Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) popular original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its eighth season, will feature farms and locations in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, and Kent counties as part of a “Farms and the Environment” themed episode airing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1.

Maryland Farm & Harvest takes viewers on a journey across the state, telling stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow agriculture in Maryland, the state’s number one commercial industry.

This season the series adds two new segments -- one called “The Way it Works,” offering a look at the mechanical side of agriculture, and the other titled “Facebook Photo Challenge,” featuring photos submitted online by Maryland farmers on a variety of topics.

With introductions filmed at Char-Lene Farm in Carroll County, Maryland Farm & Harvest’s new December 1 episode features the following segments:

• Restoring Streams and Stopping Floods(Harford and Baltimore counties).Nestled in the rolling hills of Harford and Baltimore counties, Willow Oaks Farm in Baldwin offers a seamless blend of agriculture and nature. Yellow Branch stream flows through the farm and like the soybeans nearby, it too has been carefully cultivated. Like many Maryland streams, it was straightened decades ago to create more farmland. After years of erosion and flooding, farmers and environmentalists are returning streams to their natural shapes to help protect the landscape. With assistance from ecological restoration company Ecotone, viewers see what it takes to make a straight stream meander again and witness the benefits for both nature and the farm.

• How Healthy Soil Combats Climate Change(Kent County). At Harborview Farms in Kent County, farmer Trey Hill has long been forward-thinking on environmental issues. By planting cover crops between growing seasons, he helps reduce erosion and runoff from his fields. Another benefit of cover crops has only recently been recognized: these crops help pull carbon dioxide out of the air and store it in the soil after they die. This makes for healthier soil and helps fight climate change. Trey is now working with tech startup NORI to help get more farmers involved in cover cropping.
• The Local Buy: What's in Season?(Harford County).The Local Buy host Al Spoler is a long-time patron of farmers markets. If someone is not a regular market visitors, it can be difficult to know when favorite items are in season. Not only does local, seasonal produce taste better, it can be better for the planet since it doesn't have to travel far before being eaten. At Harman's Farm Market in Churchville, Al talks to Paula Harman and shows viewers a handy guide for figuring out what produce is available in Maryland and when. The guide is available atmpt.org/farm.

• The Way it Works: Water Troughs. The sight of cows drinking from a stream on a hot summer day may seem picturesque but livestock can pollute water and erode streambanks. Segment host Joe Ligo shows how water troughs help protect both cattle and streams from getting messy.

New episodes of Maryland Farm & Harvestair on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and livestream atmpt.org/anywhere/live-stream-mpt/.Encore broadcasts are available on MPT-HD Thursdays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 6 a.m. Each episode also airs on MPT2/Create® on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Series host Joanne Clendining, who recently earned her second Emmy® award from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for her work onMaryland Farm & Harvest, returns for season eight. She is joined by Al Spoler who handles duties for each episode’sTheLocal Buysegment.

Nearly 10 million viewers have tuned in toMaryland Farm & Harvestsince its 2013 debut. The series, has taken MPT viewers to more than 360 farms, fisheries, and other agriculture-related locations during its first seven seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.Past episodes can be viewed atvideo.mpt.tv/show/maryland-farm-harvest/while episode segments are available on the series YouTube channel atyoutube.com/c/MarylandFarmHarvest/featured.

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

Additional funding is provided by Maryland's Best, Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (Marbidco), MidAtlantic Farm Credit, Rural Maryland Council, Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF), Maryland Soybean Board, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Wegmans Food Markets, Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association, Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission, Maryland Farm Bureau, and The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment.

Other support comes from Mar-Del Watermelon Association, Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc., and Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation.

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 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 visitmpt.org.