October 2015 "Only the knife knows what goes on in the heart of a pumpkin." ~ Simone Schwarz-Bart FRESH. Burgers & Brews for the Bay at Clagett Farm Plan to join us on October 18, 1-4pm, for a fun-filled afternoon with friends, live music, craft-brewed beers, and mouth-watering food created by area chefs using local ingredients at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Burgers and Brews for the Bay event. There's something for the whole family, from hay rides and corn hole games to education and information stations. Live music will be provided in the main tent by the bluegrass band, Fiery Deep. The event will be held at CBF's Clagett Farm. A truly sustainable farm where cows and lamb are grass-fed, herbs and vegetables are organically grown, and trees are potted to be used in watershed buffer plantings. In This Issue Burgers & Brews for the Bay; Old Bowie Farmers Market Opens; Acidified Food Workshop P.A. Bowen Featured in Local Menus; Romano Hosts Cork to Fork Dinner College Park's Roy & Arti's Kitchen & Garden Featured in EdibleDC; Local Food Day Celebrations and Pumpkin Patches Hoophouse Winterization at ECO City Farms Oktoberfest at Hard Bargain Farm Prince George's County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting & Scholarship Announcement Field to Tray: The Mid-Atlantic's First Regional Farm to School Conference Annual Small Farms Conference Farm Fest Extravaganza Produce Seasonality Charts Connect with Us! Proceeds from ticket sales support CBF's efforts to defend and protect the Bay, including award-winning educational programs, on-the-ground restoration activities throughout the watershed, and advocacy initiatives at both the federal and state level. Visit their website to view the chefs and their menus, directions to the farm and to purchase tickets. Hoophouse Winterization at ECO City Farms October 3, 9am-12pm At the Edmonston Farm 4913 Crittenden Street, Edmonston, MD 20781 Old Bowie Farmers Market Opens! Enjoy fresh local foods from local farms, artisans and other neighborhood businesses at the NEW Old Bowie Farmers Market. This market operates on Wednesdays, 3 to 7pm through the end of October. This market accepts SNAP and WIC benefits! Location: Town Green Park 13050 Ninth Street Bowie, MD Vendors include: Pleitez Produce Cat's Paw Organic Farm Ferguson Family Farm Stone Hearth Bakery Simple Pleasures Ice Cafe (Bowie) Pink Orchid Florist For more information, visit their Facebook page. Bowie Farmers' Market Celebrates Octoberfest! The Bowie Farmers' Market is now in full swing! Market patrons will find various types of fresh fruits & vegetables, breads & baked goods, jams & jellies, salsa, herbs, fresh cut flowers and bedding plants, ice cream, kettle corn and candies. The market is open Sundays from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. through October 25. The market is held at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts building at 15200 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD 20715. A full-color market brochure is available on-line at www.cityofbowie.org or can be obtained from Bowie City Hall. Be sure not to miss out on their "Octoberfest" on October 25 starting at 10am! The cold season is fast approaching and here at ECO, we need you help to get our farm ready for the dropping temps. We are seeking volunteers that are handy and have experience using power tools. If you have your own drill, please bring it along! Volunteers will be helping to install baseboards and pulling down our endwalls. If you have any questions or would like to let us know you'll be there, email Kayla, kayla@ecocityfarms.org. Oktoberfest The Alice Ferguson Foundation October 10, 1 - 6pm Enjoy a fall festival full of fun for your whole family while supporting environmental education programs. Oktoberfest is one of the few times each year that AFF's beautiful environmental education campus, Hard Bargain Farm, is open to the public. Oktoberfest highlights include: Fun fall activities include: FREE Scarecrow Making(Participants need to supply a long sleeve shirt and trousers) FREE Pumpkin Painting(Pumpkins not supplied, but available for purchase at market) Eating delicious German cuisine Watching high-spirited, authentic performances of dances from Bavaria and Austria with the chance to join "Alt-Washingtonia" Schuhplattlers on stage for audience-participation dances Shopping for homemade fall delicacies at the country store Enjoying haywagon rides to the Potomac River Visiting with the animals in the barnyard Making apple cider with an old fashioned cider press Learning more about Hard Bargain Farm and our latest membership deals Find out more about the 33rd Annual Oktoberfest on their website. Understanding Acidified Foods Workshop This workshop is designed to teach the basics of food safety requirements and regulation in the manufacture of acidified foods in Maryland. Whether you have a business that you wish to expand, or you are just in the planning stages, this workshop will be helpful to you. This workshop will be held at our Extension office in Clinton, MD on November 30. Participants will receive a certificate at the end of class. Please see the brochure for registration and course agenda. Note, the Prince George's County Farm Bureau is offering two scholarships. Contact kimrush@umd.edu for details. Backyard Flocks & Avian Flu - What You Need to Know Avian influenza is a viral disease that can affect bird species throughout the world. The disease can vary from mild to severe, depending on the virus strain involved. The most severe strain is called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). High path flu is characterized by high, fast moving