Farm Stewardship (Jane Tery)
Te Tird Farm Stewardship meeting took place on February 18, 2013 in the comfortable and heated lounge of Lori Larson’s lovely Wyndham Oaks Farm. Overlooking the impressive indoor arena, 25 members of the Maryland horse community gathered to discuss land stewardship issues with the overall goal of contributing to healthy horses and a healthy environment in Maryland.
Jane Tery, the committee chair, opened the meeting with an overview of the committee priorities of: promoting the view of the equestrian community in state-wide policy discussions regarding the environment; getting public recognition for the positive contribution to land management on the 587,000 acres in Maryland horse farms; linking technical and financial assistance resources to horse farm needs; staying ahead of the curve on land management technologies and regulations; and promoting the participation of horse farms in the Maryland Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP).
Gerald Talbert, the program director of FSCAP, shared the good news that Sagamore Farm, owned by Kevin Plank and managed by Tom Mullikin, and the Potomac Horse Center, owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and managed by Rick Terselic, were certified. Tis brings the number of certified horse farms up to seven with acreage of 898.3. Again, congratulations to Persimmon Tree Farm and Carolyn Krome, Edgewood Farm and Steve Darcey, Bloomsbury Forge and Karla Stoner, Graden/ Rover’s Content and Milly Welsh, Wyndham Oaks and Lori Larson, Potomac Horse Center and the Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission, and Sagamore Farm and Kevin Plank.
Gerald answered questions from several farm owners looking into getting certified.
Lori Larson, the owner of Wyndham Oaks Farm, talked about designing the farm from the beginning to meet high environmental standards. Her experience with the FSCAP certification was that the process was simple as long as you had good farm management practices and kept your records up-to-date. Lori noted that she had also installed solar panels on the indoor arena roof and built the barns with natural light and ventilation. She is interested in exploring new technologies for on-farm energy generation using the horse manure from the 65 horses on the property. Wyndham Oaks has its Farm Stewardship green sign prominently displayed at the farm entrance.
Gary Felton, bio-environmental engineering and water quality specialist from the University of Maryland, is an expert on composting. He reviewed the simple steps to composting horse manure and highlighted its value as an organic soil enhancement. He also raised the issue of action needed to stop the use of persistent herbicides on equine hays and grains, as the herbicides do not break down in the composting process and can kill plants when the compost is applied. Te Maryland Horse Council will look into ways to help stop the use of these persistent herbicides. Gary offered to provide additional information to anyone interested in composting horse manure.
Brenda Platt directs the Composting Makes $en$e Project at the Institute for Local Self Reliance and was representing the National
Composting Association. She raised the need to come up with
modern composting regulations that will promote composting in a clear and transparent manner. She noted that the state of Maryland is presently reviewing composting regulations and encouraged the horse community to get involved. Brenda distributed a list of certified composting facilities that accept horse manure. Te list was provided by Craig Coker of Coker Composting and Consulting. Tey are: Veteran’s Compost in Aberdeen, Maryland; Howard County Bureau of Environmental Services in Marriottsville, Maryland (for Howard County horse farms only); Peninsula Compost in Wilmington, Delaware; Royal Oak Farm in Evington, Virginia; Black Bear Composting in Crozet, Virginia; McGill Environmental Systems in Waverly, Virginia; Two Particular Acres in Royersford, Pennsylvania; Terra-Grow, Inc. in Terre Hill, Pennsylvania; and Barnside Mulch and Compost in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania.
She said that
discussions are ongoing about building more composting facilities to manage the growing demand for composting in the region.
A special thanks to Andy Bennett of Te Piedmont Group. Andy provided information on the insurance his company provides as well as some swag bag goodies to the group. He also sponsored our meeting refreshments. Tank you Andy!
Maryland Fund For Horses Spring Update (Vicki Carson)
Spring is here, and it’s time for two important Maryland Fund For Horses (MFFH) programs: Responsible Horse Ownership Week, May 13-19 and Good-to-Geld/ Equine Healthcare Vouchers.
During Maryland’s second annual Responsible Horse Ownership Week, MFFH will be offering a series of youth educational programs to organizations interested in educating young people about unwanted horses and responsible horse ownership. Te program includes an interactive lesson plan with activities and resources appropriate for kids 8 and older. Summer camps, scout troops, lesson barns, pony clubs, 4-H groups and other organizations interested in the program should contact
info@mdfundforhorses.org. Financial assistance with printing and volunteer instructors may be available for approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.
Tis spring, MFFH is inaugurating its Equine Healthcare Voucher program. Te program will be available to individuals in financial need, to assist with major (one-time) equine healthcare expenses. Examples include but are not restricted to gelding and euthanasia. Vouchers will be available as long as funds are available. Please help support this important program with your donations. To donate or for qualification requirements and an application, visit
www.mdfundforhorses.org or the MFFH Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/MarylandFundForHorses
Special Note: Maryland Fund For Horses, Inc, received its 501(c)(3) non-profit status in February 2013, retroactive to December 2011. Our much-appreciated donors and supporters should check with their tax professionals to confirm that donations to MFFH are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS. Many thanks to our donors and supporters!
Maryland Horse Council membership is open to all associations, farms, businesses and individuals. To join, please visit
mdhorsecouncil.org, contact
admin@mdhorsecouncil.org, or call 301-502-8929. The Maryland Horse Council is sponsored by B & D Builders, The Equiery, and Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit.
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 MAY 2013 | THE EQUIERY | 47
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