The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC) has seven faculty members with Extension appointments, two of whom are members of the administration of the department and the college. AREC Extension programs are under the auspices of the University of Maryland Extension (UME), which is a statewide, non-formal education system within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
UME educational programs and problem-solving assistance are available to citizens and are based on the research and experience of land grant universities such as the University of Maryland, College Park. In Maryland, UME employs approximately 200 faculty and approximately 200 support staff and contractual employees located at the University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland Eastern Shore; 23 counties; Baltimore City; and four research and education centers. Many UME faculty members located on the College Park and Eastern Shore campuses have joint appointments with research and academic programs. These joint appointments promote the exchange of knowledge between the universities and among academic specialties.
The members of the UMD AREC professional track faculty and research faculty with Extension appointments play an integral role in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency Extension projects.
ALEI: The Agricultural Law Education Initiative
The Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) began in 2013 in response to a realization that Maryland’s farm families need more information about the laws that impact their operations. ALEI is comprised of legal specialists and other extension specialists who help farmers understand and comply with state, federal and local laws and regulations.
ALEI legal specialists stay up-to-date on legal issues and educate growers and producers on relevant laws as well as available resources.
This education comes in the form of conferences, in-person education programs, legal publications, partnerships, webinars, videos and articles in farming periodicals.
ALEI’s resources help farmers identify legal risk and take action to protect the viability of their businesses. When Maryland’s farm families are able to understand and navigate laws that impact them, it benefits their operations, the agricultural food network, and the entire state.
CONSERVE: A Center for Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, and Health
To fulfill our mission and vision, CONSERVE research, extension and education activities are developed by a leading team of bioscientists, engineers, economists, social-behavioral scientists, law and policy experts, extension specialists, educational media developers and computer scientists. We extend our findings to stakeholders, including farmers, communities, educators, students, and federal, state, and local governments through outreach and engagement.
