GARRETT COUNTY

University of Maryland will hold the Western Maryland Agronomy Meeting March 11th at the Pleasant Valley Community Building starting from 9 am to noon. Hayden Schug Agriculture and Food Systems Educator in Charles County will present topics on Scouting Basics and IPM Planning for Field Crops and Making Sense of Efficacy Trials. A full agenda can be found HERE.

Registration is required by contacting the Extension Office at 301-334-6960. Registration deadline is March 7, 2026. Light refreshments will be provided.

Pesticide Recertification Credits will be offered for WV and MD.

University of Maryland Extension will be hosting the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Workshop on, Monday, March 2nd at Garrett College CTTC in Accident, MD. Whether you're already a dairy farmer or thinking about getting into the business, this is a great learning opportunity! Register today: go.osu.edu/springdairy26 or contact Jeff Semler at 301-226-7528 or by email at jsemler@umd.edu.

Join us on Wednesday, March 25th for a fun and exciting class perfect to get your energy out! We'll kick things off with a fun exercise session full of exciting moves to get you jumping and laughing, led by 4-H Educators, Karen Wood and Lacie Ashby and guest educator, Kenzie Mousch. After that, we'll head to the smoothie station, where you can pick your favorite fruits, and tasty ingredients to whip up your own yummy smoothie. It’s a fantastic chance to get fit and learn why eating healthy is awesome. Call the office at 301-334-6960 to register as space will be limited.

Garrett County 4-H STEM enrichment programs had a fun time exploring Wilson Bentley's snowflake photographs with Karen Wood, 4-H Educator and Emily Pysell, Program Assistant. Youth also learned about the concepts of symmetry and designed their own unique 3D printed snowflake.

Through his volunteer work with the Garrett County Master Gardener program, David shows a deep passion for gardening and a strong commitment to community education. David states that "The neat thing about being a Master Gardener, you can specialize in an area that works for you. Some like teaching about vegetable gardening. Some want to work with pollinator gardens. I like teaching and working with Native Plants and naturalist gardens. If you want to teach, you can do that. If you want to research and write articles for publication, you can do that. Or if you want to help others through gardening, you can do that. It's what works for you.

The University of Maryland Extension office is there to support your endeavors. Also, being a Master Gardener is a great way to meet a whole bunch of wonderful people. Our group -- The Garrett County Master Gardeners-- is an exceptional one. We have a great time working together, and we continuously and enthusiastically share our ideas with one another. It's exciting to see the healthy growth of our group. Of course, none of this would happen without our fearless leader, Ashley Bodkins. She's the best!" We are so grateful to have wonderful volunteers like David to make this program a success!

"Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness" is a 4-H program that our Extension Educator, Kenzi Mousch, is introducing to schools to encourage healthy habits in children through fun, hands-on learning. It combines active games with preparing and tasting nutritious snacks, giving students practical skills for a healthier future. The program targets key behaviors: choosing water or low-fat milk over sweetened drinks, engaging in 60 minutes of active play daily, eating more fruits and vegetables, opting for nutrient-rich and high-fiber foods, eating in moderation, and limiting screen time to two hours a day. These changes can foster lasting, beneficial health habits.

Our FCS Educator, Jesse Ketterman shared a presentation during the Estate & Succession Planning Workshop offered at the Garrett County Extension Office on January 13, 2026. Among topics discussed, Dr. Ketterman’s focused on Health Insurance Options for Farmers and Small Business Owners, from our health insurance literacy program: Smart Choice Smart Use™ .

Reach out to Jesse through email jketterm@umd.edu, or call 301-724-3320, to find out more about the various health insurance literacy programs that can be offered to your community group.

Dr. Ketterman partnered with DC Health Link to provide one of our Health Insurance Literacy Programs titled, Smart Actions for Mental Health. This is one of multiple modules that seeks to reduce confusion around health insurance. More information about the Health Insurance Literacy Initiative is available here. If you are interested in having one of our modules facilitated with your organization, please contact Dr. Ketterman at jketterm@umd.edu.

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We are here to serve you in person, by phone, email, or by Zoom. If you have questions, contact one of our experts to provide solutions.

Email: rcvetnic@umd.edu

Website: https://extension.umd.edu/locations/garrett-county

Location: 1916 Maryland Hwy., Suite A, Mt. Lake Park, MD 21550

Phone: 301-334-6960

Office Hours: M-F 8:00 am-4:30 pm excluding holidays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4HGarrettCoMD

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact us at least two weeks prior to the event at (301) 334-6960.