The Maryland Horse Council’s Farm Stewardship CommitteeBy Katherine O. Rizzo


As the Maryland Horse Council continued to


grow in its fi rst decades of existence, its subcom- mittees also grew and in November 2011, MHC’s Farm Stewardship Committee was created. Its initial goals included assisting horse farm


owners in reaching their land stewardship goals through providing


information, community


support, and access to information on fi nanc- ing and other incentives. In addition, the com- mittee aimed to create more positive attention for horse farms in Maryland and bring the voice of the horse community into discussions of laws, regulations and incentive programs for agriculture and for the environment. “One of the important, untold stories of horse farms as part of Maryland agriculture and environmen- tal management,” says former MHC President, Jane Seigler, is that a well maintained horse pasture provides huge environmental benefi ts as both a natural fi lter for runoff into the bay, and a carbon sink. T e MHC Farm Steward- ship Committee has been an important voice in getting that message out.”


Stewardship T e Oxford English Dictionary defi nes


“stewardship” as “the job of supervising or tak- ing care of something, such as an organization or property.” Where MHC can be seen as stew- ards for the entire Maryland horse industry, the Farm Stewardship Committee became stew- ards specifi cally for horse farm owners. Committee founder and chair Jane T ery


stated, “healthy pastures are great for everyone and create a positive impact on the environ- ment.” T is concept of healthy pastures creat-


ing a healthy environment became the driving force behind the Committee. Quarterly meetings were held throughout the state at farms that were already showing good stewardship practices such as Carolyn Krome’s Persimmon


Tree


Farm in Westmin- ster and Robert Butts’ Waredaca in Laytonsville. “We held early meetings at


both places as


well as Hilltop and farms on the Eastern Shore,” T ery said. At each meet-


ing, the Committee would bring in ex- perts on such top- ics as cost sharing, solar panels, pasture management and more. As state and county regulations changed, seminar topics changed too. “We help farmers keep up on the changing county codes and put them in touch with those that can help them adjust if needed,” T ery added. T ery also maintains the Committee’s blog


on MHC’s website where all information from meetings, and much more, are shared digitally to the community.


Action and Results One of the fi rst action plan items listed by the


Committee was to increase the number of horse


farms that are certifi ed through the Farm Stew- ardship Certifi cation and Assessment Program (FSCAP). T ery feels that the Committee’s big- gest accomplishment thus far is increasing the FSCAP numbers dramatically. “When I joined MHC, Persimmon Tree was the only horse farm in the program,” T ery stated. “Now, there are 32 horse farms protecting 3,363.6 acres in 11 coun- ties. T at’s all due to this Commit- tee’s eff orts.” sidebar


for


Former MHC President Jane Seiglar, MHC Farm Stewardship Committee chair Jane Thery and Soil Conservation Offi cial Travis Gorleski


(see cur-


rent FSCAP horse farms) Another action plan item was to link


horse farm owners and man-


agers to public and private resources available to upgrade their farm stewardship practices. Due to T ery’s and the Committee’s eff orts, more horse farm owners are aware of and use the county Soil Conservation Districts. “We were able to tap into the interests of horse farm owners to be more environmentally aware. It was there, we just helped to mobilize it,” T ery added. T e Committee has also helped put farm


owners in touch with the University of Mary- land’s various programs. UMD off ers pasture rotation seminars as well as information on


continued...


The following Maryland Farms have been accepted into the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts Farm Stewardship Certifi cation and Assessment Program.


CHARLES COUNTY


ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY Baywood Farms - 60 acres Graden - 20 acres


Hopewell Farm - 40 acres Obligation Farm - 94 acres Reality Inn Farm - 20 acres Roedown Farm - 140 acres


CARROLL COUNTY


Cherry Valley Equestrian Center - 36 acres Persimmon Tree Farm - 132 acres Separate Peace Farm- 34 acres


CECIL COUNTY


Blue Waters Farm - 43 acres Hilltop Farm - 425 acres Tapeta Farm - 250 acres


www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 King Edwards Stable - 34 acres


BALTIMORE COUNTY Sagamore Farm - 437 acres


FREDERICK COUNTY Bloomsbury Forge - 119 acres New World Stables - 10 acres Reichs Ford Farm - 119 acres


HOWARD COUNTY Marriottsville Ridge - 343 acres


MONTGOMERY COUNTY Breezy Hill Farm - 36 acres


Brooke Grove Farm - 203 acres Locks Edge - 57 acres


Meadowbrook Stables - 10 acres APRIL 2020 | THE EQUIERY | 15


WASHINGTON COUNTY Mountain View Farm - 14 acres


WICOMICO COUNTY Holly Ridge Farm - 28 acres


Potomac Horse Center - 32 acres Surmont - 15 acres


Waredaca - 220 acres Wyndham Oaks - 75 acres


PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Edgewood Farm - 84 acres Jug Bay Stable - 13 acres


ST. MARY’S COUNTY Roundabout Farm - 29 acres Shamrock Arabians - 22 acres


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