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Ask-A-Master-Gardener (Plant Clinic)

Chairperson: Greg Jones……….410-796-2577………. Jones6063@verizon.net

Introduction

Ask a Master Gardener is a program where Master Gardener volunteers in conjunction with the University of Maryland Extension provide information to home gardeners at the county libraries.

At the Ask a Master Gardener library clinics, Master Gardeners look at samples of ailing plants to make diagnosis, give recommendations, answer questions, and provide printed information on a variety of gardening subjects.

Locations

Columbia Central Branch Library

10375 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia

Coordinator: Alicia Wilmes, awilmes09@gmail.com

2nd and 4th Sat of the month from 10:30 to 12:30

Miller Branch Library

9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City

Coordinator: Barb White, barbrw99@verizon.net

Saturdays: 10:30 to 12:30

Mondays: 7-8:30

Glenwood Branch Library

2350 Route 97, Cooksville

Coordinator: Clare Openshaw, helloclare@comcast.net

3rd Sat of the month from 10:30 to 12:30

How it works

2 people usually volunteer at a site for each scheduled date.

Interns are always paired with an experienced Master Gardener

The set-up is a table usually near the entrance of the library.

There will be a sign or banner designation “Ask a Master Gardener” plus a box of resource materials.

Volunteers fill out sign-in sheets.

Volunteers meet nice people, answer questions, handout brochures and have fun.

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Backyard Composting

Co-Chair: Darcy Bellido de Luna …. 410-868-3461 ……………… darcybell@me.com Co-Chair: Janine Grossman ….…… 410-750-9659 ……………… janinegrossman@gmail.com

Program Overview

MGs provide how-to tips and advice about backyard composting from April to October at four demonstration sites in the County: Alpha Ridge Landfill, Centennial Park, Miller Branch library garden and Robinson Nature Center.

We distribute free compost bins to Howard County residents in partnership with the Bureau of Environmental Services Department of Public Works.

During 2015, MGs distributed 221 bins to Howard County residents. We coordinate compost presentations during special events at the

Howard County Conservancy, Whipps Garden Cemetery Plant Sale and GreenFest. MG volunteers help elementary students learn about composting and vermicomposting

at Our Environment in Our Hands. MGs answer questions about composting and other soil/gardening issues.

Compost Demonstration Sites

Alpha Ridge Landfill Saturdays from April - October Contact Jerry Fitzpatrick 410-461-6099. E-mail: jerryfitzp@verizon.net

Centennial Park Saturdays from April - October Contact Michelle Bryden E-mail: michelle.bryden@verizon.net

Miller Branch library garden Saturdays and Mondays from April - September Contact Darcy Bellido deLuna E-mail: darcybell@me.com

Robinson Nature Center Saturdays and Sundays from April - November Contact Richard Freas: rafreas@gmail.com

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Alpha Ridge Conservation/Rain Garden Co-Chair:  L J "Mauceri ………. 410-442 -8201 ………. ljmauceri@aol.com Co-Chair: Linda Olson ………..410 404-4187 ………...lolson22@verizon.net

Program Overview Alpha Ridge Landfill in Marriottsville has a rain garden that serves as a community teaching garden. The Howard County Master Gardens do the maintenance of the garden. We do gardening chores to open the garden in May and close it in September. On the third Saturday of each month the Master Gardener are available at the garden to teach about conservation rain gardens and the availability of rain water and compost. Volunteer Opportunities:

1. The 3rd Saturday of each month (May21, June18, July 16, Aug 20, Sept 17, October 15) from 9:00 to 12:00, volunteer to work with other Master Gardeners in teaching the public about

rain gardens: the plants, the site, the connection with water channeling, etc.

the advantages of composting and demonstrating the techniques. 2. On Thursday starting April 21 and ending about Sept 29, volunteer to help maintain the garden

by weeding, planting, trimming, watering, etc. Bring your own tools and equipment. Water and snacks will be provided. Come prepared for the weather. You will really enjoy the sharing moments and the fellowship with other MGs.

Always Check first with one of the co-chairs before arriving on site, if it's raining.

