MENU

Sections

  • Home
  • About
    • The Chestertown Spy
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising & Underwriting
      • Advertising Terms & Conditions
    • Editors & Writers
    • Dedication & Acknowledgements
    • Code of Ethics
    • Chestertown Spy Terms of Service
    • Technical FAQ
    • Privacy
  • The Arts and Design
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
  • Community Opinion
  • Donate to the Chestertown Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy

More

  • Support the Spy
  • About Spy Community Media
  • Advertising with the Spy
February 4, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

  • Home
  • About
    • The Chestertown Spy
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising & Underwriting
      • Advertising Terms & Conditions
    • Editors & Writers
    • Dedication & Acknowledgements
    • Code of Ethics
    • Chestertown Spy Terms of Service
    • Technical FAQ
    • Privacy
  • The Arts and Design
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
  • Community Opinion
  • Donate to the Chestertown Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy
Food and Garden Garden Notes

The Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute is Rebuilding Community One Potluck At a Time

November 12, 2022 by Spy Desk 2 Comments

Share

In a fractured post-pandemic world, monthly ‘permaculture potlucks’ hosted by the Eastern Shore Permaculture Institute (ESPI) have struck a chord with local communities. The potlucks have grown quickly from humble beginnings – a handful of participants in spring 2021 — to more than 50 attendees per month in the fall of 2022. These special events bring together people from different walks of life to share food, learn new skills, and build relationships, with a focus on sustainable land use.

“In a world where our sense of community and belonging has been depleted by a global pandemic on one side and the age of smart phones and hiding behind social media on the other, these potlucks present a unique opportunity to socialize, learn new things, network, and build a community of sustainability-minded folks here on the upper Eastern Shore,” explains Justinian Dispenza, Director of ESPI.

The potlucks are attended by a diverse crowd, including local farmers, artists, professors, college students, musicians, small business owners, homesteaders, nonprofit representatives, politicians, and curious families and community members. Over the past year, the events have been hosted at many different farms, homes, and gardens across Kent County.

“As a young farmer committed to producing food sustainably, the ESPI potlucks have been an invaluable resource,” says Sarah Starman, co-owner of Tavern Creek Farm. “Through these events, I’ve gotten advice from other growers, built relationships, and even met new customers. It really makes you feel like you’re part of a community, and enables you to make more of a positive impact.”

The final Permaculture Potluck of 2022 will be held on Saturday, November 19th, and is open to the public. It will take place at ESPI’s Permaculture Demonstration Property in Galena, MD, from 5pm – 9pm. Activities include a site tour; free pizzas cooked on an outdoor, wood-fired cobb oven; a potluck (attendees will bring drinks or dishes to share); fire spinning lessons; and music around a campfire. Other interesting features of the Permaculture Demonstration Property include a mobile solar dehydrator, a succulent greenhouse, mushroom logs, a demonstration wildflower meadow, a community garden, composting systems, and more.

“These events have been great for connecting the local community together, while learning from each other about ways that we can all be better stewards of our local lands and waterways,” says Zack Kelleher, the Sassafras Riverkeeper with ShoreRivers. “In order to clean up our local environment, it takes a diverse coalition of passionate people fighting every day, and we’re so fortunate to have ESPI in our community to provide an avenue for all of us to get together.

For the address of the potluck or to get on the email list for future ESPI events, reach out to Justinian at espigrow@gmail.com.

