The pressure from Solar to lease out our land has been constant. The County made an agreement that solar was allowed on non arable (so less desirable/useable) land. Now the state is circumventing all that work to preserve the Ag Reserve. This is being pushed the hardest by Solar companies. We won’t have an Ag reserve worth saving if be allow good farmland to become Solar farms. Why aren’t the roof tops down county pushed to provide the space? Once we loose the Ag uses, it won’t come back.Maryland’s General Assembly wraps up Monday and while the state’s budget shortfall dominated the session, energy legislation was also a constant issue. The Renewable Energy Certainty Act (SB931/HB1036), a bill introduced by both House and Senate Leadership, is aimed at faster development of solar projects to help achieve the state’s renewable energy goals. But the bill includes provisions that favor developers over farmers and local government.
As proposed in the amended bill, local decision-making over solar projects in their jurisdiction would return to counties but only after 5% of lands in a county’s designated Priority Protection Areas were converted to solar. ESLC joined with others to assert the impacts of this provision pose too high of a risk to future agricultural viability and advocated to lower the threshold of solar development to 2%. Furthermore, two Eastern Shore counties, Dorchester and Somerset, do not have state-recognized Priority Preservation Areas, which means there is no mechanism by which these counties could ever regain some level of autonomy over solar siting.
The Priority Preservation Area provision of SB931/HB1036 generated considerable debate within both the House and Senate this session and, as of this writing, appears on the verge of passing. As Maryland moves forward, continued collaboration and careful consideration of both environmental and agricultural needs will be essential. One thing remains certain, there is still much work to be done to understand the economic impact to rural counties should more than 100,000 acres of key agricultural lands in Priority Preservation Areas be converted to commercial solar installations.
Entries are starting to come in for our Spring Combined Test! Will be held Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at the Potomac Pony Club field! You do not need to be a Pony Club member to compete. Levels from USDF Into A & Poles to Training 1 & 2'3". Great schooling show to start the season!
Entries are now open, feel free to email with any questions.
Time to start planning and scheduling hour microchipping if you plan to compete your horse at recognized USEA or USDF events. Mandatory starting Dec 1, 2025.
We love our Vets who treat our horses at Bascule, AND we have a larger enough and knowledgeable enough staff to get your horse to the ER when needed. If you’re not including your Vet in your Christmas list of Thankyou/small gifts, you should! ... See MoreSee Less
Put your daughter in the barn, where the air smells of hay and hard work, where the lessons are unspoken but will be deeply understood.
Let her find her footing in the dust and dirt, learning that balance isn’t just for the saddle but for life itself.
Watch as she earns trust from something bigger than herself, as she discovers that patience isn’t passive...it’s the quiet persistence of trying again and again.
Let her feel the weight of responsibility with every flake of hay she tosses, every bucket she fills, every wound she tends with her tiny gentle hands.
Put your daughter in the barn, where she’ll learn that effort matters more than luck, that showing up every day builds more than muscle...it builds character.
Let her see that respect is earned, not demanded, that failure isn’t final, and that sometimes the best lessons come from falling off and getting back on.
Give her a place where she can be strong and soft, bold and kind, independent yet deeply connected.
Let the barn shape her, and when the world calls her forward, you’ll see a woman who knows who she is, because she was raised in the barn.
ISO Groom for 2 weeks Monday March 24 through Friday April 4th. (Off weekends) Good Hourly pay, 12-4:30pm. Grooming, Tacking, untacking, tack cleaning, saddle pad laundry for our Eventing trainer. Possibility to extend and become more permanent team member if it works out. Right now just need the commitment for 2 weeks. Easy horses, lots of backup help to give you guidance. PM if interested in giving us a help out! ... See MoreSee Less
Derby day 2 recap! Trainer Chris took two riders to Loch Moy on Sunday, and it was an AWESOME afternoon! Catherine and Bowie had an amazing go in the starter division, showing off all their hard work from this winter to finish in second! Bowie got all the pats after their round. Sophie also rode her golden boy Casino in the BN for his first ever outing over fences, and he was a star! You would have thought he’s been doing this his whole life! The day was filled with smiles all around, and everyone is so excited to get rolling this season! Thank you to Loch Moy (and all the volunteers who make it happen!) for a great weekend! ... See MoreSee Less
The pressure from Solar to lease out our land has been constant. The County made an agreement that solar was allowed on non arable (so less desirable/useable) land. Now the state is circumventing all that work to preserve the Ag Reserve. This is being pushed the hardest by Solar companies. We won’t have an Ag reserve worth saving if be allow good farmland to become Solar farms. Why aren’t the roof tops down county pushed to provide the space? Once we loose the Ag uses, it won’t come back.Maryland’s General Assembly wraps up Monday and while the state’s budget shortfall dominated the session, energy legislation was also a constant issue. The Renewable Energy Certainty Act (SB931/HB1036), a bill introduced by both House and Senate Leadership, is aimed at faster development of solar projects to help achieve the state’s renewable energy goals. But the bill includes provisions that favor developers over farmers and local government.