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Bay Wise Chair: Linda Decker………………………..443-756-6471…………………lndecker@comcast.net

Program Overview

The goal of the Bay-Wise Committee is to educate residents that simple choices people make in their landscapes and homes can directly affect the health of Chesapeake Bay. Meetings are held at UME on the first Monday of each month. Volunteer opportunities on this committee are quite varied. All one needs is a passion for the environment. Activities of the committee include the following:

Act as consultants for community leaders seeking help with implementing Bay-Wise principles and designing Bay-Wise landscapes.

Provide gardening advice to local residents through site visits. Certify local properties as Bay-Wise, through site visits. Organize an annual garden tour to raise awareness of Bay-Wise principles. Create displays at Howard County Libraries on topics pertaining to Bay-Wise principles. At fairs and other venues, provide a Bay-Wise display and talk to people about Bay-Wise

principles. Give presentations explaining Bay-Wise principles. Organize and sponsor a native plant sale at Howard County Greenfest. Maintain demonstration garden at Alpha Ridge Assist in distributing rain barrels to Howard County residents

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Conservation Stewardship Chair: Aylene Gard……………………410-992-9889………………kgmerger@verizon.net

Program Overview

The Conservation Stewardship Project is a partnership between the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks and the Howard County Master Gardeners that raises awareness of invasive plant species and the need to control them before they crowd out the native species that wildlife depends on. Our focus is on:

a. restoring wildlife habitat in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area by removing invasive plant species and planting native shrubs and trees,

b. educating the public about the major, local invasive species and their control, via a power point presentation presented before the first event,

c. advising individuals about invasive plants on their property, and d. providing an opportunity to visit the beautiful 1012-acre stream valley and to enjoy its natural

diversity

We meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month between 9:00 – 11:30 am from March to June and again from September to November. Tools and training are provided. Volunteers should dress for the weather and bring water. All hands are welcome, especially members of the public who want to know about invasive species in the county. We do cancel if it is raining more than a sprinkle. Guest speakers often provide an educational component that has included deer and tick control, wildflower ID and butterfly tagging. Flyers announcing upcoming programs will appear in the Looseleaf and the calendar.

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Grow It, Eat IT

Co-Chair: Jerry Kissel…..…....…410-461-9578………………. jerrybear41@comcast.net Co-Chair: Kent Phillips …………301-490-5963…….………… kent.a.phillips@gmail.com

Program Overview

The Grow It Eat It (GIEI) campaign is the University of Maryland Extension’s response to the demand for information and assistance with starting and maintaining successful food gardens. It is a joint venture between the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Master Gardeners (MGs) of Maryland. The GIEI team of MGs teaches classes which emphasizes sustainable gardening techniques using organic principles. Topics taught range from starting a vegetable garden, container vegetable gardening, holistic (organic) pest control, drip irrigation, starting seeds and growing transplants under lights and extending the vegetable gardening season (spring and fall vegetable gardening). Volunteer opportunities include:

1. Providing presentations to both adult and youth clients on various food gardening

topics;

2. Promoting the GIEI campaign at various public events;

3. Creating new presentations dealing with different sustainable food gardening

subjects;

4. Maintaining a demonstration vegetable garden at the Howard County Conservancy

at the Mt. Pleasant Farm in Woodstock, MD;

5. Providing guidance and mentoring for Howard County citizen gardeners as

opportunities present themselves;

6. Developing new relationships and new venues to present the campaign to county

residents;

7. Providing advice on sustainable gardening techniques for growing fruits and

vegetables at the four community gardens located around Howard County through

an “Ask a Master Vegetable Gardener” activity.

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Howard County Conservancy at Mt. Pleasant

Co-Chair: Jo Ann Russo………..410-549-8403………… jrusso1104@comcast.net Co-Chair: Monica May..…..…….410-992-0311………….mwmay21045@yahoo.com

Program Overview

The Conservancy is an environmental education center which has a wide variety of opportunities that impact approximately 7000 children and several thousand adults each year. The largest number of Master Gardener volunteers are needed to support the spring school programs from mid-April through mid-May, but activities continue throughout the year. For formal programs MGs are asked to come one half hour early for specific instruction and task assignment.

Activities which Master Gardeners participate:

Historical Demonstration Vegetable Garden: Workdays every Friday throughout the growing season, generally from 9-11 am. This garden is available to school and camp groups and for viewing by the public with explanatory signage. Compost demonstrations and demonstrations of drip irrigation system are also conducted during the summer and fall.

