From Farm to Market
The weather in Edmonston, MD is still fluctuating, sometimes reaching 70 degrees during the day and 45 at night, but overall it’s been cooler. The plastic has been installed and sealed on both hoophouses one and four so that our plants will be able to withstand the winter weather. The rest of the hoophouses will be outfitted in the same fashion as soon as we receive our additional order of plastic and doors.
Hoophouse #1
A volunteer staying warm while shoveling compost for the hanging pots!
The New Urban Farmer trainees have completed PGCC’s Urban Commercial Agriculture class and are now presenting updated versions of their plans. Here is Rose presenting her vision:
Tami Le, a student at the University of Maryland and a journalist for the Capital News Service of the University, is developing a project focusing on immigration issues and ECO’s New Urban Farmer Training program. She will be visiting again soon and we’ll report more on these topics then!
We’d like to congratulate Takoma Park’s Crossroad’s Farmers Market on receiving a $100,000 grant from the local, state and federal governments! Crossroad’s has been doing an amazing job making local and good food affordable to all by being the first farmer’s market to accept WIC vouchers (food credits for women with young children), as well as vouchers from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps).
This Wednesday is Crossroad’s Farmers Market’s last for the season (located at 7676 New Hampshire Ave) so please come and support this great organization! ECO will be selling lots of veggies: spinach, radishes, lettuce mix, collards, mustard greens, lettuce heads, kale, spicy spring mix and arugula.
The green beans grew these pretty little flowers last week.
The spring lettuce mix is lush.
We’ve started growing sage in the hanging pots, which help us to utilize as much space as we can on our 1/2 acre farm.
The bee hive was adjusted for the winter by removing the screen, called the queen excluder, so that the queen and her bees will have access to the upper level, where they can feed on the surplus honey.
Volunteers usually bring something to put on the table for our lunch break. This Saturday we even had homemade doughnuts!
We found this unreal-looking creature on a mustard leaf. Come volunteer and help us find more unusual critters!
Peace and Carrots,
Natalya and the ECOcrew
