Volunteer Hours Canceled Saturday, November 26
New members of the farm! Khaki Campbell ducks.
You may have planned on burning some of those extra calories you ate by volunteering with us this Saturday, but we thought it’d be a nice break for the staff to cancel volunteer hours. We’ll see you in December. Have a safe break.
Introducing Dietrich Epp Schmidt of the Cheseapeake Conservation Corps
I happily joined the staff of ECO City Farms just over two months ago. My working relationship with ECO is not typical; I am a member of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps (CCC), a group of twenty-one members funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT), placed in organizations across Maryland and empowered to promote awareness of and participation in the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay. The CCC’s philosophy is that the conservation of the Chesapeake can only be successful if we apply a holistic approach to conservation. Engaging new agricultural practices is one aspect of this approach, and is what ultimately brings me to ECO.
My day on the farm generally begins at 8 AM as I take out the compost notebook and a thermometer that is about as long as my leg. My role on the farm up to this point has been as a Compost Apprentice to Benny Erez and a general extra hand. I have taken part in almost every aspect of running the farm, from harvest to grant writing and high tunnel construction, though my main priority has been on composting. It has been a real pleasure working with Benny, even though I sometimes end up going home smelling like a barrel of pickled brewer’s grain and fruit.
Read MoreNew Aquaponics System (Photo Essay)
Installing the new aquaponics system
Amanda and Levi helping stock our new aquaponics demonstration with 29 bluegill fishes (organically raised)
The plants fed by the aquaponics demonstration
Read More
Tree Plantings with UMD Students
The newly planted fruit trees along the driveway
On October 22, we planted fruit trees and plants along the driveway. The group included some regular volunteers and two University of Maryland (UMD) student groups. They planted apple, pear, Asian pear, and peach trees along with blue berry bushes and grape vines.
The two groups from UMD were students from the Gemstone Program and the Terps for Change. Amina Goheer, a ECO City Farms volunteer and a senior at UMD, organized to bring 10 students from the Gemstone Program, a living-learning community of fellow students, faculty, and staff who work together to enrich the undergraduate experience. Click here to learn more about this program. Jeremy Krones led the charge for Terps for Change, a UMD service group with a mission to connect students with the local community through community service-learning opportunities. Krones brought over two volunteers that helped plant trees and help cover hoophouse no. 1. To learn more about this group click here.
While the students were busy planting, our super volunteer, Roger Sisler, was preparing the posts for our grape trellis. Adam Schwartz and Roger dug three holes the day before. On Saturday they prepared and poured concrete in each hole.
Just imagine what this little orchard will look like in 3-5 year, when these plants starts bearing fruit.
Read MoreWinter CSA at ECO City Farms
Hello ECO City community,
We will begin our first winter Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program in December. Be a partner in our new program. The CSA season will run from December 1, 2011 through May 3, 2012. Each week you will receive a bag of primarily cooking and salad greens along with other root and winter hardy vegetables (as available). The standard price for a share will be $475 and the reduced price for a share will be $380 (only for individuals qualified for government food assistance).
Click here for more information about purchasing a share and distribution.
Read MoreCommunity Celebrates Mural and Farm Expansion Today!
The festivities continue today from 4-6 pm – come out for snacks from Chipotle, door prizes from Community Forklift and Yes! Organic Market, samples for your puppies from The Big Bad Woof! and lots of fun! Come tour our farm in its fall glory – you can even buy some produce for the weekend! Also, check out our aquaponics demonstration – we have fish!