Children's Garden: Managed by Master Gardener Nancy Perkins. This garden is available for school and camp groups for environmental activities.

Partnering with Howard County Schools:

Elementary Program: One of a series of stations teaching students about the interactions between people, plants and animals Our station will show small groups of students the importance of native plants to pollinators and their role in the environment.

Middle School Service Learning:

Master gardeners will supervise groups of 8-10 students teaching them about the invasive plants they are removing and why this is important for the environment. There will be an adult from the school with each group. Tools are provided by the Conservancy.

2016 schedule:

April 4th & 5rd - Patapsco Middle Elementary April 21th & 22rd - Burleigh Manor Middle Elementary May 9th & 10th - Tomas Viaduct Middle School

April 23 – Earth Day –from 8am until 1pm: Activities may include compost demonstration, invasive removal, tree planting, work in the vegetable, children's, native plant or rain gardens. We will have a sale of spring vegetable and native plants. In addition to manning the plant sale, tasks include supervising children and adults in activities or manning a Bay-Wise, Native plant or other instructional display. Generally about 200 members of the community attend this event – including boy and girl scouts, community college and adult or family groups. Tools are available at the Conservancy, but you may wish to bring your own hand tools. If you bring your own tools, please have them clearly marked with your name. MGs may volunteer for any portion or all of this time.

Fall Festival – Saturday, Oct. 1st – 11:00- 3:00. Come enjoy Blue grass music, watch blacksmiths at work, animals at play and enjoy nature walks and tours of the property. We will have a plant sale of fall vegetables and native plants – another volunteer opportunity for Master Gardeners. Bring your family and a picnic lunch and enjoy the day.

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Patapsco Female Institute

Point of Contact: Kiri Houpt…..……410-313-0423..………khoupt@howardcountymd.gov

Program Overview

Perched at Ellicott City’s highest point, the Patapsco Female Institute offered a revolutionary curriculum to young women from 1837-1891. The school earned a national reputation for its inclusion of botany, chemistry, languages, literature, math, and music in an effort to mold elegant young ladies into engaged, active citizens.

The property, now a stabilized ruins and historic park, is owned and operated by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. It is host to open-air theater, field trips, summer day camps, and weddings. Much has been done in the past year to restore the property, and this summer we would like to make strides in reviving and restoring neglected garden beds.

Volunteer opportunites:

Participate in our PFI Spruce-Up day on Wednesday, April 20th at 10 am. This event will include clearing debris, weeding, mulching, and planting three small beds of native plants.

Commit to helping us maintain these newly planted beds throughout our April – October season. Volunteers will be expected to visit the site weekly (or so) to weed/water the beds and keep them tidy (2-3 volunteers needed).

Leadership opportunity for anyone interested in designing and conducting an educational program for the public about Heritage plants and 19th century landscaping trends.

Address: 3655 Church Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043

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Patuxent Research Refuge, School Yard Habitat Chairperson:  Ann Coren……….410-290-7834………. anncoren@hotmail.com

Program Overview

The Patuxent Research Refuge’s School Yard Habitat (PRR SYH) is located outside the National Wildlife Visitor Center in Laurel Maryland. It is a Conservation Landscape site which, in miniature, attempts to recreate each of Maryland’s major habitats; meadow, prairie, forest, wetland. It’s goal is to educate the public about Conservation Landscaping and to encourage people to transition lawns to wildlife habitat. The garden is free and open to the public. It attracts families out for nature walks, and photographers. School groups use it for environmental education activities, and church groups and scout troops for their volunteer service hours. Due to funding restrictions the garden had fallen into disrepair. So far we have restored part of the pollinator meadow. Since it is Federal, part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, we are very selective in assuring that all new plants are native to the site

assuring that all new plants are as close to the native ecotype for the site as possible so as to avoid overcoming the genetics of any native plant population that may have survived 200 years of human impact. Master Gardener volunteers at this stage are a welcome part of the design phase. You’re welcome to share our passion for native plants and to teach the public about the benefits of gardening for biodiversity. We will be setting up dates for regular meetings and work days shortly. Much of the planning happens via email and garden maintenance according to each volunteer’s availability. All new volunteers will need to complete the one-day PRR volunteer orientation at the Refuge. The next scheduled PRR New Volunteer Orientation will be in April 2016. We gather to celebrate successes with ‘garden parties’. Volunteer Opportunities:

Garden maintenance tasks: such as weeding, clearing paths, planting, … Garden planning tasks: such as researching appropriate native plants to restore each unique

habitat within the site, working with growers to source the plants, and planning the landscape design.

