THE MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL Farm Stewardship
by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Depart- ment of Assessments and Taxation. Grow & Fortify also provides sub- stantial logistical support to MHC for Horse Industry Day in Annapolis, which this year will be held on February 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Most recently, of course, Atticks was the keynote speaker at our Nov.
21 Annual Membership Meeting. He offered his thoughts on the 2023 legislative session and a few predictions about Gov. Moore’s potential cabinet. We note with retrospective humor that he did not predict his own nomination to be the Secretary of Agriculture, despite leading ques- tions from the audience. Congratulations Kevin!
MDA Opens Healthy Soils Competitive Fund Application Period
Te Maryland Department of Agriculture has begun accepting ap-
Governor Moore Appoints Kevin Atticks Secretary of Agriculture
Te Maryland Horse Council is thrilled to report that Governor Wes
Moore has appointed Kevin Atticks, a true friend of the horse industry, to be his Secretary of Agriculture. Atticks is a man of many talents. He holds a masters in environmen-
tal journalism from CU-Boulder, a doctorate in communications design from University of Baltimore, and a bachelors in journalism and music composition from Loyola University. He has been a writer, a publisher, an educator, and a lobbyist. He wrote Discover Maryland Wineries: A Travel Guide to Maryland’s Wine Country as well as the forward to Mary- land Wine: A Full-Bodied History. His resume is impressive. He is a past president of the Maryland Ag-
ricultural Resource Council and a past chair of the WineAmerica State and Regional Associations Advisory Council and the Maryland Tour- ism Coalition. He was the Executive Director of the Maryland Winer- ies Association as well as the Brewers Association of Maryland and the Maryland Distillers Guild. He has served on the University of Maryland College of Agriculture’s Global Leadership Council and on the board of Future Harvest. In 2015, Atticks founded Grow & Fortify to support value-added
agricultural organizations and the businesses they represent, including agricultural startups. Te organization’s mission is to cultivate “an envi- ronment where value-added agricultural producers, startups, operators and growers innovate and thrive” and to “grow the organizations & busi- nesses that fortify Maryland’s agricultural heritage.” Atticks has included the horse industry in his work with Grow & For-
tify every step of the way. Two of MHC’s Industry Professional members are horse farm wineries – the Vineyards at Dodon and Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard – and MHC Industry Professional member Ware- daca is home to the Waredaca Brewing Company. Atticks made sure that the horse industry was included as a stakeholder in the recent study on methods for assessing agricultural improvements that was conducted
plications for its new Healthy Soils Competitive Fund and will will ac- cept applications through March 3. Te fund provides up to $50,000 to support three years of enhanced healthy soil practices that provide soil, water, and climate benefits, with particular attention to farmers who are ineligible for other programs. Projects considered include pasture and hay planting; nutrient manage- ment; integrated pest management; hedgerow planting; and windbreak and shelter-belt projects. Tere are no minimum or maximum acreage requirements. Te application and additional information are available here: https://
mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/counties/Fillable_HSPApp_ Com…
UME Hiring for Ag Research Summer Internships Te University of Maryland Extension (UME) is again hiring for
its ‘Creating Leadership and Professional Development Trough Exten- sion Internships.’ Tis is a summer internship program with seven interns paired with competent mentors. Interns will gain hands-on experience and participate in leadership and professional development training. Te focus will be on the eight core competencies in career readiness. Along with professional development and one-on-one pairing with a faculty mentor, interns will have networking opportunities with private industry professionals. It is a ten-week program in which interns work full-time. Te objectives of the project are to:
1. Provide experiential learning opportunities in Extension and agricul- tural research to undergraduate students, including those at community colleges and underserved institutions in Maryland; 2. Develop internal hiring and mentorship skills in UME Faculty; 3. Increase student interns’ career-readiness and leadership skills; and 4. Increase the number of students from these institutions continuing their education and entering the agricultural workforce.
Te Application for Summer Internship 2023 is open. For more infor- mation and to apply, visit
https://go.umd.edu/extensioninternships
Do you have a Farm Stewardship story or topic you would like to see in this column? Email your ideas to
editor@equiery.com!
www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | FEBRUARY 2023 | 41
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