Filed Under: Garden Notes Tagged With: Chestertown Spy, local news

Harvest Highlights: A National Garden Club Standard Flower Show

September 7, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Share

On Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 1:00-5:00 pm, the Queen Anne’s County Garden Club (QACGC) will be hosting the District I Flower Show “Harvest Highlights,” a National Garden Clubs Standard Flower show to be held at the Chesapeake College, Health Professions and Athletics Center (HPAC) at 1000 College Circle Wye mills, MD. The show is FREE and open to the public. For further information email cmacglashan@gmail.com or phone 410-556-6241

District I members from the 10 Federated garden clubs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (including QACGC), as well as members from garden clubs throughout the region, will exhibit and compete their “best” creative flower designs, prized horticulture examples, and botanical arts creations. All entries will be submitted in accordance with the guidelines of the National Garden Clubs Flower Show Handbook and the “schedule,” written by Terry Holman, established specific to the fall theme of Harvest Highlights.  Carolyn Macglashan, General Chairperson for the flower show, along with Sue Hansen, President of QACGC, say they are excited to showcase the talents of District I in the prime and easily accessible location of Chesapeake College. They feel sure this innovative flower show will be fun and inspiring to members and visitors alike!

In keeping with the Harvest Highlights theme, there are special “growing challenges” by members in District I that include competing “darling” dahlias and “gorgeous” gourds. The show will also feature a section of “farm stand vegetables.’

Additionally, educational exhibits being showcased include “Breaking the Plastic Habit,” a Patriotic Programs exhibit highlighting the work of federated garden clubs in supporting Wreaths Across America and the Blue Star and Gold Star Memorial Highway Marker Program, and an educational exhibit about Loving Good Bugs (that don’t bug us) display.  There will also be the life-size Harvest Goddess, an impressive figure artistically designed with plant material from top to bottom! Flower show entries are judged by a panel of National Garden Clubs accredited judges who will judging Saturday morning prior to the opening of the flower show to the public.

The Harvest Highlights flower show can be a destination for the day with plenty of exhibits to see, feature programs, and demonstrations each hour from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm.  Learn to arrange a beautiful bouquet of supermarket flowers with District I Director, Jeanne Bernard, make a design with succulents in a pumpkin with Faye Phillips, and learn fall garden cleanup tips with Ken Morgan of Robin’s Nest. And, for the first time there will be a Marketplace with food trucks and a variety of vendors selling their goods.

Special thanks go out to our sponsors for their support: Shore United Bank, Unity Church Hill Nursery, Bartlett Tree Experts, and Mr. & Mrs. Bruce J Valliant.  Also, thank you to the many patrons and district members for their donations.

Filed Under: Garden Notes Tagged With: gardens, local news

Adkins Mystery Monday: Who Did We Find Enjoying the Summer Morning Dew

September 5, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! Who did we find enjoying the summer morning dew by Emily’s Play Garden?

Last week, we asked you about lespedeza or silky bush clover (Lespedeza cuneata). Lespedeza is considered invasive because it is non-native and forms dense patches in meadows and forest edges outcompeting native plants. This invasive lespedeza tends to have white blooms with purple centers. There is a native species (Lespedeza virginica) with pink flowers that is helpful in providing cover and food for birds in the winter. Lespedeza is a nitrogen fixing legume (Fabaceae), so it is very effective at growing in nutrient-deficient or disturbed soils.
#adkinsarboretum #lespedeza #mysterymonday #mysteryplant #mysteryfrog #fabaceae #knowyourplantfamilies

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Maryland Grazing School and Advanced Grazing Workshop

September 2, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

Share

University of Maryland Extension and partners are excited to be bringing back both the Maryland Grazing School and Advanced Grazing Workshop this fall and invite grazers and livestock owners to attend one of these upcoming events!

The Maryland Grazing School will be held over two days on September 29-30, 2022 at Rocklands Farm in Poolesville, MD from 8 AM to 5 PM each day. Designed with producer interests in mind, this 2-day grazing school will offer a more in-depth education on pasture and grazing management. The course features multiple hands-on exercises to provide participants with opportunities to work with grazing tools and fencing materials. Topics covered will include forage selection, pasture assessment, grazing management, pasture allocation, fencing and watering options, extending the grazing season, and more! Enrollment is limited to 30 people to keep the group small and allow for more interaction and networking opportunities. For full details and registration information, please visit https://go.umd.edu/grazingschool.

