Dear Farm Fam, It is winter in Maryland and while what this looks like has changed, it still means that it is time to tuck our garden beds in for the season so that they may rest and recharge for the coming growth in spring. For any bed that was not sown with crimson clover seeds as a cover crop we have been blanketing them with a decomposing leaf mulch; a once massive pile of brown crunchy leaves that has, over the course of a year and a half, condensed down into a dark black mulch filled with moisture, worms, and life-giving nutrients. How our patience has paid off! By covering our beds with this soil-feeding concoction of leaves we are generating new soils while protecting the old. You know how we get those heavy winter rain storms that used to be snow? Well, not only do they challenge our winter imagery of an idyllic expanse of snow capped mounded garden beds but they also impact the movement of soil on our property. When rain falls with such speed and intensity it travels quickly across our farm and carries our soils with it. Bye Bye hours of work planning crop succession plans, composting, and bed-mounding. Cover crops help to stabilize our soil in the winter with their supportive root systems but for beds that were not able to germinate in time before the frost, the leaf mulch can act as a secondary defense against extreme storms. While some of this mulch might get carried away from stormwater runoff it will preserve the soil already generated underneath them. And aside from protection from storms, the leaf mulch helps feed and protect the soil-dwelling organisms like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, mites, and nematodes that interact with everything planted in those beds. The USDA says that in healthy soils, “there are more soil microorganisms (microbes for short) in a teaspoonful of soil than there are people on the earth.” These are some of the friends we are keeping in mind when we use regenerative agricultural techniques to grow food for our community.
[insert buzzword like innovative, new, creative]. While I am grateful for the resources that we can procure from long-time supporters of our work through grants, sometimes (let’s be honest, often) I get frustrated with the grant-funded nonprofit system that pits organizations against one another for the same pool of resources creating an environment that promotes competition rather than collaboration. This is problematic because it ignores the intersectionality of important causes that nonprofits work towards. While the nonprofit structure feels like an alternative to our capitalist society that feeds off exploitation of working class individuals, it still is stuck in a capitalist system, and thus often relies on funding from wealthy corporations & individuals. This keeps our existence at the whim of these corporations & individuals and whether it suits their interests to fund our work; work that is putting regeneratively grown food on people’s plates, bringing infants, elders, and everyone in between into nature, and building community in a country infatuated with the false narrative of rugged individualism.
as unrestricted funds in the biz). This gives us the freedom to use those funds & labor towards already established projects allowing us to spend more time growing food to promote food sovereignty in our community, stewarding the land so that future generations are given the same gift of nature that we enjoy, and sharing what we learn with our community. And as a bonus, less time behind our computers writing grants. These contributions also establish a relationship based in reciprocity where we are able to better meet the needs, hopes, and dreams of individuals in our community rather than those assumed by people and organizations with more resources. Fundraising is not a perfect process either but there are paths to follow that ground the work in justice (see this link for info on an improved vision of fundraising as a movement). When we are in a system that tells us to put our needs above anyone else's, tells us that the dollar, and not one’s personhood, is the bottom line, and shows us that most people who hold power do not care if people are getting nutrient-rich, let alone culturally significant, food, I consider our work that centers the well being of our community radical work.
This letter was initially meant to be a short note about what I’m up to as the agroecology coordinator putting our gardens to rest & battling stormwater and not an argument for community building as resistance to systems of oppression but life is full of all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. To honor the initial inspiration of this letter I’ll leave you with an excerpt of wintery joy I experienced at Freetown Farm. In November we were lucky enough to get some snow that hit during one of our final morning harvests. As fat flakes of snow propelled by the frigid wind pelted my face I was reminded of the energy that winter can bring. I often am challenged by winter’s demand for a slowing of pace and the shorter days’ call to rest which made me forget the raw, electric energy that a blast of cold air petaled with snowflakes elicits. All of us in the garden were reminded of this simultaneously, as everyone took a moment from whatever leafy green they were harvesting to turn skywards and show their teeth to the gray clouds as smiles stretched across everyone’s faces. As I continued harvesting and processing, newly reinvigorated by this special experience, I cherished the painful pricks of cold in my fingertips, not knowing if I would have another snow this winter. While I am happy that I do not have to consistently spray bok choy with just-above-freezing-temp water, I was grateful for the reminder that winter is still very much a season of life, just one infused with its own unique flavor. Ever Growing, Simon CFIN has plans in the works to hold our annual 'Camping 101' Event on Saturday, May 31st with the option to stay and camp overnight as part of the event! Come chat all things camping with us, enjoy dinner around the campfire, and then sleep in the tent you put up during the event! We'll have a quick breakfast in the morning and break down camp...being sure to leave things better than we found them! Details coming in early to mid-April.
In August, we have plans for a weekend long camping trip at Greenbrier State Park, with families reserving their own camping spots. Come camp in community with other nature loving families! Look for details in early to mid-March about this trip. If you are interested, be sure that you are signed up for CFIN's mailing list! Our seasonal Community Events bring together our seasonal Family Nature Club members with community members who have registered especially for the themed event.
