Regional Conference

Dr. Megan Siebel, Director, Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) and Centre for Cooperative Problem Solving (CCPS), Virginia Tech

Dr. Seibel is the director of the VALOR Program at Virginia Tech, which is dedicated to fostering leadership and capacity building for Virginia’s largest private industries.  As an Extension Specialist, she promotes stakeholder development and advocacy as outcomes of decision-making and problem-solving leadership around complex issues. Dr. Seibel is the Director and Co-Founder for the Center for Cooperative Problem Solving (CCPS) at Virginia Tech and an Associate Fellow of the Occupational Research Centre in the U.K. utilizing the KAI with coaching of educational supervisors, practitioners, community leaders, and student organizations to enhance effectiveness in program and service delivery. Megan and her husband farm beef cattle and winegrapes in Virginia and have three grown children.

11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Break & Stretch with Phyllis Johnston of Every Body Yoga
 

Pop's Old Place is a Century Family Farm, located in Dorchester County Maryland.   They raise grass fed & finished beef, lamb, woodland pork, and free range laying hens and sell their products directly from their farm market . This allows their farm patrons to get to know them and their farming practices firsthand.  Their goal is to produce nutritious, and delicious food for their family, and their community, while focusing on soil health, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship.

Lunch & Tea Hat Contest

Nikko Brady, Director of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, State of Delaware

Nikko Brady is the Director of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs for the State of Delaware. Before serving in this role, Nikko was Deputy Secretary for the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Where she managed the Department’s legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives; and advised the Secretary on topics related to the Department and broader agriculture industry. A key component of this work is the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, which she and the Secretary created in 2018. Nikko’s current scope includes agricultural and environmental projects like tree planting and forest stewardship, preserving agricultural and natural lands, food security, renewable energy, and working closely with municipalities to support local priorities.

Nikko has led recent projects to build local food supply chain capacities and enhance Delaware’s food system. Including launching the First State Food System grant program; and expanding Delaware’s Farm to School Program to enhance opportunities for farmers, including small scale producers to enter new markets in Delaware namely local retail stores, charitable feeding and nutrition programs, and restaurants. She holds a degree in Environmental Analysis & Policy, a master’s in City Planning & Urban Affairs, and a certification in Applied Sustainability. Nikko is also an active board member of the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center and Growing Hope Globally. 

Dr. Alexander Chan

Observe, Engage, Share - Stress Management Resources for Farmers

This presentation  covers the farm-specific warning signs of overwhelming stress, how to respond sensitively to someone in distress, and what resources are available to support this issue in the farming community. The presenter is Alexander Chan, Ph.D., LCMFT, who works as the mental health specialist is for UME's Family & Consumer Sciences program. Alex has worked for 5 and a half years with Extension, and was formerly the 4-H Educator in Prince George's County.

10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Farm Resilience Panel

• Mary Lou Brown, Poultry, Farmer at Maple Breeze Farm
• Sharon Redding, Loan Officer, MidAtlantic Farm Credit
• Stevi Saathoff, LGPC - Licensed Clinician, For All Seasons, Inc. 
• Danielle Baur Farace, Exec. Director, MD Soybean Board, DE Soybean Board, Atlantic Soybean Council, & MD Arborist Assoc. 
   

Ginger Myers

Change, Pivot, Covid - Where do we go from here?

Ginger is a life-long farmer who has been married to John for 41 years with two grown married children and five grand babies. She retired in July 2021 from University of Maryland Extension as the Marketing Specialist for Agriculture and Food Systems and as the Director of the Rural Enterprise Development Center.

Michele Payn
 

Michele will shed light on food, mental health, and agriculture issues- and what they mean during and after COVID-19. Michele will help you bring hope, healing, and humor to address the stress of ag folks.

Michele Payn, CSP, connects the people and science of food and farming as principal of Cause Matters Corp. She is known for being a community catalyst, a passionate advocate for global agriculture - and antagonizing people into action. Michele has worked with farmers in more than 25 countries, raised over $5 million in sponsorships for agriculture education, and founded AgChat and FoodChat on Twitter. She is the author of three books: Food Bullying, an IPPY gold medal winner; Food Truths from Farm to Table, an IPPY bronze medal winner; and No More Food Fights!. She also hosts the Food Bullying podcast. Michele's degrees are in Agricultural Communications and Animal Science from Michigan State University. She has earned the Certified Speaking Professional designation, awarded to less than 10% of professional speakers globally. She resides with her 'city slicker' husband and cow-loving daughter on a small farm in central Indiana. She enjoys Registered Holsteins, the MSU Spartans, and making memories with friends around the table. Michele connects conversations around the food plate at www.causematters.com and socially through @mpaynspeaker.

10:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Break
 

Susan Truehart Garey: Kent County Extension Director & Extension Agent- Animal Science and State 4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator

Susan Truehart Garey, animal science agent with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, became the second UD staff member named as a Nuffield International Farming Scholar. Garey is a 1998 graduate of UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Garey has spent 18 to 20 months networking with other scholars, traveling internationally, conducting research, and sharing academic scholarship on her chosen topic. The Nuffield International Farming Scholar is a competitive program that began in 2014 as an expansion of the original 1947 Nuffield Farmers Program. The program originated as a vision of British automaker William Morris, Lord Nuffield. He understood the value of global education exchange, and his initiatives continue to encourage and promote global learning and leadership in agriculture.

