system. Outreach will be via a presentation at an industry expo, a video, a handout, and through producer networks.
$11,384

FNE10-693
Economical climate control for extended production in high-tunnel vertical growing systems
Allen Lilly, Ryan's Glade Farm, Oakland MD
Everbearing strawberries do well in cool climates and higher elevations, producing larger, firmer, and sweeter fruit. The farmer will test a high-tunnel strawberry production system that relies on wind and solar energy for winter heating combined with a vertical or column system that allows for better plant density. He will track plant growth, yield, and temperature, and assess energy efficiency and protection from the cold. Outreach will be through an open house and field day, a newsletter, and a fact sheet, with the potential for presentations at regional fruit and vegetable meetings.
$7,651