The Maryland Department of Agriculture has a new tree-planting bonus available to farmers and landowners who install qualifying conservation practices financed through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share program.

The incentive aims to help Maryland achieve its ambitious tree-planting goal to capture greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. 

Under the new incentive program, eligible farmers will receive $2 for each new tree planted as part of an approved conservation practice that began April 1. The bonus payment will be provided when the conservation practice is fully installed.

This payment is in addition to the regular cost-share rate for the qualifying practice. It is available for the following conservation practices:

Maryland has pledged to plant 5 million trees in the state by 2031 to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere and combat climate change. The department’s new tree planting bonus aims to increase farmer interest and commitment to planting trees and other forest conservation practices.

Established in 1984, the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share program provides farmers with grants to help cover the cost of installing conservation practices on farms to protect water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay, and establish climate-smart conservation practices. 

Interested farmers should contact their local soil conservation district to apply for cost-share funding and to receive free technical assistance to install new practices.

Applicants must be in good standing with the program and in compliance with Maryland’s nutrient management regulations to be eligible. Other restrictions may apply. For more information, please contact the Conservation Grants office at 410-841-5864 or visit the program website. 

Dairy nutrition short course

The Dairy Nutrition and Management Shortcourse, presented by Cornell University and the Miner Institute, blends classroom-based instruction with practical skill development along with networking opportunities with attendees and with course faculty in informal settings.

This course is designed primarily for early career nutritionists and allied industry professionals seeking a more comprehensive foundation in the principles of dairy cattle nutrition and their application within dairy herd management.

The next course will be held June 5-9 at the W.H. Miner Agricultural.

The course begins at 1 p.m. June 5 and concludes at 12:15 p.m. June 8. The course is limited to 75 participants and will fill quickly. Registration online is required to reserve a spot. The cost is $700 per person, which includes most meals, refreshment breaks and course materials.

An on-demand online course featuring many of the same topic areas is also available for purchase. Once accessed, you will have six months to complete the course content, which is about 14 hours of prerecorded content and supplemental materials.

For more information or to register, visit cals.cornell.edu.