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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

First Annual Seed Exchange

Enthusiastic gardeners just do not seem to be able to help themselves: they typically end up with an abundance of seeds. People will buy seeds packets that contain 50 - 500 seeds whereas they rarely need more than a few plants to satisfy their needs. Since seeds stay viable only a few years at best, what is a gardener to do? What about those people who do indeed just want to try a few seeds of a particular vegetable or flower? Or what about those people who forgot to order seeds and now they are sold out, or those people who would love to garden but do not have the money to purchase seeds?

This why the Kent County Public Library and the Master Gardeners of the University of Maryland Extension are organizing the 1^st Annual Seed Swap. Anyone is encouraged to bring their left over seeds and exchange them for some other seeds. We also like to encourage first time gardeners to come and get seeds. In other words, you do NOT need to donate seeds in order to receive seeds.

Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about seed starting as well as gardening in general. Children's activities are provided as well.

The event will take place on the library in Chestertown, on Saturday March 7 from 11am until 1pm. The event is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Sabine Harvey, sharvey1@umd.edu 

Submitted by

Sabine Harvey

University of MD Extension

Horticulture Program Assistant

410-778-1661

sharvey1@umd.edu

NOTICE

There will be a meeting of The Joint Kent-Queen Anne's Task Force on Friday, March 13, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in the Commissioners' Hearing Room, 400 High Street, Chestertown, MD for the purpose of discussing the Chester River Bridge.  All regular meetings are open meetings and the public is encouraged to attend.

Sondra M. Blackiston

Office of the Kent County Commissioners

410-778-4600 office

410-778-7482 fax

sblackiston@kentgov.org 

443-262-4117, lmastro@compassregionalhospice.org

For immediate release - February 26, 2015

Hospice offers bereaved parents support group

Compass Regional Hospice Grief Counselor Rhonda Knotts will lead a 10-week support group for bereaved parents beginning March 23

Compass Regional Hospice begins a new 10-week support group for bereaved parents on Monday, March 23. The group will meet every Monday (except Monday, May 25) through June 1 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at 255 Comet Drive in Centreville. Participants are asked to commit to coming each week in order to benefit the most from the group. 

This support group will be led by Rhonda Knotts, MCC, grief services coordinator and counselor for Compass Regional Hospice. "We are offering this special support group for parents whose child has died.  We know that the loss of a child of any age is a heartbreaking experience. This group is designed to help support parents as they talk with others who appreciate what it feels like to live with this

sometimes indescribable grief."

Each meeting will revolve around topics such as normal grief, sharing memories, and adjusting to and finding meaning in the loss of a

child. Sessions will include activities, grief education and open discussion.

"Although many people feel apprehensive about sharing their pain with strangers, most participants find that after the first session they look forward to each session," says Knotts.

Registration for the group will be held on a first-come, first-served basis.  A $25 enrollment fee   covers the cost of materials; no one will be turned away based on inability to pay.  For more information and to register, contact Rhonda Knotts, 443-262-4109, rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org.

The bereaved parents support group is one of the programs offered through the Compass Regional Hospice Hope & Healing Center. For more information about Compass Regional Hospice and The Hope & Healing Center, visit www.compassregionalhospice.org.

For immediate release:

February 23, 2015

Contact: Erin Montgomery erin.montgomery@maryland.gov 

or Shareese Churchill shareese.churchill@maryland.gov or 410-974-2316

Governor Hogan Releases Enhanced Phosphorus Management Tool Regulations part of a broader phosphorus initiative ANNAPOLIS, MD - Governor Larry Hogan today unveiled enhanced Phosphorus Management Tool (PMT) regulations as part of a broader "Maryland Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative," which will further Maryland's efforts to improve water quality, strengthen the agricultural industry, and bolster rural economies.

"We have listened to the agricultural and environmental communities to find a fair and balanced plan for limiting phosphorus, and I am pleased to announce the details of that solution today," said Governor Hogan. "The enhanced phosphorus management tool regulations and the broader Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative will protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay while still supporting a vibrant agriculture industry in Maryland. We are providing immediate action to limit pollution, investing in new technology, seeking alternative uses for manure, and improving on-farm management of animal manures - none of which were included in the previous proposals."

"I am excited that Maryland farmers have stepped up and proposed progressive steps that will accelerate our efforts to improve water quality while maintaining a viable industry," said Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. "These new initiatives speak to the commitment of Maryland farmers to follow the science and do what is right on their farms."

The new PMT regulations use the November 2014 PMT proposal as a starting point and make four significant enhancements that address key concerns of the agricultural community while providing immediate environmental protection and comprehensive data on agricultural soil phosphorus conditions across the state. The four enhancements are as follows:

1.      Ensure adequate time for farmers to fully understand and plan for

new requirements. The proposal shifts the seven-year implementation schedule originally proposed such that all farms will start implementing the PMT one year later, effective 2016, with full implementation in 2022.

This shift preserves the provision to allow farmers two full years to have nutrient management plans developed using both the existing Phosphorus Site Index (PSI) and the new PMT before management changes are required.

2.      Assure agricultural producers that critical elements are available

for implementation. The state will evaluate key elements that need to be in place, including: markets to relocate additional amounts of manure; adequate infrastructure to handle and transport manure; and alternative uses and new technologies to begin to provide new outlets and markets for animal manures. Evaluations of these elements will be conducted for each respective tier as it prepares to transition from each management level and to full PMT implementation.

3.      Enact an immediate ban of additional phosphorus on soils highest in

phosphorus. Upon adoption of the regulations, fields with a soil Fertility Index Value (FIV) of 500 or greater will be banned from receiving additional phosphorus until the PMT is fully implemented, currently scheduled for 2022. These are the fields that are at the highest risk of phosphorus potentially leaving the farm and entering nearby waterways.

4.      Provide comprehensive information on soil phosphorus conditions

statewide. Beginning in 2016 and every six years thereafter, soil test phosphorus data will be collected for all farms in Maryland subject to nutrient management plan requirements. This data will provide the Maryland Department of Agriculture with accurate soil fertility data to monitor trends in phosphorus levels and help identify potential areas to redistribute newly available manure.

In addition to the enhanced PMT regulations, the wider "Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative" will include an on-farm economic analysis project that will start when the enhanced PMT regulations are promulgated. The Maryland Department of Agriculture will recruit 10 to 12 Maryland farmers to evaluate the economic impacts of implementing the PMT on a minimum of

1,000 acres. These farms will collect and provide farm-scale cost and crop yield data related to PMT implementation. The farms will represent a cross section of farm types and geography and include poultry, dairy, grain, and organic operations. The farm scale economic data collected, combined with information from running both the PSI and PMT, will inform resource needs for a more effective PMT implementation statewide.

Governor Hogan's Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative also includes funding for the Animal Waste Technology Grant Fund for new technologies to improve manure management, create new sources of energy and products made from animal manure, and improve water quality.

The administration will also provide additional resources for the Maryland Department of Agriculture to offset economic impacts of implementing the more stringent environmental requirements on farms. The support will provide a stronger agricultural economy and share costs of environmental improvements. The level of support will be based on the on-farm economic analysis project described above.

For more details about the regulations and the broader initiative, click here. Additional information is also available at www.mda.maryland.gov/pmt