The Advanced Grazing Workshop feat. Ranching for Profit will be held over two days on October 20-21, 2022 at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, MD from 9 AM to 5 PM each day. This advanced grazing workshop is designed for producers looking to transform their operation into a profitable business with less work and stress. Workshop attendees will dive deeper into the principles behind farm economics and increasing farm profitability, giving them the tools and insights they need to improve their business. The workshop will be taught by Dave Pratt, one of the experts on the Ranching for Profit team and will feature a small group approach with team and class discussions, case studies, videos, and application to participants’ own situation. For full details and registration information, please visit https://go.umd.edu/rfpworkshop.

These events are brought to you by University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland-Delaware Forage Council, Maryland Grazers Network, NE SARE, and American Farmland Trust. Thank you to our event partners!

If you have questions or need assistance please contact your local county Extension office or Amanda Grev at agrev@umd.edu or 301-432-2767 x339. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity please contact us at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Hope to see you there!

The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

Filed Under: Garden Notes Tagged With: local news, University of Maryland Extension

The Maryland Food Ventures Workshop for Home Cooks and On-Farm Home Processors Goes Virtual

August 30, 2022 by University of Maryland Extension Leave a Comment

Share

If you’ve considered turning your farm’s tomatoes or fruit into a canned product, or turning your grandmother’s favorite bread recipe into a small business idea, University of Maryland Extension has a newly updated virtual workshop developed to teach the intricacies of starting a food business under Maryland’s on-farm home processing license and cottage foods.

The Maryland Food Ventures workshop (formerly known as Food For Profit) is currently offered in a virtual format (in-person dates forthcoming), and is free for a limited time only (till Mid-September 2022). The newly designed course was created in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Health, and provides foundational information for farmers (small farms and ranchers, specialty crop producers and value-added producers) under the On-Farm Home Processing License, and home cooks and bakers interested in selling their homemade products to the public, under the Cottage Food Business. The self-paced workshop will help both groups determine if their homemade jam, or other value-added product, will make a sustainable business idea.

“There’s some important things that have been updated in terms of Maryland regulations,” said Dr. Shauna Henley, senior agent in the Family and Consumer Sciences program, and current lead on the U.S. Department of Agriculture – National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grant to re-examine, optimize, and improve the current modules for both online and in-person classes. “In October of 2019, cottage foods were allowed to be sold in certain retail establishments, and this October (2022), the cap on sales for cottage foods is rising to $50,000 from $25,000 per year. These are significant changes for these small businesses, although not for on-farm home processing.”

In addition to the increase in the yearly cap on sales for cottage foods, the U.S. will also include sesame as the ninth major food allergen that will need to be declared, like tree nuts (e.g. almonds) or the other eight major food allergens. “This program gives us the platform to reiterate the regulations, as well as bring awareness to the new food allergen,” Henley said.

Collaborating with Shannon Dill, principal agriculture and food systems agent (Talbot county), and Neith Little, agriculture and food systems agent (Baltimore City), to create the new curriculum, the program not only highlights state regulations, but also tackles the business development side of starting a cottage food or on-farm home processing business from your home or farm kitchen.

“It’s intended to be a beginning platform to introduce people to all of these moving pieces,” said Henley. “We really want people to think of the risks as it applies to food safety, costs, business planning, and labeling – even that can be more than people expect.”

While starting an on-farm or cottage food business comes with challenges and risks, the Maryland Food Ventures workshop provides an introduction designed to help people develop their idea into a sustainable business plan. The workshop also addresses those who have been running an on-farm or cottage food business and are ready to take the next step.

“You have to be invested if it’s something you want to pursue,” Henley said. “An on-farm or cottage food business can give you a taste of whether your idea can be successful on a larger scale in the future.”

The free introductory period to access the workshops only lasts for a limited time, after which, the course registration is $15. Learn more and register at https://umeagfs.teachable.com/p/maryland-food-ventures-cottage-onfarm. For more food safety resources from farm-to-table visit https://extension.umd.edu/resource/food-safety-farm-table-resources-marylanders.

