Photos and Video Galleries

Aronia Berry Picking Festival and Contest

Contestants pick berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES farm.
Contestants pick berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Contestants pick berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Contestants pick berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Alternative Crop Specialist Dr. Nadine Burton goes over the rules before the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES farm.
UMES Extension Alternative Crop Specialist Dr. Nadine Burton goes over the rules before the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Nabin Khadka of Team 1 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES Extension farm.
Nabin Khadka of Team 1 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES Extension farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Freweyni Abrha of Team 3 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES Extension farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Freweyni Abrha of Team 3 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival Contest at UMES Extension farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Rianne Ellis with Team 3 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES Extension farm.
Rianne Ellis with Team 3 picks berries during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Festival and Contest at UMES Extension farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Dew drips from berries at UMES farm.
Dew drips from berries during 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications) (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Members of Team 2 consolidate their buckets during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Members of Team 2 consolidate their buckets during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications) (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Henriette den Ouden and Celia Whyte of UMES Extension weigh Aronia berries picked by Team One picked is Celia Whyte, UMES extension worker and Henriette Den Ouden, UMES Extension Agent during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES.
Henriette den Ouden and Celia Whyte of UMES Extension weigh Aronia berries picked by Team One during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications) (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Celia Whyte of UMES Extension weighs Aronia berries picked by Team One.
Celia Whyte of UMES Extension weighs Aronia berries picked by Team One during the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
A tub of fresh picked Aronia berries at the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES.
A tub of fresh picked Aronia berries at the6th annual Aronia Berry Contest at UMES. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)
Members of Team One, first place winners of the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest, pose with their check.
Members of Team One, first place winners of the 6th annual Aronia Berry Contest, pose with their check at UMES farm. (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications) (Photos by Todd Dudek/UMES Ag Communications)

2026 UMES Ag Showcase

  • Sentinel Robotics holds a drone demonstration during Ag Showcase.

Camp SLAM gets a nutrition lesson

UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants to students from Camp SLAM at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants they are growing for teas to students from Camp SLAM at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. Camp SLAM is a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools that emphasizes career exploration and academic prep for the upcoming school year work (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants to students from Camp SLAM at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants to students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools, at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
EFNEP intern Bianca Oliver adds fruit to Marly Point-Dujour’s yoghurt bowl as part of a nutrition lesson during a visit to the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
EFNEP intern Bianca Oliver adds fruit to Marly Point-Dujour’s yoghurt bowl as Tahiry Whittington, center, and Anila Keaton look on at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. Students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools, learnt about nutrition facts during the program. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools, work at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
Students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools, work at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently as part of the UMES Extension EFNEP program. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Students from Camp SLAM work at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
Students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools work at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Weston Phillips, Kyle Warner and Gabe Hill sample a nutritional snack made of fruit and yogurt.
Weston Phillips, Kyle Warner and Gabe Hill sample a nutritional snack made of fruit and yogurt with students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools, at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Camp SLAM student Ava Bowen weeds one of the community garden.
Ava Bowen weeds one of the community garden at the Todd’s Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
A Camp SLAM student smells a tea box during a visit to the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne.
A Camp SLAM student smells a tea box during a visit to the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Marly Point-Dujour and Tahiry Whittington eat yogurt with students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools that emphasizes career exploration and academic prep for the upcoming school year work at the Todd's Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. The EFNEP program, part of UMES Family Nutrition and Health program. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Marly Point-Dujour and Tahiry Whittington eat yogurt with students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools that emphasizes career exploration and academic prep for the upcoming school year work at the Todd’s Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. The EFNEP program, part of UMES Family Nutrition and Health program. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
Camp SLAM student Kayla Viillarson draws on a cup.
Camp SLAM student Kayla Viillarson draws on a cup at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES EFNEP instructor Emily Hitchcock talks about nutrition at the Todd Family Community Garden.
UMES EFNEP instructor Emily Hitchcock teaches about nutrition to students from Camp SLAM at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants to students from Camp SLAM.
UMES EFNEP instructor Dionne Ray teaches about different types of tea and plants to students from Camp SLAM, a summer program for middle school students through Wicomico County Public Schools at the Todd Family Community Garden in Princess Anne recently. The EFNEP program, part of UMES Family Nutrition and Health program. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)

Performing Your First Beehive Inspection

UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026.
UMES Extension Program Assistant and beekeeper Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on performing first hive inspection in May 2026 at the Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)

Birds and Bees: Building a backyard habitat

Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on buidling birdhouses for a backyard habitat.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension beekeeper Stephen Goewey teaches a class on building birdhouses.
Stephen Goewey holds a workshop on building birdhouses for backyard habitat.
Wooden planks are ready to build birdhouses at University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension farm.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension workshop participants build their birdhouses.
Stephen Goewey helps participants build birdhouses at a workshop.
Workshop participants build their birdhouses.
Michele, a University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension workshop participant, builds a birdhouse.
Workshop participants show off their completed birdhouses.
Beekeeper Stephen Goewey shows how to build a bee nest for native pollinator bees.
Workshop participants put together a nest for native bees.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension Beekeeper and Program Assistant Stephen Goewey leads a workshop on building birdhouses and bee nests for a backyard habitat to attract pollinators at UMES Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne on Saturday, March 28, 2026.  Photos by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications

2025 Small Farm Conference

  • Keynote speaker Tomia MacQueen, owner of of Wildflower Farm and founder of Dance for LIFE, addresses the 22nd annual Small Farm Conference.


The 22nd Annual Small Farm Conference was held Oct. 24-25, 2025 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.  The theme of the conference was: Rooted in Resilience — Growing Strong Farms in Challenging Times.

2025 UMES Ag Showcase

The fifth annual UMES Ag Showcase, held in August 2025, brought together more than 200 farmers and farm service providers, offering an opportunity for producers to learn the latest in research and results for smart-farming agronomy, technology and equipment, along with a variety of crops.   The showcase was hosted by UMES Extension in partnership with Simplot Grower Solutions and Atlantic Tractor.

Goats and sheep born on UMES campus — 2025

Beekeeping Workshop at UMES Farm

UMES Extension Beekeeper and Program Assistant Stephen Goewey leads a UMES Extension workshop on hive inspections to help your bee colonies thrive at the UMES Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Destination Agritourism Workshop 2025

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension held a Destination Agritourism workshop Sept. 5, 2025, at Mary’s Land Farm in Ellicott City, MD. The workshop focused on how to start an agritourism operation, including a farm stay. Discussion topics included regenerative agriculture; cost, pricing and marketing strategies; food safety and handling; organizing and managing visitor activities; and human resources, liability, taxes, zoning, and permitting. (Photos by Dr. Prem Bhandari and Donna Price/UMES)

2024 Small Farm Conference

21st Small Farms Conference takes place Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 on the Campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Ag Communications)

2023 Annual Small Farm Conference

  • Small Farm Conference attendees visit Tawallah Farm in Somerset County.
    Small Farms Conference Friday Nov. 3, 2023. (Photo by Todd Dudek, UMES Agriculture Communication Photographer)

2022 Annual Small Farm Conference

Third Annual Aronia Berry Picking Contest

Nearly 20 people came out to the UMES Research, Extension and Teaching Farm in Princess Anne on Friday to pluck berries and win bragging rights at the third  Aronia Berry Picking Contest. Participants also learned about the nutritional value of the plant, tasted samples of Aronia and took home some picked berries along with recipes. The event was hosted by UMES Extension. (Photos by Kara Nuzback/Ag Communications)

Small farms repairs workshop by UMES Extension

Photos by Todd Dudek, Kara Nuzback and Ayanna Zenzele-Rushing/UMES Ag Communications

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