The expo was the place to be for anyone interested in starting a farm or becoming a sheep or goat producer. The all-day event taught adults and children different aspects of farming from raising livestock to writing business plans.
"A major struggle for beginning farmers is to get financial credit. A lot of people that have come to talk to us have asked for help with getting their business plan together and how to reach out to those lenders," said Hannah Shear, the beginning farmer program coordinator with the University of Maryland.
There are more than 180,000 acres of farmland in Frederick County, making it an ideal place for producing ruminants. Ruminants are animals that have a digestive system with four different compartments. They include sheep, goats, and cattle.
"Frederick is the number one dairy producing county in Maryland, so there are lots of pastures. It's a great place to do small ruminants," said Shear.
It wasn't just adults who came ready to learn, the youth program taught kids the basics of farming and how to care for the animals.
To read more and view attached video: First-Ever Maryland Small Ruminant Expo Attracts Future Farmers
Taken from: Your4State.com
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