In 2025 our Community Events include (registration link will be included when registration opens): *Sunday, January 5th - First Sunday Hike, Family Friendly outing- a visit to the Visitors Center followed by a short hike to experience the Serpentine ecosystem *Saturday, May 31st - Camping 101! Come learn tips and tricks for a successful family camping trip and enjoy a campfire dinner. Option to camp overnight! (departure Sunday morning); Patapsco Valley State Park *Sunday, September 7th - Announcement forthcoming! We hope to be working on a special project in the autumn with families and intend to use this as our ‘kick-off’ event…stay tuned! *Friday, November 28th - Opt Outside with CFIN at our Green Friday Fun event; we'll take a hike and then enjoy a fire, snack potluck, and activities at a pavilion; Patapsco Valley State Park Our Seasonal Community Events are included in Family Nature Club Memberships! This program is intended for young children (ages 5 and under, primarily geared towards 2-5 years of age) and a caregiver. In 2025 we are offering two multi-season cohorts on both Fridays and Sundays. These will both be held every other week and can be combined to build a program of weekly gatherings. Our two main cohorts will be: Late Winter/Spring and Late Summer/Autumn; we will hold a short summer session as well which will be open for individual sign ups (the 4 week summer session is not included in the full year sign-up)
All Seedlings gatherings will take place from 9:30-11:00AM; they will include facilitated exploration activities, creative free-play in nature, and community building through shared experiences, story, and song. All Event Leaders have a background in nature-based early childhood education. Events will take place at our Freetown Farm (8000 Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia, MD) and Green Farmacy Garden (8210 Murphy Rd., Fulton, MD) locations. In order for the focus to be on our youngest community members, we ask that older siblings (6 and up) be otherwise occupied for the morning and not attend the sessions. Younger siblings are welcome (as are sign-ups by families with infants --children under the age of two--). Each Seedlings Cohort must have a minimum of 10 families signed up to run. Seedlings dates for our Winter/Spring Semester; register for Fridays-8 sessions, Sundays-6 sessions, or Friday-Sunday Seedlings - 14 sessions total: Sunday, February 2 Friday, February 7 Sunday, February 16 Friday, February 21 Sunday, March 2 Friday, March 7 Sunday, March 16 Friday, March 21 Friday, April 4th Sunday, April 13th Friday, April 25th Friday, May 9 Sunday, May 18th Friday, May 23rd A very similar pattern (with only 6 meetings each on Fridays and Sundays) will be in place for our late Summer/Autumn Semester. Our Summer Sampler will be a 4 week block of Friday Seedlings, all gatherings held either at Green Farmacy Garden OR at Freetown Farm; the Summer Sampler will be open for individual event sign-up. Register for our 2025 Programming --including Seedlings--here CFIN's Family Nature Club will meet about two times per month. Our event activities are generally geared towards the interests and abilities of kiddos ages 5 -10 and their grownups; but, there's something for everyone in nature and at these gatherings the whole family is welcome! Event Leaders will make every effort to make sure that children of all ages are engaged.
Events take place either at CEI's properties --Freetown Farm and Green Farmacy Garden-- or in natural areas in (or nearby) Howard County, Maryland. Our 'on-property' Art and Farm Experiences combine arts based projects with seasonal interactions and exploration of our two properties. Our 'off-property' nature adventure outings emphasize teachable moments, creative exploration, free-play, and land stewardship activities. 12 Family Minimum. Event Details for our Winter/Spring Semester: Join us in community as we explore, learn, and play in nature! Together we'll watch our local environment emerge from dormant winter to full blown late spring. This will be our longest 'semester' with a total of 12 events. Information about individual CFIN events will be updated below as we firm up plans; our Event Leaders plan activities best suited for kids ages 5-10; modifications to activities can easily be made to include older and younger siblings; there's something for everyone in nature! Event plans are sent prior to each gathering with details of planned activities, stroller-friendliness of the outing, and anticipated mileage. We encourage families to attend as many of the 'semester' outings as they can to establish a familiar rhythm and build community; perfect attendance is certainly not a requirement for registration. Winter/Spring Event Dates and Details (dates are set, some locations are subject to change) Sunday, January 5th: Community Event (included in Membership) First Sunday Family-friendly Hike with Nature Center Visit, Soldiers Delight NEA Sunday, January 26th: A visit to Robinson Nature Center Sunday, February 9th: Art and Farm Experience, Freetown Farm Sunday, February 23rd: Exploring the trails of Howard County Conservancy Sunday, March 9th: Art and Farm Experience, Green Farmacy Garden Sunday, March 23rd: CFIN's Anniversary Gathering, Lake Kittamaqundi, Downtown Columbia Sunday, April 13th: Art and Farm Experience, Freetown Farm Sunday, April 27th: Spring visit to CFIN's Adopt-a-Spot: Land Stewardship event Sunday, May 4th: Art and Farm Experience, Freetown Farm Saturday, May 31st through Sunday, June 1st: Spring Community Event (included in Membership) Camping 101 with optional Campout - Patapsco Valley State Park Sunday, June 8th: Art and Farm Experience, Freetown Farm Sunday, June 15th: Father's Day adventure (with water access if conditions are favorable) -- Middle Patuxent Environmental Area Explore the local landscape together with engaging outdoor events; fun for the whole family!--Registration is open! |
AuthorSThe Community Ecology Institute co-authors the material on this blog with the support of several team members. Categories
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