Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its 12th season, will feature farms and locations in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, and Carroll counties during an episode premiering on Tuesday, December 17. A preview of the episode can be found on the series’ webpage at mpt.org/farm.
Maryland Farm & Harvest airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and online at mpt.org/livestream. Episodes are also available to view live and on demand using the free PBS app and MPT’s online video player.
The popular weekly series takes viewers on a journey across the Free State, telling engaging and enlightening stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow agriculture in Maryland, the state’s number one commercial industry.
Joanne Clendining, who has earned two Emmy® awards from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for her work on Maryland Farm & Harvest, serves as series host. She is joined by Al Spoler, host of “The Local Buy” segments, and by a variety of local chefs who serve as guest hosts of the series’ “Farm to Skillet” segments.
With introductions filmed at Sharps at Waterford Farm in Brookeville (Howard County), the December 17 episode features the following stories:
- 4-H Families: Chamelin Family Farm (Carroll County) – 4-H is a family affair for the Chamelins. Parents Sam and Jennie Chamelin first met during their time in 4-H, and their three children all participate in the program today. Viewers meet the family at their farm home in Westminster and follow along as 16-year-old son Caleb vies for the crown in the Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair’s Swine Showmanship competition.
- Agriculture Queens of Maryland (Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties) – Meet two of the state’s newest agricultural ambassadors: 2024 Mar-Del Watermelon Queen Karli Abbott and 2024 Ms. Agvocate USA Lindsey Jacobs. Karli, a Trappe (Talbot County) native who’s completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Lindsey, who works at her family’s Church View Farm in Millersville and is pursuing her master’s degree at Virginia Tech University, explain how they achieved their titles and show viewers what it takes to serve as ambassadors for the agriculture industry.
- The Local Buy: Bethesda Methodist Peach Festival (Caroline County) – Every year, hundreds of people flock to the volunteer firehouse in Preston, where handcrafted goods adorn local stalls and a team of volunteers from Bethesda Methodist Church work to feed hungry visitors. Among the event’s most popular treats is peach cobbler, which boasts a sweetness derived from local ingredients. Segment host Al Spoler helps pick the dish’s main ingredient at nearby Heritage Orchard before heading to the firehouse to taste the finished product. More information about Heritage Orchard will be available at mpt.org/farm.
Following the December 17 episode, Maryland Farm & Harvest will deliver encore presentations of holiday specials from previous seasons on December 24 and 31. The first five episode of the series’ 12th season will re-air on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. from January 7-February 4, 2025. The sixth episode will debut on February 11 and will be followed by weekly episode premieres through the season finale on April 1.
More than 16 million viewers have watched Maryland Farm & Harvest on the statewide public TV network since its debut in 2013. The series has traveled to nearly 500 farms, fisheries, and other agriculture-related locations during its first 11 seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.
Encore broadcasts of Maryland Farm & Harvest air on MPT-HD on Thursdays at 11 p.m. and on Sundays at 6 a.m. Episodes also air on MPT2/Create® on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Past episodes can be viewed on the free PBS app and MPT’s online video player, while episode segments are available on the series’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/MarylandFarmHarvest/featured.
Audiences are invited to engage with the series on social media @MarylandFarmHarvest on Facebook and @mdfarmtv on Instagram.
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; MARBIDCO; a grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Specialty Crop Block Program; Farm Credit; Maryland Soybean Board; Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; Maryland Farm Bureau; The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment; Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation; and by the citizens of Baltimore County.
About Maryland Public Television
Maryland Public Television (MPT) is a statewide, public-supported TV network and Public Broadcasting Service member offering entertaining, educational, and inspiring content delivered by traditional broadcasting and streaming on TVs, computers, and mobile devices. A state agency, it operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission. MPT creates and distributes local, regional, and national content and is a frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards. MPT’s commitment to educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through instructional events and Thinkport.org. MPT’s year-round community engagement activities connect viewers with resources on a wide range of topics. For more information visit mpt.org.
