Week Three with Extension by Daniel Gustitis

 

The floating hydroponics system set up at Spring Forward. Urban areas do not always have the green space to farm in traditional ways, so it was enlightening to see how people are finding ways to incorporate agriculture where the landscape is not the most advantageous. 

We are in our third week of the internship and so far it has been a lot of new information and experiences, but I am beginning to settle in to all of it.

This week we were involved in multiple meetings, and toured many farms starting here in Baltimore City, then returning to Anne Arundel Ag Extension office for a tour of their research plots for urban agriculture.

In a week full of meetings, communication is important. Neith did a great job communicating and coordinating what we were doing, where we were going, and the itinerary for each day. All of the presenters did a great job. I was most intrigued by presentations on Tuesday by Dr. Warneka on AI and its application in agriculture, and Dr. Lansing’s lecture on MD Food System Resiliency, and how we can work to build it.

Wednesday was the most insightful day. We toured many farms in Baltimore City seeing how each one operated in a unique fashion depending on the needs of the community and roles they were looking to occupy. We first visited Spring Forward where we had the pleasure of seeing their hydroponics set up, and all that they were able to produce in a small area. They had shelves of microgreens going in an ebb and flow system. I notice the totes used to hold the water were totes I have laying around my house, so it certainly gave me some ideas about setting something similar up in my own home, as I also grow some microgreens. Julie and Clayton did a great job communicating all of what they do. The floating raft system they had used was something I did not expect to see, so getting to understand that system was a wonderful experience. I am very familiar with Atwaters, so getting to tour their kitchen and farm was also a great experience. Their freshly made cheddar was magnificent! They also provided our lunch for the day, which was an awesome treat.

We visited Allen AME Church after Atwaters and it was very cool to see how they were using their church as the foundation for community and urban agriculture building. They have done a lot to create an environment that you do not think of when you think of the city. One member of the church mentioned neighbors have commented on their hand work bringing birds back to the community after they had been noticeably absent for years.

Visiting BLISS Meadows Backyard Basecamp was also a whole different experience. They sit on ten acres, which, after seeing seven acres at Black Butterfly, I did not think I would see anything bigger. They are really working hard to create a space not only for agriculture, but for community, including an outdoor amphitheater!

Ending the day with Dave Myer’s research plot, and a picnic at the Anne Arundel Extension office was a perfect end to the day. Seeing what Dave was doing on his research plots was a great learning experience, and getting to sit down and have some time to get to know some of the other interns was nice.

Our cohort getting to see what Allen AME Church is doing. They have been cleaning up multiple blocks around them, creating green areas, and installing and expanding a garden all to help empower their community. 

As this week concludes, I am gaining a lot of perspective on agriculture in Maryland and all of the aspects of it. Very excited to get to see the UMD Campus and the agricultural research going on there next week.