Identify plants in the garden as native or invasive. Hike the larger Refuge identifying sources of seeds and plants for the SYH gardens. Participate in educational activities such as: tabling during the Wildlife Festival; leading activities

in the garden for school groups, church groups and/or scouts; teaching workshops on gardening with native plants, attracting pollinators, …

Raise funds to buy plants and supplies: including writing and managing grants. In 2014 the ‘Day of Remembrance, Day to Serve Grant’ from the MD Governor’s office funded the planting of a new section of the pollinator garden, along with attracting many new volunteers.

Create educational literature: for instance a brochure for the public explaining pollinator plant interactions in the SYH; pictorial literature for new gardener volunteers to distinguish between native plants and weeds….

Supervise and/or train non-gardener volunteers. Photograph the changes in the garden, seasonal, plant, pollinator… Collect data on plant survival, plant/pollinator interactions, etc. Create a composting area.

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Whipps Cemetery Chairperson: Aleta Gravelle……….410-465-2398………. agravelle@verizon.net

Program Overview Whipps Cemetery was established in 1855. Restoration of the over-grown and vandalized cemetery began in 1987. It is a one acre garden/park at 3651 St. John's Lane, just south of the Frederick Road and St. John's Lane intersection. Howard County Master Gardeners maintain the property. The site offers these work opportunities: a butterfly garden, a rose garden, many native plants throughout to nurture, prune, new native plantings to establish, pathways to keep trimmed and mulched, and a permanent composting site to maintain. It has become an educational venue for Master Gardeners to offer the community horticultural presentations and demonstrations.

Whipps organizes two annual fund-raising events: The Whipps Plant Sale (May 13 and 14) and Daffodil Days (April 9). Daffodil Day will include the sale of daffodils and other Spring-blooming plants, entertainment, raffle and MG presentations. The Plant Sale will include a variety of native perennials, and many hard to find plants. Many plants have been grown and maintained by the Master Gardeners as well as local garden nurseries. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Whipps Cemetery, a non-profit organization. Master Gardeners will be on hand to help answer your plant and gardening questions.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Coordinator for organizing periodic presentations at Whipps Theater.. Help with planting and maintaining the grounds –Thursdays from 9-12 in good weather, March

through mid-November, Help at the Daffodil Day Celebration on Saturday, April 9 and the Whipps Plant Sale Friday,

May 13 and Saturday, May 14 by helping Master Gardener presenters, greeter visitors and telling them about Whipps and its mission, selling plants, answering questions about plants and talking about the Master Gardener Program.

Donation plants you may be dividing to be included in the annual plant sale. More details to come.

Chair or co-chair the maintenance of a specific garden area, such as rose garden, herb garden and butterfly garden.

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Oella – Ellicott City Entry garden

Chairperson: Paul Farragut ………pjfarragut@aol.com

Program Overview

Maintain and enhance the primarily native plant garden overlooking the Patapsco River and historic Ellicott City at the entrance to Oella. Along the river bank, adjacent to the Frederick Road bridge entering Ellicott City from Baltimore County, is a community garden staffed by Master Gardeners, Patapsco Heritage Greenway members, and community members. Planted in 2010, the attractive waterfront garden was funded with proceeds from the 2008 Maryland Home and Garden Pilgrimage tour of Oella, and designed by landscape architect John Slater. The rock cairn sculpture at the center was dedicated to Teddy Betts, an artist, educator and tireless volunteer who dedicated his life to improving the riverine environment of the Patapsco River.

Volunteer opportunities are:

April 22 - EARTH DAY - volunteer event 10 am - noon will be held at the Oella – Ellicott City Entry Garden, featuring a brief discussion by John Slater on the design of the garden and the use of native plants. Gardeners will then prune, weed, and mulch the garden, and those interested will walk across the street afterwards to the Trolley Stop for Dutch-treat social gathering lunch.

