MPT's Maryland Farm & Harvest visits Baltimore, Frederick counties and Baltimore City during March 17 episode

Maryland Public Television’s popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its 13^th season, will feature farms and locations in Baltimore and Frederick counties and Baltimore City during an episode premiering on Tuesday, March 17. An episode preview is available on the series’ webpage at mpt.org/farm.

Maryland Farm & Harvest airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT and online at mpt.org/livestream. Episodes are also available to view live and on demand using the free PBS app and MPT’s online video player.

The popular weekly series takes viewers on a journey across the Free State, telling engaging and enlightening stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow agriculture in Maryland, the state’s number one commercial industry.

Joanne Clendining, who has earned three Emmy® awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for her work on Maryland Farm & Harvest, serves as series host. She is joined by Al Spoler, host of “The Local Buy” segments, and by a variety of local chefs who serve as guest hosts of the series’ “Farm to Skillet” segments.

With introductions filmed at Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown (Baltimore County), the March 17 episode features the following stories:

· Industrial Hemp Products (Frederick County and Baltimore City): Industrial hemp is a versatile crop that’s been used for centuries in textiles, rope, and construction materials, among others. Though it fell out of favor decades ago in the United States, small businesses such as Hart Hemp in Frederick and JJ Innovative Materials in Baltimore are leading a resurgence in the cultivation and development of hemp and hemp products.

· Liberty Delight Farms (Baltimore County): At Liberty Delight Farms in Reisterstown, owner Shane Hughes raises hundreds of cattle and other livestock using sustainable practices that balance productivity, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship. Shane is committed to providing his animals, his land, and his community with the same care he’d want for himself. Following a day in the life of the hardworking farmer, viewers get an intimate look at how Shane’s practices have led to improved animal health and well-being, reduced waste and runoff, and a thriving business that serves his family and neighbors alike.

· The Local Buy: Boordy Vineyards (Baltimore County): Segment host Al Spoler visits Maryland’s oldest winery, Boordy Vineyards in Hydes. There, third-generation winemaker Phineas Deford takes Al through Boordy’s manual process of harvesting, sorting, and transferring grapes to ensure only the highest quality wines are produced. The Deford family’s attention to detail has defined Boordy for years, and it’s helped earn them a place in the Maryland Agriculture Hall of Fame. After his tour, Al samples the Boordy’s special 80^th Anniversary Founder’s Reserve. More information about Boordy Vineyards will be available at mpt.org/farm.

More than 19million viewers have watched Maryland Farm & Harvest on the statewide public TV network since its debut in 2013. The series has traveled to more than 500 farms, fisheries, and other agriculture-related locations during its first 12 seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.

Encore broadcasts of Maryland Farm & Harvest air on MPT on Thursdays at 11 p.m. and on Sundays at 6 a.m. Episodes also air on MPT2/Create® on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Past episodes can be viewed on the PBS app and MPT’s online video player, while episode segments are available on the series’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/@MarylandFarmHarvest.

Audiences are invited to engage with the series on social media @MarylandFarmHarvest on Facebook and @mdfarmtv on Instagram.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is MPT’s co-production partner for Maryland Farm & Harvest. Major funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

Additional funding is provided by Maryland’s Best; a grant from the Rural Maryland Council, Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Fund; MARBIDCO; a grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program; Farm Credit; Maryland Soybean Board and Soybean Checkoff Program; Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; Maryland Farm Bureau, Inc., The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment; Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation; and Maryland Pork Producers Association.

# # #