Our guest speaker will be Dr. Marcia Driscoll, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is currently president of the Maryland Dermatologic Society.

Dr. Driscoll is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, earned her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at the University of Texas and her Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Connecticut.

Her primary interests are in general dermatology and skin cancer, particularly in the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. She has published numerous articles concerning melanoma and changes in moles during pregnancy. She resides in Ellicott City with her three children and her husband, Dr. Brian Driscoll, an otolaryngologist.

The breakfast meeting on January 12th presents an excellent opportunity for you to interact with and acquire some potentially life-saving information from a highly trained and respected expert on skin cancer, a malady frequently caused by too much exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Come out, enjoy an excellent breakfast, some fine fellowship, and learn how to better protect yourself from developing skin cancer.

Breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m. and the program is scheduled for 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. Please RSVP by noon, Tuesday, January 10 by calling either Charlotte Mullinix, at (410) 489-4510 or Martha Clark at (410) 531-3455.

The cost of the breakfast continues to be $10.00 per person, payable at the door. The speaking portion of the program normally concludes by 9:00 a.m. We look forward to greeting you on Thursday, January 12 at the next Howard County Agri-Business Breakfast.

You are invited to attend the 2012 Maryland Agricultural Pesticide Conference, an educational program conducted by the University of Maryland Extension for custom pesticide applicators, dealers, distributors, sales representatives, growers, agency representatives and Extension workers.

The 2012 conferences will be presented on Tuesday, February 7th at the Legends Restaurant in the Frederick Hampton Inn and on Thursday, February 9th at the 4-H Park in Denton, MD.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture will accept attendance at either full-day session for recertification in the following categories:

1A Agricultural, Plant

1B Agricultural, Animal

4 Seed Treatment

9 Regulatory

10 Demonstration and Research

Also, the Delaware Department of Agriculture will accept attendance at either full-day session as five hours recertification of category:

1A Agricultural, Plant

A pre-registration fee of $35 for Frederick and $30 for Denton is required for attendance to the conference. Registration includes lunch, break, handouts, registration materials and conference costs and must be received by Friday, January 13th. Please mail the form with your check or money order to the correct address listed on the form. Registrations received after January 13th will be $50.00, no exceptions. For information, call the appropriate number below.

Confirmation of registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. on both days. The 2012 conference will be chaired by Jim Lewis in Denton and by Dave Martin in Frederick.

If you have any questions about the Denton Conference, call Jim Lewis, Caroline County Extension Agent at (410) 479-4030. If you have questions about the Frederick Conference, call Dave Martin, Baltimore County Extension Agent at (410) 666-1022.

We hope to see you at one of the conferences.

Source: Jim Lewis, Extension Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources

by Kristal McCormick. Howard SCD

Mark your calendars for the 2012 Howard County Mid-Winter Ag Meeting. The meeting will be held Thursday, February 23rd, 6:30-8:30PM, at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood in the Patapsco Room. Registration begins at 6:15. Light refreshments will be provided.

The evening’s topics include grain marketing and changes being made by the next generation on the family farm. There will also be a brief overview and an opportunity to ask questions concerning the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or EPA’s "pollution diet" as well as Nutrient Trading.

Please RSVP to the Howard Soil Conservation District (410)489-7987, or kmccormick@howardcountymd.gov , by Tuesday, February 21st. Individuals requiring special accommodations please contact the office no less than one week before the meeting.

The 2012 Mid-Winter Ag Meeting is sponsored by Howard Soil Conservation District, Maryland Cooperative Extension, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Howard Soil Conservation District, Maryland Cooperative Extension and USDA prohibit discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.