Growing Season - Gardening team members sign up with garden coordinator Paul Farragut to be responsible for weeding the garden for either a week or two over the course of the growing season. Please send an email expressing interest with "Oella Garden" in the Subject line.

Enchanted Garden at Miller Library

Chairperson: Ann Hackeling ……………..410-313-0510………… ann.hackeling@hclibrary.org

Program Overview

The Enchanted Garden is an innovative outdoor education environment at Howard County Library System's Miller Branch. Our garden is dedicated to growing healthy habits and providing unique educational activities for all ages. The Enchanted Garden includes:

• a demonstration gardening area where fruits and vegetables are tended by community groups, students, and volunteers. Harvested food is donated to the Howard County Food Bank.

• over 65 native plants and trees

• active compost bins, a rain garden, rain barrels, and bioswale features to inspire homeowners to include similar environmentally sustainable elements in their own yards

Volunteer opportunities: best times are Tuesday or Wednesday mornings 9-11am and alternating Friday or Saturdays mornings

• assist with garden tasks such as weeding, watering, tending plants

• respond to customer garden questions

• help with planting and transplanting

• turn and screen compost

• rake trails and wood chip gathering areas

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School and Youth Programs

Green Schools Chair: Janice Winter……………410-418-9240…….………… janicewinter@verizon.net

Program Overview The Green School Committee's goal is to assist Howard County schools in becoming Maryland Green School certified. Volunteering is done throughout the school year. This is a great opportunity to have a tremendous impact of environmental awareness on the community. Volunteer Description Your role would be to act as a Green School coach. In this role you would assist a school that is trying to become Green School certified or recertified by the state of Maryland. You would be working with adults, teachers, other school system employees, other Master Gardeners, and possibly representatives from the Howard County Conservancy and Recreation and Parks. Meetings are held in conjunction with the Youth Education Committee. Volunteer Responsibilities

Your primary job is to be a resource for the school, not to do the work for them.

You can do a walk through with the teachers and/or Green School committee members from that school and give them horticultural suggestions they can consider to become certified. Examples include discussing the creation of a rain garden, a habitat garden, a no-mow zone, or a composting program.

Throughout the year, you will continue to coach the school on an as-needed basis.

As you desire, you could do hands-on work at the school and work with children.

You will give schools contact information about Master Gardener Youth Education presentations that are available to the students which may count toward their Maryland Green School certification.

The hours when you will be most active will be during school hours.

Most schools only request one meeting or help with one project.

In addition, there is a Green Schools Workshop held for teachers three times per school year in the early evening at the Howard County Conservancy. You will not be required to attend, but attendance is helpful to further understand the needs of the schools.

Skills and Materials Needed You need to have a friendly and helpful disposition and be able to follow through on requests. You will need to communicate clearly through email or by telephone. You will be provided with a MAEOE (The Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education) Green School application so you can familiarize yourself with the application process facing schools. Committee chairpersons will meet with you to help you understand the Green Schools certification process and do some preliminary training.

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Youth Education

Chair: Janice Winter………...410-418-9240…….………… janicewinter@verizon.net

Program Overview The Youth Education committee provides outreach to the youth in our county on various topics related to gardening, the environment, native plants and more. This outreach is done by presentations to the youth, assisting with school gardening projects, assisting the school with its green school initiative and other various projects. The committee is in need of volunteers to assist with presenting, supporting existing presenters, and assisting the school with various gardening related projects. The committee meets once per month at the UME offices.

Environmental Report Card Contacts: Amy Reese, Coordinator Elem Science, HCPSS ……….amy_reese@hcpss.org and Janice Winter ………………410-418-9240…….………… janicewinter@verizon.net Program Overview In 2012, the MG Youth Education Group partnered with the Howard County Public School System Elementary Science Office, to develop a new field experience program for 5th graders. Students conducted a 2-part survey to assess their school grounds and its impact on the Chesapeake Bay. During the outdoor part, Master Gardeners guided students to examine biodiversity, vegetation, and runoff/erosion on the property. During the indoor portion, teachers guided students to examine transportation, energy/water conservation, and waste management on their property. Afterwards, students assessed the property based on their findings, and determined next steps for improving their property to support Bay health! As an extension, students had the opportunity to take the survey home and complete with their parents on their own property/neighborhood land.

