Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its eighth season, takes a look at impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on farmers and agriculture-related businesses in Maryland during the second episode in a two-part series airing on MPT-HD at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

The episode takes viewers to sites in Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Queen Anne’s counties, where they’ll see how the pandemic is affecting Maryland farms, learn about strategies farmers are employing to keep crops and livestock safe, and find out how some farms are adapting and even thriving during the challenging conditions of the past year. The first part of this series aired on Dec. 15 and can be viewed on MPT’s website at mpt.org/programs/farm/.

The Maryland Farm & Harvest: Agriculture and COVID-19 (Part 2) special episode features two Howard County-related segments:

  • Ag Education Moves Online With a Virtual Livestock Auction(Carroll and Howard counties). Raising livestock is a rite of passage for many kids who participate in 4-H, a youth development program with its roots in agriculture.  But when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of many county and state fairs, a group of people from Carroll and Howard counties worked together to ensure these hard-working kids still had a chance to show and sell their animals … virtually!  Viewers meet the Troppman family from Woodstock and learn what it takes to organize and participate in an online livestock auction.  After that, viewers see the kids’ reactions on the day of the big sale.
  • Ask a Farmer: How have you adapted to COVID-19?In this new segment, Maryland Farm & Harvest producers interview farmers across the state and hear how they are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Farmers from Ellicott City, Ingleside, Thurmont, and Woodsboro offer their insights.

Maryland Farm & Harvest airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and via livestream at mpt.org/anywhere/live-stream-mpt. Encore broadcasts are available on MPT-HD at 11 p.m. on Thursdays and 6 a.m. on Sundays. Episodes also air on MPT2/Create at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays.