Maryland Farm & Harvest

A Japanese Cow in Maryland; Milking Robot Saves Dairy Farm; Al Visits Baltimore's Flower Mart.

Mike Greaves: Farm Mechanic; A Tree Farm for Baltimore City; Cookin' Up Blue Catfish & Grits.

A Bonus Cover Crop program offers farmers a tailored approach to the challenges they face in the fields. Then, burned out from the courtroom grind, three D.C. lawyers built a high-tech hydroponic greenhouse that's flipping the script on lettuce, land use, and the future of farming. And, Al Spoler visits the oldest goat dairy farm in the state of Maryland.

The Hutchison Brothers Farm earned the 2024 Aldo Leopold Conservation Award for their commitment to soil and water conservation. Then, In a privately owned high-tech lab, Ferry Cove Shellfish quietly reshapes the future of the Chesapeake Bay. Chef Jordan Lloyd dispels the month with an "R" myth and prepares Oysters Rockefeller with an Eastern Shore twist.

Farmland solar farms are dividing Maryland's Ag community; two farmers share the complexities and struggles of what solar means to them. Then, we visit McClintock Distilling Company where premium spirits require premium ingredients. And, Al Spoler is the ultimate "locals only" guy - well, local farm produced meats, dairy, produce and flowers that is.

Go back in time to discover how farm entrepreneur Josh Ernst started his Non-GMO animal feed business and how it's grown. Plus, at Farmacy Brewing, Justin Harrison is brewing unique beers with ingredients normally found at the produce stand. Then, Al celebrates the winter thaw with some beautiful scenery… and taps into a sweet treat from local trees.

A Baltimore County family farm grows a plethora of specialty crops but their sweet corn is renowned among corn aficionados. Plus, with a new corn disease known as Tar Spot coming to the state of Maryland, extension agent Andrew Kness is racing to limit the spread. Then, this week's The Local Buy has Al visiting a Harford County Dairy farm making sweet corn ice cream.

Discover what it takes to go from raw Alpaca fiber to a gorgeous sweater. Plus, meet a Carroll County Rye farmer whose heart and soul lies in bluegrass. Then this week's Farm to Skillet features a boujee steak sandwich that will be all the rave at your next luncheon.

At Eastern Correctional Institute, an inmate-run farm feeds Somerset County's most food-insecure families. Then, a first time farmer, a friar, and a formerly incarcerated chef feed thousands of Baltimoreans through this tiny three acre property. Plus, Al Spoler visits the Paw Paw Festival in Frederick, Maryland to celebrate Maryland's native fruit.

Joanne heads to Dickerson MD where she meets the Baker family of Deere Valley Farm just in time for the winter wheat harvest.

Beginning of a 4H Journey; Baltimore's Futuristic Fish Farm; Chef Steve Chu Takes to the Street.

Eastern Shore Super Crop; A Legacy of Advocacy; Chef Kurt Peter Makes Pan Seared Soft Crab.

Blessing of the Combines; Aquaponics for all Ages; Al Visits Tobacco Barn Distillery.

Raising Competitive 4H Showpigs; Agvocates; Al Spoler at the Caroline County Peach Festival.

Ducks eating spotted lanternfly; food sovereignty in MD; award winning chef creates a summer stew.

Joanne Meets a Top IVF Vet; Wasp-Launching Drone Battles Pests; Al Gets a Taste of History.

An Agroecological Winery; A First-Gen Farming Program; Al Spoler visits an Urban Apiary.

Maryland's Unpredictable Farming Climate; Cuddling Cows; Classic Dish with a Homespun Twist.

The Kings of 4-H; Maryland's Mushroom Man; Al Visits a Mountain Vineyard.

RF Warner's Towering Feed Mill; Economics of Agritourism; Hanger Steaks or Lamb Chops?

Agricultural Hall of Fame; Hunting Deer for the Hungry; From Orchard to Brandy.

The year long quest for 4-H Blue concludes in Maryland Farm and Harvest's season finale.

A heritage breed livestock farm in Dorchester County; Moon Valley Farm; sampling treats at Frog Eye Farm.

A dairy farm pivots to produce stomach-friendly A2 milk; regenerating 53 acres of dormant land into a thriving CSA and Educational Center.

Planting trees at Morning View Food Forest; microgreens; lavender farm.

