 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! Come chat all things camping with us at Freetown Farm and enjoy dinner around the campfire before heading home. We are planning useful sessions like: putting up the tent, useful knots and how to use them, easy and more advanced camping meals, what should be in your camping first aid kit, and how to ensure a *fun* family camping trip for all! Registration is open! 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! Families who are interested in learning more should email: [email protected]. 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. Held at Freetown Farm; hands-on activities to prepare for a fun summer of family camping! *Sunday, September 7th - Announcing: Our Official Kick-off of our Watershed Literacy Program: Following the Raindrops!! Join us for an afternoon of watershed related activities *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 location. 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. Our Summer Sampler will be a 4 week block of Friday Seedlings, all gatherings held at Freetown Farm, 9:30AM-11:00AM; the Summer Sampler will be open for individual event or full session sign-up; dates: July 11, 18, 25 and August 1; registration begins May 15th! Registration links will be mailed to our mailing list, posted on social media (we're on Facebook and Instagram), and will be available through the registration link when live! Friday and Sunday sessions will be back for our Autumn Session: Friday dates in autumn: 09/05, 09/19, 10/03, 10/17, 10/31, 10/14 Sunday dates in autumn: 09/14, 09/28, 10/12, 10/26, 11/09, 11/23 Registration for autumn also begins May 15th and will run until full or one week before the autumn session begins, whichever comes first! 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 unique farm properties. Our 'off-property' nature adventure outings emphasize teachable moments, creative exploration, free-play, and land stewardship activities. Event Details for our Summer/Autumn Session: Join us in community as we explore, learn, and play in nature! Together we'll watch our local environment go from lush, hot, and humid and wind down into late autumn. The rest of our 2025 will thematically be: exploring, learning, and playing in our watershed (a very broad theme indeed!) with a heavy focus on nature-based arts experiences! Families can choose to register for both sessions combined (best price per event - $12/family) or may register for either summer or autumn (still a great value at $15/family per event). Later, if space allows, we will open individual event registration ($20/family per event). Our Event Leaders plan activities best suited for kids ages 5-10 with their grownups; 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. Summer/Autumn Event Dates and Details (we'll try to keep it to a minimum, but some changes in event details/locations may be necessary! All events 2:00-4:00PM. ---------Our Summer Members will receive invitations to the following events------------- **families who register by June 11th will receive an invitation to our June 15th hike, stream health check-up, and water-event (no additional charge!)** Sunday, June 29th: Hike, stream health check-up, water-play (conditions permitting) Sunday, August 3rd: A playful tour of Freetown Farm, Art on the Farm Sunday, August 10th: A playful tour of Green Farmacy Garden, 'afternoon tea' featuring plant based goodies! Sunday, September 7th: Summer Community Event -- Watershed Extravaganza at Freetown Farm -- art, native plants, stormwater runoff tours, 'what's a watershed' interactive demonstrations and more! ---------Our Autumn Members will receive invitations to the following events------------- Sunday, September 21st: A visit to CFIN's Adopt-a-Spot! Check on our pollinator meadow, steam health checkup, invasive plant removal, trash pick up, and play! Sunday, October 5th: Out and about in the Watershed -- off-property adventure; details pending! Sunday, October 12th or 26th..maybe both!: Out and about in the Watershed -- off-property adventure/s; details pending! Sunday, October 19th: Art and Farm Experience at Freetown Farm; learn/review why Stormwater run-off is an issue at Freetown Farm, visit some of our Stormwater management projects and install some native plants. Create some amazing nature-based/upcycling art with Zaneta! Sunday, November 2nd: Second Stormwater management planting at Freetown Farm, deciding on our big end of year project, and party! **Member only event, festive! Potluck and fire circle (weather permitting)** Saturday, November 16th: Big project work begins -- what will it be? Members will be part of the decision-making process! All we know so far is it will be watershed related, arts based, and planned in community with you and your family!! Sunday, November 23rd: Big project work continues! Sunday, December 7th: Big project work continues! Explore the local landscape together with engaging outdoor events; fun for the whole family!--Registration will be available May 15th at 10:00AM! |
AuthorSThe Community Ecology Institute co-authors the material on this blog with the support of several team members. Categories
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