Filed Under: Garden Notes Tagged With: local news, University of Maryland Extension

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Non-Native Woody Forb is Flowering Now?

August 29, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! What non-native woody forb is flowering now?

Last week, we asked you about flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata)! Flowering spurge is a native perennial that readily self seeds in open woodlands, fields, and roadsides. It has delicate white blooms in the summer, creating a nice airy floral accent. Flowering spurge has been known to cause some skin irritation, so it’s best to admire from a distance (or with gloves). The flowers offer nectar to a variety of bees, wasps, and butterflies and the seeds are eaten by birds. Similar to flowering dogwood, flowering spurge has showy bracts rather than petals.
#adkinsarboretum #mysterymonday #mysteryplant #floweringspurge

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Mystery Monday: Do You Know What Native Flower is Blooming?

August 22, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! Do you know what native flower is blooming along the meadow edge?

Last week, we asked you about the variegated fritillary caterpillar (Euptoieta claudia)! This red, black, and white caterpillar will transform into a beautiful orange butterfly with patterns of black and brown. The variegated fritillary uses passionflower (in addition to mayapples and violets) as a host plant. If you find yourself at Emily’s Play Garden, watch for these butterflies and you may even see them laying their eggs on the leaves. Just remember that their genus name comes from the Greek word meaning “easily scared,” so be quiet and gentle while you observe.
#mysterymonday #adkinsarboretum #variegatedfritillary #hostplant #mysteryplant #mysterycaterpillar

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Caterpillar Did We Find on the Passionflower?

August 15, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! Summer is the time for caterpillars! What caterpillar did we find on the passionflower?

Last week, we asked you about the tussock moth (Halysidota sp.). Sycamore tussock moths (Halysidota harrisii) appear identical to banded tussock moths (Halysidota tessellaris) and without a close look at some anatomical features, we can’t be sure which species this is. The American sycamore appears to be a host plant for both species. There are many species of tussock moths whose hairs are used as a defense mechanism, some of which can sting or cause a rash. So, keep in mind that these “fuzzy wuzzy” caterpillars may look cuddly, but best to let them be.
#mysterymonday #adkinsarboretum #fuzzywuzzy #mysterycaterpillar #tussockcaterpillar

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Fuzzy Critter Did We Find?

August 8, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! What fuzzy critter did we find in the sycamore tree?

Last week, we asked you about spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe). Spotted knapweed is an invasive plant that tends to grow in disturbed and nutrient-deficient soils. Each plant can produce between 1,000 to 20,000 seeds each year, so it is important to prevent it from setting seed! Every summer, we control the knapweed by manual removal and mowing to allow the areas to seed in with the desirable native meadow species.
#adkinsarboretum #mysterymonday #mysterycritter #mysteryplant #spottedknapweed

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Mystery Monday: Do You Know What Plant this Flower Bud Belongs to?

August 1, 2022 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Share

Happy Mystery Monday! Sometimes we just need to slow down and take a closer look. Look at this beautifully intricate flower bud! Do you know what plant it belongs to?

Last week, we asked you about swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)! Swamp rose mallow is slow to break dormancy in the spring, but once it does, it can reach 3 to 7 feet high with abundant blooms ranging from white to pink. There are even some red cultivars available! These plants like it wet and swampy and are very attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
#adkinsarboretum #mysterymonday #swamprosemallow #mysteryplant #nativehibiscus

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

Filed Under: Food-Garden Homepage, Food-Garden Portal lead Tagged With: Adkins Arboretum

Next Page »

Copyright © 2023

Affiliated News

  • The Cambridge Spy
  • The Talbot Spy

Sections

  • Arts
  • Culture
  • Ecosystem
  • Education
  • Health
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Spy Senior Nation

Spy Community Media

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising & Underwriting

Copyright © 2023 · Spy Community Media Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in