Building new brands by planting ancient heritage grains at a family farm; livestock auction; East Rivendell Farms.

Baywater Seafood, Maryland's only bay scallop aquaculture farm; following crab from the catch to the feast to the compost pile; chef Rodney Scruggs creates a sweet corn panna cotta with green tomato consomme.

Celebrating 50 years of the Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Association's dedication to farm life; seed dealership; Asian-influenced pan-seared seafood dish.

The quest for a healthier Chesapeake Bay, a local blend of tea, local hot peppers.

Farmer Gerry Godrey of Mt. Zion Farms; Purple Moumtain Organics dry rice; Chesterfield Heirlooms; barns.

Monocacy hop; Clear Water Springs farm; seasonal veggies.

Sinking lands and rising seas are causing crops to fail; big rig convoy to harvest corn and soybeans; Loew Vineyard.

Maryland Zoo; alpacas; pan-seared rockfish with peaches.

Farm accidents; Delmarva's Chicken Festival; chef Keema Johnson visits the Bel Air Farmers Market.

Touring Eastern Frederick County's new Peace and Plenty Rural Historic District; Long Green Farms, Leopold Conservation Award; moonshine at Pathfinder Farm.

Soil scientists show how farmers adapt to different soil types; a teacher makes it his mission to get young people involved in agriculture; fungus.

A Baltimore neighborhood is transformed into an urban oasis where the bonds of family are in the farm's DNA; a company turns food scraps into black gold; apples.

Scientists breed a new generation of wheat, perfectly suited for Maryland's humidity and harsh winters; revisiting Palmyra Dairy Farm; annual Governors Buy Local Cookout.

Jane Kuhl and Drew Denton pursue their dream of owning a bee farm; Mac the Bee Dog; cheese.

The Pahl family farmers celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Baltimore Farmers Market; the art and science of winemaking; Al Spoler reacts to some fermented delicacies.

Ananda Farm and Restaurant; Pat Langenfelder's hog farm; sampling high-end fortified hard ciders; the history of apple cider.

David and Belinda Burrie of Burrier-Linganore Farm; roses at Willow Oaks Flower and Herb Farm; a flower farm brightens a bakery's Valentine's Day delights.

An award-winning hay farmer; precision agriculture, and the Old Wye Grist Mill.

Goat landscapers, transitional housing using local ingredients, and elderberries.

Restoring streams, healthy soil fights climate change, and buying local helps the planet.

Genetically-engineered corn, corn silage, and sweet corn.

Learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted agriculture.

Toy tractors, Dectes stem borer, and edible flowers.

Breeding heritage chicks, crop damage by bears, and Maryland wine.

Crop-to-keg farm brewery, sustainable tree farm, and family dairy operation.

Horse therapy, oyster farming, and an organic berry farm.

Nigerian farmer, starting a family farm, and Highland cattle.

Breeding bees, soybeans to soy oil, farm photographer, and growing mushrooms.

A farm develops organic potting mix; a family takes food to the Baltimore market; a dairy manages manure; Lithuanian sausage.

A 74-year-old fisherman catches rockfish; a tech startup grows mealworms to feed livestock; rural farmers show the need for internet access; meal kits.

A farm nears its 200th birthday; urban farms employ former convicts; a 92-year-old veterinarian cares for horses; purple peas.

Too much rain hurts oyster growth; underground pipes help to drain wet farmland; a community's wastewater irrigates crops; eels.

A daughter prepares to take over the family farm; a landowner fights farmland erosion; a farm matriarch brings in the harvest; red raspberries.

The Maryland Steam Historical Society show; a family farm turns zucchini into something sweet; Tuscan kale.

A farm creates handmade wreaths; a farmer grows kosher grain for Hanukkah; celebrating the holidays with cookies and gifts; ginger.

A Baltimore school teaches students a variety of skills through farming; a girl learns how to raise baby goats through her 4-H program; Red Wiggler Community Farm.

A tech start-up uses drones to analyze crop health from the sky; a farmer uses science to fight an aggressive weed; eggs from Willow Valley Farm.

What farmers do in the winter; managing a poultry flock; farmers support soybean research; crabs.

Four different beverages made with the help of Maryland farmers; Paw Paw lemonade, milk and wine; kombucha.

A poultry farm uses the sun's power to lower electric bills; making a corn maze; peppers.