OPTION A

Mindfully Managing Stress and Building Farm and Farm Family Resilience 

Farm and farm families experience ordinary and extraordinary stress due to the nature of the farm business.  Join us to explore tools you can use to identify your resilience factors and how they can be used to manage change and stress in your life. Discover some important information about the impact of stress on our bodies and then some strategies to reduce stress and bring mindfulness to you and your family’s life. Connect with others as we learn to adapt when life becomes overwhelming. 

Option B

From Farm to Market: Tips and Tools for promoting, displaying, and selling produce

Marketing to consumers is an important way to communicate your farm's products, value, and production methods. Join this interactive session to learn best practices in marketing to sell more at farmers' markets and farm stands.  Small group discussions and hands-on activities such as sign-making and creating eye-catching displays will be part of this session.  Free resources will be distributed for use at markets and farm stands. The second half of the workshop will review popular social media platforms and trends to create content that will showcase your product and engage current and future customers. We will also look at some apps to enhance your photographs, and other cool, animated attention-getting mobile applications.

9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Keynote Opening
Historic Lewes Farmers Market
Helaine Harris, and Nancy Staisey 

https://www.historiclewesfarmersmarket.org/

Keynote Lunch

A Regional Aquaculture Story
Kelley Phillips Cox, Phillips Wharf

https://phillipswharf.org/

Keynote Closing

Connecting Agriculture and Community                                                                      
Beth Brewster, Chesapeake Culinary

https://carolineculinaryarts.org/

9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Keynote Opening
Lt. Governor
Bethany Hall-Long

Keynote Lunch
Science Denial & The Consumer (Download pdf)
Roxi Beck
The Center for Food Integrity

Keynote Closing
Balance! Dairy Farming and Destination Weddings Co-Exist in Harmony                
Ingrid Hopkins
Owner, Covered Bridge Inn

OPTION A

Social Agriculture: Cultivate your Message, Audience, and Influence

How can social media promote your farm or agriculture-based business? The session will demonstrate positive storytelling is not only good for business, it's an important counter-balance to anti-agriculture news. This pre-conference session will drill down to specifics. We'll look at all the major platforms, offer a session on creating a social media business and content plan, including what you need to craft a crisis/complaint policy. We'll learn how to identify our audience and what social media platforms make the most sense. The session will look at determining your Return On Investments by showing you the analytical and management tools to help you take command of your social media presence.

Option B

Specialty Crops: Go from Day-Dreaming to Diversifying your Farm Business

Growing specialty crops can provide a great niche for farms providing an opportunity to diversify and profit.  The USDA defines specialty crops as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).” This special pre-conference session will start by inspiring you with farmers' real-life experiences growing unusual crops and the latest research on niche and specialty crop variety trials. Then you will buckle down in an interactive workshop that will help you use SWOT analysis, enterprise budgets, and market analysis to assess the viability and plan the implementation of the specialty crop enterprise that you've been dreaming about. 

9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Keynote Opening
Shelby Watson Hampton
Southern MD Agricultural Development Commission

Keynote Lunch
Kay Johnson Smith
Animal Agriculture Alliance

Keynote Closing
Georgie Cartanza
University of Delaware

OPTION A

Yielding Financial Sustainability

Financial planning and management are essential for the short and long-term success of a farm. This workshop will present loan requirements, financial statements, and farm planning in order to have a profitable business. Professionals in the area of banking, loans, and farm management will share insights into programs available, applications, credit, recordkeeping, and resources to make your farm business succeed. Come to this session and expect an interactive afternoon with discussions, tools, and skills to be financially sustainable.

Option B

Pollinators - If You Build It, They Will Come

Small changes have great impacts on your farm to attract and care for local pollinators on your property.   Considerations in the kinds of plants on your farm as well as management practices can improve pollinator habitat, pollination on your farm, and community relations. Resources will be provided that will help you identify local pollinators as well as help educate your customers on what they can do to improve their landscapes for pollinators.  Join us for an educational and fun-filled session that will end with participants building a bee house or hotel to include in their own garden. 

9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Keynote Opening  (Read Kim's Conference remarks)
Understanding Our Food: Connecting with Consumers
Kimberly Reed

Keynote Lunch
Robin Talley
District Director with Farm Service Agency (FSA), Delaware

Keynote Closing

Women in Agriculture – My Nuffield Story - 11-week world travel reviewing                      

women’s role in Agriculture
Marie McCarthy

Trees and YOUR Farmstead                                                                                         
Dot Abbott, Extension Agent, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension    

OPTION A: GMO 101                                                                                                                               

9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Keynote Opening 
Kelly Jackson, Owner and Operator, Emily’s Produce, Cambridge MD

Keynote Lunch
FFA Leaders: Jenell Eck, MD & Amber Bullock, DE

Keynote Closing

Amy Cawley, Farm to Food Bank Coordinator, Maryland Food Bank