This past Fall, the pilot schools from last year, completed the field experience again, on their own with an MG coach to support them. We are working with 6 new schools this spring, to begin the program with these schools/students. We are in need of teams of MGs to support these new schools in their first experience with this new program.

2016 Field Dates:

We are looking at the majority of these “on school grounds” field experiences in the Fall. Dates depend upon the schools involved. We currently have 4 schools working on this program, with all 41 scheduled to do this on their school grounds next school year.

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Our Environment In Our Hands Contacts: Amy Reese, Coordinator Elem Science, HCPSS (amy_reese@hcpss.org)

Jen Brown-Whale, ES Resource Teacher, HCPSS (Jennifer_brown-whale@hcpss.org)

Program Overview

Since the spring of 2009, several Howard County agencies and organizations have partnered with the Howard County Public School System to establish a program entitled, “Our Environment in Our Hands,” for fourth grade students in Howard County Schools. We have moved to a new location: Living Farm Heritage Museum (across the street from the Fairgrounds). With curricular changes, the new focus of Our Environment in Our Hands will be a full day field experience, which involves stream and pond studies, herpetology, and land use studies, to help students gather evidence to answer the following overarching question: What evidence of human impact and/or environmental change can be obtained in order to identify the effect on plant and animal life in the local environment (BIOSPHERE)?

During this trans-disciplinary field experience, held at the Living Farm Heritage Museum, students learn about the history of farming in Howard County and explore farming conservation practices, monitor water/stream quality, discuss native species, non-native, and invasive species during a nature walk, and how composting can preserve and protect the local environment. They also learn about external features of critters, such as macroinvertebrates, snakes, and turtles, and how these features make survival easier or more difficult, due to human impact on the environment.

Students will be split into two large groups and spend their day between two areas of the property, the HYDROSPHERE side and the GEOSPHERE side. While on each side, students will engage in several hands on investigations, making observations, gathering evidence, and discussing new vocabulary, all geared toward helping them to answer that overarching question: What evidence of human impact and/or environmental change can be obtained in order to identify the effect on plant and animal life in the local environment (BIOSPHERE)? 2016 dates for Our Environment In Our Hands (at the Living Farm Heritage Museum):

Volunteer training dates: Mon. May 9 (9-12pm OR 12:30 – 3:30pm). All volunteers must attend one of these times.

School Field Dates (volunteers should plan to attend from 8:30 – 3:30; daily schedule will vary depending upon school involved):

Tuesday, May 10 – Phelps Luck Elementary Wednesday, May 11 – Bryant Woods Elementary Thursday, May 12 – Laurel Woods Elementary Monday, May 23 – Stevens Forest Elementary Tuesday, May 24 – Talbott Springs Elementary Wednesday, May 25 – Running Brook Elementary

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Days of Taste

is a national discovery-based program that introduces elementary school

children to the basic elements of taste and teaches them about the role of farms in

producing the foods we eat. The program brings together chefs, farmers and volunteers in

the community with elementary school students to encourage children to appreciate and

enjoy the taste and benefits of fresh food. Days of Taste was first introduced in Baltimore

in the fall of 1998, and has grown to nearly 3000 students in Baltimore City and

Baltimore, Howard and Harford Counties in 2015. Since the spring of 2009, thousands of

fourth grade students in Howard County elementary schools have taken part in the

program.

Objectives:

1. To understand how food goes from a farm to the table

2. To discover “balance” in taste and food

3. To build a food vocabulary

4. To learn to experience and compare tastes, and to use those “taste memories” to prepare

food to individual preference

5. To make healthful choices of foods to eat

The Days of Taste

program at each school consists of three morning sessions, usually scheduled one

morning a week for three consecutive weeks, during May or October.

Day 1: Taste and Nutrition Basics

In the classroom, students do hands-on (and “tastebuds-on”) activities to evaluate diverse

foods and experience the four traditional elements of taste – salty, sour, bitter and sweet.

The concept of balance in foods, for good nutrition and good taste, is introduced.

Day 2: Trip to the farm

Students visit a nearby working farm. Guided by the farmer, students see first-hand

how vegetables are grown or how animals are raised, and how the food is prepared

for delivery to the market.

Day 3: Preparing Salad and Dressing with the Chef

Back in the classroom, students make their own farm-fresh salad and vinaigrette dressing,

using seasonal vegetables and fruit, and begin to recognize the balance of ingredients.

Four to eight volunteers are needed at each school to help students follow the chef’s instructions on days 1

and 3, and to assist during the farm visit on day 2. Recent Days of Taste

chefs have included Dan Wecker

(Elkridge Furnace), Keith Holsey (Portalli’s), Adam Harper (Iron Bridge Wine Co.), Dustin Heflin (Baldwin’s

Station), James Lewandowski (Petit Louis in Columbia) and many others. Farmers have included Dave

Liker (Gorman Farm), Deb and Carrie Buppert (Buppert’s Farm), Jamie Brown and family (Triadelphia Lake

View Farm) and Cathy Hudson and Van Wencil (Myrtle Woods Farm).

Ten Howard County schools will participate in Days of Taste this spring, including Bellows Springs,

Ducketts Lane, Guilford, Longfellow, Swansfield, Talbott Springs, Worthington and West Friendship. Each

school will take part in the program on different mornings, between Monday, April 25 – Wed, June 8.

Dates have not been decided, but volunteers will be needed at all schools. Although it is preferable for a

volunteer to attend all 3 mornings at one school, it is not imperative, and scheduling is flexible.

A volunteer breakfast meeting will be held on Monday, April 11, 8:30 -10:00 am, at Eggspectations in

Columbia to discuss all schools, chefs, farms and schedules. If you would like to attend the volunteer

meeting, or would like further information about Days of Taste, contact Riva Eichner Kahn, Days of Taste

chairperson, at reichner01@earthlink.net, 410-446-4860

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Smaller Group Activities

Howard County Master Gardener Mentoring Program

Chairperson: Carolyn Rimes ……………..410-290-9606………… cm60rimes@verizon.net

Program Overview Help MG interns become familiar with the Master Gardener program.

Howard County Master Gardener Training/Interviewing Training Assistant: Elaine Kielman…………………410-531-3071…… kielmanelaine@gmail.com Interviewing: Barbara Langridge ………….………..410-313-9936…... yellowstone30@gmail.com Volunteer Opportunity Fair: Beverly DeVuono ..….301-490-9031…… bev.devuono@gmail.com

Howard County Master Gardener Continuing Education Co-chair: Karin DeLaitsch ……..608-358-0588……….kdlaitsch@gmail.com Co-chair: Joanna Cumbie ……..410-730-6357……....rladywalking@msn.com

Program Overview

Plan classes for Master Gardeners to take to help them advance their training

Howard County Master Gardener Website Chair: Kathy Hartkey……….301-854-2974……….Ki.hartley@verizon.net

Howard County Master Gardener Facebook Chair: Alicia Wilmes…….….410-480-1642……….Awilmes09@gmail.com

Howard County Master Gardener On-Line Calendar Chair: Janine Grossman ………..… 410-750-9659 ……………… janinegrossman@gmail.com

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Howard County Master Gardener Newsletter (Looseleaf) Chair: Darcy Bellido de Luna ……… 410-461-3558 ……………… darcybell@me.com

Howard County Master Gardener Communications Steering Group Co-Chair: Roy Heath …………..… 410-884-1528 ……therents2001@yahoo.com Co-Chair: Janine Grossman ….… 410-750-9659 ……janinegrossman@gmail.com

Howard County Fair

Chair: Michele Wright ……………..410-465-6057………… wrightm_29067@msn.com

Program Overview

Plan, prepare and staff our Master Gardener booth at the Howard County Fair.

Volunteer opportunities are:

April- Meet with chairperson at MG office to plan theme. Set up schedule of meetings. July- Finalize arrangements Friday beforehand pick up display and materials from MG office and transfer to exhibit building. Staff are needed to man booth Sunday, August 6th through Saturday, August 13th in 2 hour

shifts from 11 am to 9 pm. MGI's will be paired with experienced MG's if desired. Volunteers are needed to transfer displays back to the MG office.

Rake and Take Chairperson: Pat Hooker………410-489-4314……….phooker9440@gmail.com

Program Overview Coordinate those who rake and bag leaves with those who want bags; open to public participation. The rake and take program fliers can be gotten at https://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/rake-and-take.