A nursery moves and replants a giant tree; grain travels from the field into storage; a UMD professor breeds a better apple; apple cider donuts.

Season 6 Premiere: Tractor pull, invasive blue catfish, and breeding bees.

The making of a locally-grown Thanksgiving meal.

Syrup to cereal; dairy industry struggles; and a farmer-conservationist.

Greenhouse to Home Depot; a fix-it-farmer; and an oyster hatchery.

Slower-growing chicken, smarter irrigation, and a superior cattle.

97-year-old farmer, winter barn prep, farm to food bank, and pea shoots.

Milk to eggnog, a teaching farm, crowns made from Maryland blooms, and aronia berries.

Wet weather, showing cattle for recovery, Maryland State Fair president, and blue crabs.

Animal births, ditch research, and rooftop farming.

Prince George's Farming guru, wheat to brownies, using the whole hog, and rice.

Charter fishing, improving water quality, farm field trip, and food forests.

Apple to apple butter, picking pumpkins and popcorn, and invasive lantern flies.

Rye whiskey, apple brandy, bourbon, and pumpkin beer.

The Season 5 premiere spotlights the secret world of agriculture statistics; a veteran-turned-farmer; Red Acres Farm's move into hydroponics; and gourmet hardneck garlic.

Wool to yarn; milk to cheese; and barley to beer.

Hatching chicks; Operation CatSnip; and adopted piglets.

Fasig-Tipton horse auction; cover crops; and a Baltimore high-school farm.

Tricentennial farm; historic cider; and farming a piece of the Underground Railroad.

Community helps Christmas tree farm; a national agriculture advocate; and living walls.

Managing fertilizer; wholesale produce hub; and the National Envirothon Competition.

Cow pedometers; growing sod; and a farmer's first tractor.

Saltwater intrusion in crop fields; healthy soil; and carbon dioxide helping weeds.

Blue crabs; rye for local brews; and goat milk to soap.

Maryland-grown hops; and organic chicken. Also: How a cow becomes a cow.

Mac the bee dog; honey harvest; and beeswax art.

Protecting the border from agricultural pests, an elementary school farm, and cornmeal.

The Season 4 premiere explores the challenges of raising and riding rodeo bulls. Also: a satellite-aided farm; alpacas; and hydroponic tomatoes.

A custom feed business; beef cattle breeds; and plants for green roofs.

Young farmers who cultivate the farm-restaurant tradition. Also: a pea harvest.

Aquaponics; crop consulting; and oyster farming.

Topics include the Avian flu, produce safety and a program for new farmers.

Farming for the needy; and country butchering. Also: a farm Christmas auction.

Included: leadership skills for farmers; failed crops; a flower farm; and lavender honey. 

Crop protection via hunting; ice cream made from Maryland milk; a mother-daughter farming operation; and drinkable yogurt.

Lambs raised for fairs; Stone Valley Farm; Locks of Love; and an organic berry farm.

Soy to soy oil; cucumbers to pickles; and apples to applesauce.

A farm that turns chicken manure into electricity; a soybean harvest; and farm that's in one room of a Baltimore row home.

Winemaking; and a lawmaker-farmer.

A Hagerstown farm without cows; horse imports and exports; and a Somerset County farmer who raises organic green beans. Also: a search for the pawpaw fruit leads to Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard in Westminster and to the Pawpaw Festival in Montgomery County.

The Season 3 premiere spotlights the use of drone aircraft to improve farming. Also: a horse dentist; soil scientists; and soil conservation past and present.

Agricultural irrigation; Worcester County's Chesapeake Bay Dairy, which uses land preservation, buffer strips and cover crops to reduce its environmental impact; and John Isabelle Acres Farm in Prince George's County.

Imperfect produce; a large urban farm in Baltimore; heritage Narragansett turkeys; and fish peppers. Also: poultry farmer Jenny Rhodes is profiled.

Hydroponically grown tomatoes at Hummingbird Farms in Caroline County; the farm-fresh produce offered at Federalsburg Elementary School in Caroline County; the use of genetics in creating the perfect burger; and bread made with Maryland wheat.

Sheepdog training; Maryland's poultry industry; working farm dogs; and dairy delivery.

The Maryland Hunt Cup; and Loveville Produce Auction in St. Mary's County. Also: the economic concerns faced by family farmers.

