Farm Academy
Farm Academy is a program designed to connect the community and farms through farm tours and lecutres, as well as Howard County Fair tours lead by 4-H. During Farm Academy sessions, farmers explain various kinds of farming operations at their farm, ranging from livestock to crops, produce, and nurseries. Visitors get an up-close look at the farm operation and receive a tour. Each session is around 3 hours. This program is offered for free on Saturday mornings.
NEW THIS YEAR- Farm Academy Goes to the Fair!
This year, Farm Academy will be providing 30 minute tours at the 2017 Howard County Fair. All week, August 5th-12th, tours will be held on Saturdays, 11 AM and 1 PM, and weekdays at 1PM and 3 PM. These family- friendly tours will feature students participating in the 4-H program. All tours being at the red “Farm Academy” tent located near the main entrance.
One of the 2015 Farm Academy farmers, Jamie Brown, commented on why Farm Academy is so important:
“We want to open the farm to our community to educate our neighbors and people throughout Howard County about what farming really is. Many people don’t understand all the facets of agriculture, and the only way we can educate them is by inviting them in to ask questions so they can become more aware of what we do.”
This year, there have been 6 Farm Academy days. Please contact Kristal McCormick of the Howard Soil Conservation District at (410) 313-0680 or KMcCormick@howardcountymd.gov if you have any questions.
This year, some sites of the Farm Academy include:
- Heritage Hill Farm in Woodbine, MD
- Breezy Willow Farm at Hopkins Spring in Woodbine, MD
- TLV Tree Farm in Glenelg, MD
- Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC) in Ellicott City, MD
- Gorman Farm in Laurel MD
For more information click here.