Agricultural and Resources Economics (AREC)

College of Agriculture & Natural Resources' Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21, 2024, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Topics include exciting happenings in the insect and mite world, turf organic herbicide efficacy trial results, using the pest predictive calendar, disease updates, and equipment calibration. The full agenda will be available in late May.

Yes, this year is a true procrastinator's meeting. And yes, this will still count for Maryland pesticide credits!

Date: Fri, Jun 28 at 7:45 AM

Location: Agricultural History Farm Park • 18410 Muncaster Rd, Derwood MD 20855

Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/29th-annual-procrastinators-pesticide-and-…

University of Maryland Extension mental health specialist Alexander Chan explores the "Farm State of Mind" during the final Sustainable Food Systems lecture next week on Tuesday, April 23 at 6pm.

University of Maryland is the place to be for Maryland Day 2024! This will be the 99th annual Ag Day and this year we're excited for our very first AGNR Alumni Chill Zone in the Animal Science Courtyard!

Join us on Ag Day Avenue to visit the Campus Farm and take in a livestock show with our students. Drop by the Animal Science courtyard to see our college in full force with clubs, departments, and Extension programs. Grab a plant from the Institute of Applied Agriculture or from the Plant Science Building. McKeldin Mall will feature Maryland 4-H and there's an Extension catfish cooking demo at Hornbake Plaza.

AGNR faculty and staff are invited to the 2024 State of the College and Cornerstone Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 8 at 9:00am at the Riggs Alumni Center. The Cornerstone Awards serves to recognize an AGNR faculty or staff member or an external partner in actively promoting awareness of one of the Strategic Initiatives who demonstrates innovation, and provides a model for others in the college.

Attend an event about Accessible Public Spaces and Gardens with Michelle Nelson, Wen Huang, and Chin-Fang Chen from the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning.

This carefully curated schedule of events is solely dedicated to topics related to sustainability and the role of agriculture in environmental, social, and economic issues, with a heavy emphasis on the food we consume in our everyday lives. The series is part of our strategic initiative, Establish a Healthy Food System and Ensure Global Food and Nutritional Security. This year's theme is Mental and Physical Health.

Attend the next installment of MomentUMD Live: AGNR Conversations Around Grand Challenges, featuring Gene Kelly, Professor of Pedology and Director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. Dr. Kelly is leading a national effort to set priorities for the USDA's climate change research over the next decade. 

Registration is open for this event taking place on Tuesday, April 16 from 10am - noon in the Atrium of Stamp.

The evening aims to welcome you into the AGNR community and answer any questions you may have about becoming a Terp or deciding your future path.

Tickets are free for students admitted to the University and up to two guests (additional tickets available for $10). We will be providing food, beverages, and a special Terp-sundae!

The event takes place on Thursday, April 11, 2024 from 6:00-8:00 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm) at Rocky Point Creamery, owned and operated our very own alumni.

Our kickoff program features Nadine Burton, Extension faculty with UMES, with a talk titled - Building Community for Immigrants: Culturally Relevant Ethnic Crops.

The University of Maryland and the University of Delaware will host the Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do four webinars every Friday in April at noon starting on April 5th and ending on April 26. The free webinars will cover developing an employee handbook for your operation, basic legal requirements, and how to incorporate benefits that agricultural employers deal with. The funding for this program is thanks to the Northeast Risk Management Education Center.

The webinar schedule includes:
April 5: Introduction to the Employer Guide and Workbook - Nate Bruce, Farm Business Management Specialist, UD Cooperative Extension;
April 12: Finding the right person, Employee Handbook, Paul Goeringer, Sr. Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist, UMD
April 19: Overview of health insurance options with case study, Jesse Ketterman, PhD, AFC, Senior Agent, University of Maryland Extension
April 26: Overview retirement savings options with case study, Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator, Financial Wellness, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension;

“This program will be a great opportunity for agricultural employers to get valuable information on their legal responsibilities and options,” said Paul Goeringer. “This information will be useful for any employer, regardless of the size of the operation,” said Goeringer.

For more information or to register for the webinars, go to https://bit.ly/3uwXmdx - and do not hesitate to reach out to Paul Goeringer at lgoering@umd.edu if you have any questions.