NEWS & VIEWS continued During this year’s contest, Rolling Hills in-


troduced 2,866 people to horses for the fi rst time, winning Phase I and receiving $5,000. 163 people returned, giving Rolling Hills the third highest “conversion” rate (Phase II) and earning them an additional $3,000. Renee credits the Time to Ride Challenge


for inspiring some creative marketing outreach, holding events at her local Chick-Fil-A. T e events were so successful for both Rolling Hills and Chick-Fil-A that the local manager “wants us to come back at least twice next year. [T ey are] going to advertise on their tables for us and put a quarter page ad on every tray advertising Christmas with the Ponies and Family Day on the Farm.” In total, Chick-Fil-A will be dis- tributing about 1,500 fl yers for Rolling Hills Ranch per day. Way to go Renee! Meanwhile, Oak Crest Farm in Anne Arun- del County took top honors in total number of Phase II follow-up experiences with 213 peo- ple from Phase I returning for a riding lesson, trail ride or ground work with a horse. Tina Emmerich, a seasoned lesson instruc-


tor, has done her fair share of trial and error when it comes to doing outreach for new cli- ents. T is year, with the new phase of the Chal- lenge in mind, she made sure to refl ect back on her lessons learned. She says, “You have to put yourself out there and be inventive in ways to encourage people to come back. For the people that came back, we off ered a discounted rate for lessons.” T ese discounts were in addition to the free riding opportunity they received at


the fi rst event they attended. “Overall, we’re thrilled with the results of the 2017 Challenge. Beyond the numbers, the true impact is in the stories we hear - of thriving businesses and people who develop a new love for horses,” Schulte stated. “Increasing access to horses and expanding participation in our industry is the overarching mission of Time to Ride, and the Challenge continues to be an im- pactful way to move the needle.”


2,600 More Acres of Maryland Ag Land Preserved!


In November, Governor Larry Hogan an- nounced that the Board of Public Works ap- proved the purchase of 16 easements protecting 2,618 acres of prime Maryland farmland in 11 counties for $9,223,273 in state funding. T is approval brings the total farmland protected in perpetuity or approved by Board of Public Works by the Maryland Agricultural Land Preserva- tion Foundation (MALPF) to 316,101 acres. T e Board is comprised of the Governor, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and Comptroller Peter Franchot. “Maryland has one of the strongest agricul- tural land preservation records in the nation. Each easement purchase proves our commit- ment to keep farming a viable and profi table industry in our state,” said Governor Hogan. “Working together, we can ensure a sustainable environment for future generations, preserve open space, and maintain the agricultural heri- tage of our state.” Created by the General Assembly in 1977, MALPF purchases agricultural preservation


Getting social with The Equiery! continued... In ninth at press time was a Facebook share of a paid Equiery Product


Marketing eBlast, for a beautiful Boyds, Maryland, equestrian estate for sale by T e Fleisher Group. T is post, from 11/15, reached 3,400 online readers. Finally, in 10th place, was an


article shared from equiery.com on 11/8, about the Time to Ride Challenge, which off ered signifi - cant cash prizes to two Maryland barns. T is post garnered a reach of 3,200 followers.


Twitter (@equiery) We continue to grow our


Equiery Twitter presence, and top tweets for us last month includ- ed Keystone Velocity’s record- breaking win at Rosecroft, scenes from the fi nal weekend of the Washington International Horse Show, and the MidAtlantic Equitation Festival. Our most popular tweet was actually a retweet from the Washington


International Horse Show, of Senator John McCain’s visit to the show. We also gained eleven new Twitter followers in November, which is our biggest one month gain in 2017!


Instagram (@equiery) T e Equiery “Photo of the Week” has been a regular


weekly feature on our Facebook page. In November, in ad- dition to Facebook, we started to post the Photo of the Week to Instagram. So far this has been well-received by our followers,


so


we hope you will keep submitting photos for our consideration to editor@equiery.com.


easements that forever restrict development on prime farmland and woodland, and has per- manently preserved land in each of Maryland’s 23 counties, representing a public investment of more than $645 million. With county and other state preservation programs, more than 800,000 acres of farmland and resource land are protected by easements in Maryland. T is is the greatest ratio of farmland preserved to total landmass of any state. And here is a fun fact…the legislator who penned the bill that became MALPF was Sen- ator James Clark, Jr., whose mother, Alda Hop- kins Clark, was a renowned horsewoman and a founder of the Howard County Hunt Club.


WANTED: Manure Management Technology And that is no BS! Do you have, or do you know of, technology, equipment, infrastructure or services than can improve manure management? Do you have a new idea for a project? If so, the Maryland De- partment of Ag has some seed money for you. Maryland’s Animal Waste Technology Fund is a grant program that provides seed funding to companies that demonstrate innovative technol- ogies to manage or repurpose manure resources. T e program is a key component of Governor Larry Hogan’s broader Agriculture Phosphorus Initiative to improve water quality, strengthen agriculture and bolster rural economies. T e fund has $3.5 million available to invest in innovative technologies during State Fiscal Year 2018, which ends June 30, 2018. Approxi-


continued...


IF YOU HAVE NEWS, VIEWS OR UPDATES TO CONTRIBUTE, PLEASE SEND THEM TO Editor at The Equiery, P.O. Box 610, Lisbon, MD 21765 • FAX: 410-489-7828 • email editor@equiery.com.


Be sure to include your full name, phone number and address. All submissions become the property of The Equiery. www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 DECEMBER 2017 | THE EQUIERY | 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84