OWINGS MILLS, MD – Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its fifth season, will feature farms in Carroll, Calvert and Queen Anne’s counties during the episode airing Tuesday, January 2 at 7 p.m.

The upcoming episode features the following segments:

Cow Comfort Inn Dairy in Union Bridge (Carroll County).

While the motto of the Cow Comfort Inn Dairy is “where the cows enjoy their stay,” the devotion farmers Katie Dotterer-Pyle and David Pyle show their bovine “guests” goes beyond tongue-in-cheek hotel references. The Pyles constantly monitor their animals’ health, in part by using a pedometer to track their steps. More steps than average and the cow might be ready for breeding while fewer steps by a cow may indicate illness.  The application of technology in this case is helping the Pyles take better care of their animals and enabling them to be better dairy farmers.

Central Sod Farms in Centreville (Queen Anne’s County).

This segment takes viewers to Central Sod Farms, a 1,000-plus acre farm, for a close-up look at the machinery and expertise required for the Warpinski family to cultivate its lush, green turf.  The farm’s turf can be found at some well-known public spaces, including such Washington, D.C. landmarks as the National Mall, the Capitol, and the White House, as well as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Spider Hall Farm, in Prince Frederick (Calvert County).

This story follows Spider Hall Farm’s Charles Cox as he awaits the arrival of his new four-wheel drive tractor at his family’s Calvert County farm. Today’s farm tractors – some priced at $100,000 or more –  serve as an office on wheels, incorporating computer technology so the user can monitor and record data while planting or harvesting. Charles sees the new vehicle as a tool for increasing work efficiency and productivity on his 600-acre grain and tobacco farm.

Black Rock Orchard, in Lineboro (Carroll County)

“The Local Buy” segment host Al Spoler takes a stroll through Black Rock Orchard, where farmer Dave Hochheimer raises more than 4,000 fruit trees on 92 acres. Dave grows 77 varieties of fruit – including apples, apricots, blueberries, peaches, pears, and plums – and sells his fruit at farmers markets in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.  Al learns from Dave why it’s best to pick pears before they’re ripe and then rounds out this “plum” assignment with a taste of a dessert baked by Dave’s wife, Emily Zaas, the recipe of which is available at mpt.org/farm.

Maryland Farm & Harvest takes viewers on a journey across the state, telling stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow Maryland’s number one industry: agriculture. Over the past year, MPT’s production team has filmed stories at more than four dozen farms in preparation for the new season. Maryland’s rich agricultural heritage, the importance of bees, and growing crops in the face of changing weather patterns are among themes covered in depth during upcoming episodes.

Nearly five million viewers have tuned in to Maryland Farm & Harvest since its fall 2013 debut. The series has visited more than 200 farms in its first four seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.

Joanne Clendining, who earned an Emmy® from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for her work as Maryland Farm & Harvest host, returns for season five. She is joined by Al Spoler, co-host of WYPR-FM’s “Cellar Notes” and “Radio Kitchen” programs, who hosts The Local Buy segment during each episode.

Maryland Farm & Harvest airs Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and is rebroadcast Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Each show also airs on MPT2 Fridays at 7:30 p.m.  More information about the series is available at mpt.org/farm. Viewers can join the conversation on social media at #MDFarmHarvestFans.

Agriculture is Maryland’s largest commercial industry, contributing more than $17 billion in revenue each year. As of 2016 approximately 350,000 Marylanders are employed in some aspect of agriculture. The state has 12,300 farms accounting for approximately two million acres, with nearly 6,000 full-time farmers.  Today, 110 farms and more than 7,679 acres are certified organic in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is MPT’s co-production partner for Maryland Farm & Harvest. Major funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.

Additional funding is provided by Maryland’s Best; MidAtlantic Farm Credit; the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation; the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation; and the Maryland Soybean Board.

Other support comes from Wegmans Food Markets; the Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.; the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative; the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; the Maryland Farm Bureau Service Company, and by Mar-Del Watermelon Association; Hoffman Irrigation, LLC, an authorized Valley Irrigation dealer; Chesapeake College; and the Rural Maryland Council.