On Friday, September 9th, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack came to visit Maryland to celebrate farmer’s voluntary conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The day kicked off with a round-table discussion at Maryland Farm Bureau offices with NRCS officials and commodity group leaders discussing critical conservation issues, including the new farm bill. Secretary Vilsack encouraged commodity and conservation groups to continue to work together to show the power of voluntary conservation. Maryland Grain Producers Association was proud to have three of our board members participate in the discussions – Chip Bowling, Eric Spates, and Jason Scott.
Jason Scott, Grain Producers Board Member
Following the round-table discussion was a press event at the Scible Family’s “Y Worry Farm” in Davidsonville. Secretary Vilsack, NRCS Chief Jason Weller, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder, and Jason Scott all spoke commemorating farmers for the difference that they have made in the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Secretary Vilsack boasted that 99% of the watershed’s cultivated acres have at least one conservation practice in place, and that this statistic was “an extraordinary achievement unmatched anywhere in the United States.” Thank you Chip, Eric, and Jason for being the voice of Maryland Farmer’s at this event, Maryland has a lot to be proud of!
The Maryland Grain Producers Association (MGPA) utilized this year’s Eleven Best Days of Summer to promote ethanol at the Maryland State Fair. Public Relations Coordinator, Laurie Adelhardt, created and set up an “E15 Race to Cleaner Air” remote controlled car racetrack in the Farm and Garden Building, which was a huge success. The exhibit also featured finalist’s videos from our “Drive Flex Fuels Video Contest” as well as byproducts of corn and ethanol.
“Cars zoomed around corners, bounced off each other, spun around and headed the opposite direction, to the glee and laughter of the drivers and audience,” described Laurie. “The activity drew large crowds who heard and read about the benefits of ethanol as they awaited the next race.” She estimated that around 3,000 people drove cars and over 5,000 visited the exhibit.
The exhibit was even featured on Fox 45 Morning News during the fair. Jill Hamilton was present to share the benefits of ethanol and talk about new stations coming to Maryland this year that will be selling E15 and E85. Many thanks to Laurie and her daughter Kelly for all the their help with the exhibit!
Maryland Grain Producers Association (MGPA) President and Calvert County farmer, Donnie Tennyson, was recently featured in the Delmarva Farmer for his newfound fame through the video-sharing website, YouTube. Donnie’s YouTube channel, entitled Farmer MD, features “farming and a little more in Souther Maryland.” To date, Donnie has posted over 90 videos on his channel, received more than 1,500 subscribers and nearly 215,000 views.
The Delmarva Farmers boosts that Donnie’s YouTube channel is a way to make agriculture in Maryland “sexy,” citing a video he posted on October 15th title “Sexy Farmer.” But he is not justing drawing in viewers from Maryland. Donnie has been tracking viewers from outside of the U.S., including Chile, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. “What I think I do is not that exciting, but there are others out there that enjoy it and like watching it. I think that’s the biggest surprise,” Donnie said.
Drew Stabler didn’t learn the importance of conservation and sustainable farming so much as he absorbed it throughout a lifetime and six decades of farming. His journey to achieve sustainability earned Stabler recognition from the National Corn Growers Association for Good Stewardship during the 2016 Commodity Classic.
Stabler, of Laytonville, Maryland, is the third honoree in NCGA’s Good Steward Recognition Program which began in 2014. The program funding was provided by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation as part of their Harvesting the Potential campaign to raise awareness among U.S. farmers of the importance of conservation agriculture.
“This program is about expanding awareness of the best management practices in sustainable corn production. Our goal is to recognize the special efforts of those who demonstrate the economic and conservation value of soil management,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling. “Drew has shown a lifelong commitment to conservation practices and sustainable production that is remarkable. It is my privilege to honor him with this recognition. It’s people like Drew who lead by example on their own farms and help make it possible for all Maryland farmers to continue to farm in the Chesapeake Bay watershed!”
Stabler owns and operates Sunny Ridge Farm, a gran and beef farm with his partners, Fred and David Lechlider in Montgomery County. He farms 1,800 acres of corn, wheat, and soybeans and has 75 head of beef cattle.
“My dad was an extension agronomist for the University of Maryland, so he instilled in my brother and I, the respect you had to have for the land and how you need to take care of it,” Stabler said. “That’s what we’ve always tried to do.”
Practices employed by Stabler include split nitrogen applications, contour farming, contour strip cropping, cover crops, grassed waterways, rotational grazing, filter strips, switchbacks, and installation of spring-fed cattle troughs which have enabled him to install fencing to eliminate cattle contact with the nearby stream. He became a certified nutrient management planner so he can keep his nutrient management plan current.
“The Stabler Farm and the whole family have been conservationists from the beginning. Drew is really a pioneer and one of the early adopters of no-till farming starting in 1970, converting to completely no-till by 1985,” said Lynne Hoot, Executive Director of the Maryland Grain Producers Association. “The farm is located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is a focal point for the national discussion on soil conservation and water quality. Drew has become a needed spokesperson for the industry.”
In addition to making significant improvements on his farm, Stabler is a leader in conservation outreach. He has hosted numerous tours and field days for local farmers, agribusinesses, and agency officials, and legislative leaders.
“All the conservation practices we’ve done have rewarded us from the savings and conservation of soil or the good for the environment,” Stabler added. “I appreciate the recognition for our farm. It’s been a team effort.”
As the fiscal year came to an end last week, so did Chip Bowling’s two-year term as President of the National Corn Grower’s Association. He will now be serving as Corn Board chairman, passing the role of President to Wesley Spurlock of Texas. When reflecting on his presidency, Bowling felt that some of his great accomplishments were getting a market-based farm bill passed, which included crop insurance, and keeping the renewable fuel standard moving forward with increased pump infrastructure. “I’ve enjoyed every minute as President of the National Corn Growers,” he said. “I’m sure being chairman is going to be even more interesting and hopefully more fun.”
Looking into the future, Bowling recognizes that there are many more challenges that lie ahead. Bowling emphasized that corn framers need to continue to protect renewable fuel standards and create demand for their product. When asked if he had any closing remarks that he would like to share with Maryland farmers, Bowling responded that “Farmers across the nation are interested in how we deal with the Chesapeake Bay mandate. I have given presentations across the country on how Maryland farmers deal with regulations. We are a model for all of ag when it comes to dealing with the mandate.” MGPA thanks Chip for his leadership and for being an exemplary representation of Maryland agriculture.
You can view Chip’s interview with Off the Cob Podcast here.
