LEAD Maryland Class IX invites county officials and employees and those interested in agricultural issues to attend a one-day symposium on the many aspects and challenges facing agriculture in Maryland.
The LEAD Maryland Program is run by the LEAD Maryland Foundation, Inc., in association with the University of Maryland Extension and is dedicated to identifying and developing leadership to serve agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Both county and state officials have participated in prior LEAD Maryland classes. MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp is a member of Class IX.
THE MANY FACES OF MARYLAND AGRICULTURE
Date & Time: Saturday, November 19, 2016, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM (Registration opens at 8:30 AM)
Location: College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center (3501 University Blvd., East Hyattsville, MD 20783)
Cost: $50 ($30 with valid student ID) – includes lunch, onsite parking
Agriculture is the largest commercial industry in Maryland, supporting more than 350,000 jobs that go way beyond the farm. The program is split into four issue tracks: (1) Agricultural Challenges in the 21st Century; (2) Traditional & Progressive Agriculture – Is One Better?; (3) What is Agriculture; and (4) Opportunities in Agriculture. Attendees can focus on a single track or move between the various tracks to get a broad perspective. Distinguished speakers will include Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Bartenfelder and agricultural leaders Troy and Stacy Hadrick.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Registration: 8:30am – 9:30am
Opening Session & Welcome Address: 9:30 am – 10:00 am
- Breakout Session 1: 10:05 am – 10:50 am
- Crystal Clear: Agriculture’s Role in Clean Water
- Are GMOs Safe for Agriculture?
- Going Green – Forestry, Nurseries & Vegetables
- Agritourism & Value Added Industries
- Breakout Session 2: 11:05 am – 11:50 am
- Animal Ag Practices: Perceptions vs. Reality
- What’s the Buzz on Neonics? Pesticide Usage in the Horticulture Industry
- Fields of Gold: Grain Farming in Maryland
- No Farm Required: Agriculture Support Industries
Lunch with Keynote Speakers, Troy & Stacy Hadrick: 12:00 pm – 1:45 pm
- Breakout Session 3: 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm
- Building Bridges: Collaborating With the Environmental Community
- Medical Cannabis: From “Reefer Madness” to Cash Crop?
- Animal Planet – Livestock, Dairy, Poultry & Equine
- Getting Wet: Oyster Aquaculture
Closing Panel Discussion: A Career in Ag: Where Do I Start?: 2:55 pm – 4:00pm
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