As proposed in the amended bill, local decision-making over solar projects in their jurisdiction would return to counties but only after 5% of lands in a county’s designated Priority Protection Areas were converted to solar. ESLC joined with others to assert the impacts of this provision pose too high of a risk to future agricultural viability and advocated to lower the threshold of solar development to 2%. Furthermore, two Eastern Shore counties, Dorchester and Somerset, do not have state-recognized Priority Preservation Areas, which means there is no mechanism by which these counties could ever regain some level of autonomy over solar siting.
The Priority Preservation Area provision of SB931/HB1036 generated considerable debate within both the House and Senate this session and, as of this writing, appears on the verge of passing. As Maryland moves forward, continued collaboration and careful consideration of both environmental and agricultural needs will be essential. One thing remains certain, there is still much work to be done to understand the economic impact to rural counties should more than 100,000 acres of key agricultural lands in Priority Preservation Areas be converted to commercial solar installations.
Read more: www.eslc.org/update-renewable-energy-certainty-act-sb931-hb1036/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Urgent Action: Solar + Batteries on 5,000 Acres of the AR? ... See MoreSee Less
Urgent Action: Solar + Batteries on 5,000 Acres of the AR?
sh1.sendinblue.com
Annapolis leaders need to hear from you - quick0 CommentsComment on Facebook
This content isn't available right now ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Entries are starting to come in for our Spring Combined Test! Will be held Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at the Potomac Pony Club field! You do not need to be a Pony Club member to compete. Levels from USDF Into A & Poles to Training 1 & 2'3". Great schooling show to start the season!
Entries are now open, feel free to email with any questions.
forms.gle/aoDhTc3kwrjAf3Zb8
*Entries can close early dependent on numbers. ... See MoreSee Less
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youtu.be/1IEpQmApva0?si=I5KJOa2f7m8eCrlT ... See MoreSee Less
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Time to start planning and scheduling hour microchipping if you plan to compete your horse at recognized USEA or USDF events. Mandatory starting Dec 1, 2025.
useventing.com/news-media/news/rule-refresher-everything-you-need-to-know-about-microchips#:~:tex.... ... See MoreSee Less
Rule Refresher: Everything You Need to Know About Microchips
useventing.com
Rule Refresher: Everything You Need to Know About Microchips0 CommentsComment on Facebook
We love our Vets who treat our horses at Bascule, AND we have a larger enough and knowledgeable enough staff to get your horse to the ER when needed. If you’re not including your Vet in your Christmas list of Thankyou/small gifts, you should! ... See MoreSee Less
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Rotwing baby nap time comes to mind…This would be my horse. ... See MoreSee Less
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🥰 Raise Her in the Barn
Put your daughter in the barn, where the air smells of hay and hard work, where the lessons are unspoken but will be deeply understood.
Let her find her footing in the dust and dirt,
learning that balance isn’t just for the saddle but for life itself.
Watch as she earns trust from something bigger than herself, as she discovers that patience isn’t passive...it’s the quiet persistence of trying again and again.
Let her feel the weight of responsibility
with every flake of hay she tosses, every bucket she fills, every wound she tends with her tiny gentle hands.
Put your daughter in the barn, where she’ll learn that effort matters more than luck, that showing up every day builds more than muscle...it builds character.
Let her see that respect is earned, not demanded, that failure isn’t final, and that sometimes the best lessons come from falling off and getting back on.
Give her a place where she can be strong and soft, bold and kind, independent yet deeply connected.
Let the barn shape her, and when the world calls her forward, you’ll see a woman who knows who she is, because she was raised in the barn.
💕©2025 Michelle Knutson | Born In The Barn | All rights reserved! ... See MoreSee Less
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ISO Groom for 2 weeks Monday March 24 through Friday April 4th. (Off weekends)
Good Hourly pay, 12-4:30pm. Grooming, Tacking, untacking, tack cleaning, saddle pad laundry for our Eventing trainer. Possibility to extend and become more permanent team member if it works out. Right now just need the commitment for 2 weeks. Easy horses, lots of backup help to give you guidance. PM if interested in giving us a help out! ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Derby day 2 recap!
Trainer Chris took two riders to Loch Moy on Sunday, and it was an AWESOME afternoon! Catherine and Bowie had an amazing go in the starter division, showing off all their hard work from this winter to finish in second! Bowie got all the pats after their round. Sophie also rode her golden boy Casino in the BN for his first ever outing over fences, and he was a star! You would have thought he’s been doing this his whole life!
The day was filled with smiles all around, and everyone is so excited to get rolling this season!
Thank you to Loch Moy (and all the volunteers who make it happen!) for a great weekend! ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook