• If Congress considers another round of pandemic stimulus legislation, the hope is that changes will be
made to the CFAP program to extend the eligibility time period to June 15
th
. Mr. Eichhorst said that he
will convey the problem with the program to the USDA.
• The Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS) announced it is shifting from an in-person show to an
alternate platform for 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns, ongoing restrictions on large indoor gatherings,
and the unforeseen unavailability at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2021 show, initially scheduled
for January 6-8, is unable to take place as an in-person event. MANTS organizers are, instead, working to
provide an online platform where exhibitors and attendees can conduct business. In 2020, MANTS
welcomed over 12,000 total registrants (including exhibitors) to the event. Additional details on MANTS
2021 plans will be shared in the weeks to come.
• Growers in Maryland are dealing with fungal diseases on crops, particularly mums and cut flower
operations, due in part to above-average rainfall.
• Another exotic pest has arrived in Florida. The Plant Industry Division of the Florida Department of
Agriculture recently posted a pest alert about the thrips parvispinus (Karny). This insect, which previously
was found only in Europe and Indonesia, is an invasive pest that affects peppers, potatoes, eggplants, beans,
shallots, strawberries and a number of ornamentals. Maryland producers may potentially see this insect
impacting crops here in the future.
Michael Levengood- Poultry I:
• The summer has been focused on hot weather and smoothing out operations due to all the pandemic issues.
It seems we have settled into a balance of field inventory that matches the plants staffing issues.
• The following items are happening at DPI:
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant/Litter App – DPI has received the NFWF grant to create
the litter matching app and market it to growers, farmers and brokers. Throughout the summer, I’ve been
working directly with John Dawes at Chesapeake Commons and designers to build the basic needs of the
app. This work is being conducted through a grant that the Campbell Foundation provided to Chesapeake
Commons. Feedback was gathered from growers, grain farmers and brokers and a subcommittee of
members of the DPI Environmental Committee. The app is close to beta testing and now that the grant has
been approved, we’ll proceed with final development and marketing throughout the next 6 months.
• Ambient Air Monitoring Update – As you saw through a press release we sent out in July, the stations
are up and monitoring. You can find daily and monthly data by visiting this website -
https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Air/AirQualityMonitoring/Pages/Lower-Eastern-Shore-Monitoring-
Project.aspx. Results thus far show the average and median hourly value of ammonia higher in Pocomoke
City is higher than the other four sites and the fine particulate matter average and median hourly values are
highest at the Princess Anne site. However, any of these numbers, including the maximum and minimum,
are significantly lower than any MDE threshold (ammonia) or National Ambient Air Quality Standard
threshold (fine and course particulate matter). We will continue to monitor the data and the environmental
committee will look at what, if any, next steps should be considered.
• Delmarva Land & Litter Collaborative – the steering committee held its quarterly meeting in July. Due
to COVID, the DLLC will not plan an in-person retreat. A survey was sent out to members to determine
key topics of interest, including address gap between existing federal/state cost-share and grant programs
that support BMPs and engage and educating state and local decision makers. I am the co-chair of the
Policy Workgroup, along with Kim Coble of the MD League of Conservation Voters. We will be planning
a virtual roundtable in October that focuses on the Impacts of COVID to the Chesapeake Bay WIP goals. I
will also be one of several DLLC members that will be on a panel for the Chesapeake Bay Commission
meeting on September 11 to share more about the DLLC.
• House environmental and Transportation Committee Letter from DPI – I have attached the letter from
Smart on Pesticides Maryland to the Environmental and Transportation committee focused on Covid-19
protections for Maryland Farmworkers, Poultry and Seafood Processing workers that the working and
living conditions for agricultural and meat processing workers facilitate the spread of COVID-19. I also
have attached the DPI Letter that points out the facts of what the companies have been doing.
• To showcase COVID-19 safety in plants, NCC looks to Delmarva - The National Chicken Council's
Chicken Check In is out with a new video features the many ways the industry has responded to the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic across the national supply chain. Drone footage from a Maryland chicken
processing plant helps share a never-before-seen perspective of a processing plant and the essential workers
who help keep our country stocked with chicken.
• Researchers seeking to link farm clusters and disabled students come up short - Public health
researchers with the University of Maryland told The News Journal they compared livestock farm locations
to data about where students with disabilities live on the theory that they'd uncover some kind of
connection. But, as DPI's Holly Porter noted after The News Journal ran a credulous story about their
research, "the research paper’s own clearly stated findings – I reviewed them – do not offer support for the