The TLV Tree Farm in Howard County; Hunt Valley Farm in Garrett County, which faces a unique challenge: crop damage by black bears; and Swann Farms in Calvert County, which specialize in peaches.

Topics include soybean research; the growing cycle of corn; and a dairy veterinarian's check-ups. Also: a pick-your-own farm.

Storing manure on the farm; and young farmers learning the ropes. Also: the Great Frederick Fair; and vegetables in a changing community.

A ginseng farm; Maryland-grown birdseed; a family hay business; and the Winter CSA.

Behind a farm photographer's lens; poultry gets brighter; grain elevator takes crops to new heights. Also: winemaking.

A father-son seed business; a GMO primer; and a nursery that specializes in ornamental natives. Also: Berkshire hogs.

An annual lawnmower race; a diving dairy farmer; and a farm family's Swiss roots. Also: a unique apple variety.

The complex story of growing food and fiber in Maryland is explored.

Sisters bond over showing cattle; new technology helps apply fertilizer; growing poultry with solar power. Also: Al Spoler samples maple syrup.

Farmers adapt to local development; grower connects farmers and environmentalists; keeping chicken litter on the farm. Also: Al Spoler enjoys a bison burger.

Farmers donate to the Maryland Food Bank; growing Maryland mushrooms; high school class in a barn. Also: Al Spoler finds the perfect holiday dessert.

Farm safety; Maryland ice cream trail; science behind animal feed.

An Eastern Shore seed farm; honeybees on the farm; visiting the state fair. Also: Maryland citrus.

The largest fiber festival on the East Coast; and Perigeaux Vineyards and Winery. Also: How organic corn from Kent County is being used for Blackwater Distilling's new Maryland Rye Whiskey; and how wheat is transformed into flour.

Miss Maryland Agriculture; oyster farming. Also: Al Spoler picks strawberry and rhubarb at Walnut Springs Farm in Elkton.

One of the state's largest grain farms; a test drive of a tractor by John Davis; and duck eggs. Also: the first in a four-part series on the economics of grain farming.

Why many fruits and vegetables are cared for and harvested by hand; a farmer who's turning chicken manure into electricity; and a pheasant dinner.

Greenhouses, hoop houses and high tunnels; Full Moon Farm, which specializes in teaching people how to ride horses; and a homemade jam with a kick.

A typical winter's day for Kent County farmer Kurt Dill, which includes guarding his wheat crop from geese; the tofu trek of Kent County-grown soybeans; a global corporation that brings Maryland wheat to area malls; and how blue cheese is made.

Queen Anne's County farmer Keith Leaverton learns about his role in the global commodities market; and visits a grain elevator on the eastern shore.

Maryland's elite cow embryos; rebuilding a farm following a devastating loss; a new generation of farmer works to save the Chesapeake; locally-raised Thanksgiving turkeys.

A snapdragon farm in Harford County; and a 5th-generation Kent County farm family that grows radishes to help clean up the bay. Also: Annie's Project; heirloom tomatoes grown and sold locally.

One of Maryland's largest swine farms; cutting-edge farm technologies; a Frederick County organic dairy farm; tobacco barn heritage; selecting peppers.

Spotlighting farmers and their conservation practices.

Maryland's Ice Cream Trail; the big business of plant nurseries; Frederick County's high-end hay for race horses; county fairs; sweet corn.

New life at the Maryland State Fair; a Frederick farmer that grows barley for beer; livestock auctions; organic produce.

Innovative farm technologies that reduce local pollution; farmers growing hops for beer; watermelon farming. Also: the history of shipping Maryland grain; farm-made cheese.

Airplanes that plant seeds for cover crops; and a hi-tech poultry house. Also: Al Spoler with grilling techniques.

Sheep cheese; timing the corn harvest to increase profits; 4-H's robotics and photography. Also: Al Spoler spotlights Maryland beef cattle.

Life after tobacco farming; sunflowers brighten a Harford County farm. Also: Al Spoler visits Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

Maryland apples shipped overseas; the challenges of growing at 3200 feet in Garrett County; and a city farmer expands to the countryside. Also: Maryland pork.

Agri-tourists in Talbot County; life's simple pleasures at Queen Anne's County Fair; and root vegetable stew with Al Spoler and John Shields.

Maryland soy beans treasured by the Japanese; the fall and rebirth of Maryland's thoroughbred horse industry; and new technology that allows farming at night. Also: year round Maryland greens.