fatality rates (more than 75%) within infected flocks. Since December 2014, USDA has confirmed many cases of HPAI in both commercial and backyard flocks. There are currently no known or reported cases of High Path Avian Influenza in Maryland. See the latest national status here. Here are some other articles for more information on the avian flu and how Maryland farms are preparing. Maryland Department of Agriculture Intro to Herbal Medicine Making Centro Ashé Farm October 11, 10-4pm This class will be a hands on day including herbal plant walk around the farm, a foundational background in herbalism and medicinal herbal preparations including tincture making as well as a medicine making medicinal oil and salves. Each student will leave with their own tincture and salve, an incredible beginning to an herbal medicine kit! We will go through folk medicine making techniques and students will have an opportunity to get hands on creating their own medicine! Lunch is potluck style, please bring something to share as well as your own mug for tea and water bottle. Please plan to arrive at class at least 15 minutes early in order to get grounded and start on time. Any questions please contact contact info@centroashe.org. Cost $55 Register here. The Prince George's County Farm Bureau, Inc. Annual Meeting & Election of Officers October 28 Maryland Department of Natural Resources CBS Baltimore 6:30 pm - lite meal 7:00 pm Meeting Find the full list of county markets for the 2015 season here. You are also welcome to print out our downloadable directory! Note that the most updated version is on the website. Baden Volunteer Fire Department 16608 Brandywine Road Brandywine, MD 20613 Agenda: Farm Bureau President's ReportYates Clagett Nomination & Election of the Officers - The Nominations Committee is seeking involved members to serve on our board or to work with committees. Please contact 301-579-6552 if interested. LOCAL. P.A. Bowen Farmstead Featured in Local Menus! Rita Calvert and Kosmas "Tommie" Koukoulis will be adorning their delicious beef sliders with P.A. Bowen Farmstead's cheese at the Burgers & Brews for the Bay event on Sunday October 18th from 1:00 to 4:00 at CBF's Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro. Sebastien Tavel, owner of La Fromagerie in Alexandria, was chosen to be the official cheesemonger at Cochon555's Heritage BBQ event at Union Market on October 4th. He is featuring P.A. Bowen Farmstead's cheese at the event, and will be giving out samples to the attendees. "A one-of-a-kind traveling culinary photo courtesy of Rita Calvert competition and tasting event - five chefs, five pigs, five winemakers - to promote sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs. After putting 50 events in the history books, this finetuned flavor train departs for another ten-city tour uniting local farmers, renowned chefs, prominent winemakers, established restaurateurs, brewers, distillers and the pork loving public in a stand-up tasting reception format." P.A. Bowen Farmstead is paired with Chef James Lewandowski of Petit Louis Bistro for this year's Farm to Chef Maryland event in Baltimore on Monday, October 5. Finally, Tim Lake, cheesemonger at Right Proper Brewery in DC, is presenting a beer/cheese pairing at the 10th Annual MetroCooking DC Show October 24-25 and will be featuring P.A. Bowen Farmstead's cheeses with his pairings. Held at the Washington Convention Center and featuring celebrity chefs Giardia De Laurentiis and Michael Symon, this 2-day event draws thousands of attendees. Of course, you can always find P.A. Bowen Farmstead at the Downtown College Park Farmers Market on the first Sunday of the month. They will have a variety of pastured products available on October 4, 10am to 2pm. Request your scholarship application today! PGCFB will be awarding one $2,000, Fred Walzel Agricultural Scholarship (agricultural majors only) and two additional $1,000 scholarships (agricultural majors or non-agricultural majors). Application deadline is January 20, 2016. Awardees will be announced in the winter of 2016. Any questions contact Jennifer Cross at jcross4380@yahoo.com or call 301-579-6552. SAVE THE DATE: Field to Tray The Mid-Atlantic's First Regional Farm to School Conference November 4 & 5 Field to Tray: Strengthening Farm to School Purchasing in the MidAtlantic will bring together farmers, food service directors, suppliers and other stakeholders from our region for a day of digging in to local food procurement strategies. This conference is supported by a USDA Farm to School Grant. For more information and to register, visit their website. SAVE THE DATE: Small Farms Conference November 6 &7 Once again this fall, the University of Maryland Small Farm Program will host the Annual Small Farm Conference. Now in its twelfth year, this two day conference will be held at the University of Maryland's Eastern Shore campus in Princess Anne, Maryland. This year's conference will feature four handson demonstration workshops and three educational tracks: Alternative Agriculture, Farm Business & Marketing, and New & Beginning Farmer. Register by 'Cork to Fork' at Romano's Vineyard & Winery is Back! Here's what the Romanos are pouring this month: October 15th to take advantage of early bird rates. Please refer to their brochure for more information. Every Saturday, 12 - 5pm Open House at the Vineyard Farm Fest Extravaganza HOPE Leadership Club of PGC October 24, 2015 Cork to Fork at Romano's October 23: 6:30pm - 9:00pm Join the Romano's for an exceptional dining experience in the heart of Prince George's County. Catering provided by Pineapple Alley Catering Inc. Live entertainment provided by Abel Baez. Price: $70 Seating is limited. Register here! OUT & ABOUT AT A FALL FEST NEAR YOU! Rosewick Wine & Liquor Depot Wine Tasting October 9: 4pm - 8pm photo courtesy of Sarah Frank Cheverly Community Market October 10: 8am - 12pm Montpelier Farms Fall Festival October 10, 24 & 25, 31: 12pm - 5pm Autumn Festival at Mount Airy Mansion October 17 & 18: 10am - 5pm (both days) SAVE THE DATE! Sip, Snack & Shop: A Holiday Shopping Extravaganza November 6: 6 - 9pm Riverside WineFest at Sotterly November 7 & 8: Sat, 12pm - 6pm; Sun, 12pm - 5pm Rescheduled from October 4 & 5 due to the weather forecast. Did you know that Romano's Chambourcin received Gold and Liberty received Bronze in the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition? For more information, visit their website and Facebook page. Food Forest Fun at Forested Looking to expand your knowledge of food forests? Check out these cool classes offered at Forested in Bowie, MD! Soil Ecology & Compost, October 3, 10am-4pm Build a soil ecosystem that works to improve the health of your garden, your body and the world Forest Garden Evening Tour, October 15, 4:30pm-6:30pm See the forest garden growing and learn how it works. Forest Garden Design & Care, October 17, 10am-4pm Explore forest gardening in depth through the seasons and engage in a process to design a forest garden, select plants and learn the tools and methods to install and care for it. Volunteer Planting Day, November 7, 10am-2pm Plant plants, move mulch and explore the forest garden. Looking to Grow Microgreens? Join ECO City Farms for an informational gathering on Microgreens where Mary Ackley, from DC's Little Wild Things, and Deborah Wren & Diana Agonoy of ECO City Farms will share their experiences growing microgreens, exploring the struggles of indoor and outdoor production, sales techniques and crop varieties. Come learn from their successes and failures, get tips on how to produce small-scale or largescale, and have a tour of the ECO City Farms production facility. Date &Time: Saturday, October 17th, 1pm - 3:00pm Location: 4913 Crittenden St, Edmonston, MD 20781 Refreshments will be served. FREE! Feel free to make a donation to their bees! Please RSVP to Deborah Wren at deborah@ecocityfarms.org by October 10th to ensure adequate seating. Visit the calendar on the Prince George's County 'Fresh. Local. Fun.' website for information about more local farm and food events! MDA's Produce Seasonality Charts FUN. Contact Us! Roy & Arti's Kitchen & Garden Featured in EdibleDC photo courtesy of Victoria Milko I can count on my hands how many assignments I have done the past five years that have reached down into my soul and grasped the depths of my heart in a way that changed how I viewed the world. This was certainly one of those assignments. Last month I had the pleasure of being assigned to write about the Caspari family's farm in College Park, Maryland. On a very early drizzling morning I headed to the suburban neighborhood, camera in hand, ready to snap a few photos and head back to bed. Do you have an interesting idea or event that you would like to share in the newsletter or even an interest in contributing an article? Have you enjoyed a tasty, locallymade dish or treat in Prince George's County? Did you have a phenomenal experience at one of our County's farm destinations or farmers markets? If you answered yes to any of these, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email or call us at 301.868.8780. Warmly, Little did I know what awaited me within the confines of a quarter acre plot on a tiny cul-de-sac on a sleepy resident street in Maryland. Read more... ~ Victoria Milko EdibleDC.com AG Marketing, Prince George's County Pumpkin Patch Opens This Weekend at Montpelier Farms In addition to the pumpkin patch opening, Montpelier will host a Fire Safety Day this Saturday from 10am - 3pm. Visit their website for details! Wagon Rides & Pumpkin Patch Fun at Miller Farms! Miller Farms' October events include the Wagon Ride and Pumpkin Patch visits on weekends, 10am 5pm. Weekdays by reservation only. Admission fee includes a wagon ride around their farm, a trip through their corn maze, and visits to their animal barn and hen house. Additional information may be found on their website or by calling 301-399-5442. Be sure to stop by their farm store and bakery for some delicious baked good and locally produced treats! Prince George's County Farm Fun University of MD Extension, Prince George's County Celebrate Food Day 2015! "Food Day inspires Americans to change their diets and our food policies. Every October 24, thousands of events all around the country bring Americans together to celebrate and enjoy real food and to push for improved food policies." - Foodday.org Food Day is an national celebration that encourages Americans to change "green" diets. Food Day also initiates conversations about ways to change food policy. There are two major Food Day Celebrations in Prince George's County: Bowie State Food Day Symposium Celebration @ ECO City Farms Check out our newsletter archive! The Prince George's County Farms & Food Newsletter and pgcountyfarmfun.com are both published by the Agriculture Marketing Consultant of the University of Maryland, Prince George's County. University of Maryland Extension is a statewide educational organization funded by federal, state, and local governments. Our mission is to support Maryland's agricultural industry; protect its valuable natural resources; enhance the well-being of families and individuals, both young and old; and foster the development of strong, stable communities. University of Maryland Extension programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.