Frostburg Grows:

Grow-it-local Greenhouse

The Problems…•Economic hardship•Declining population•Food Security•Development pressure on Green

Infrastructure•Acid Mine Drainage•Brownfields•Flooding•Climate change

AMD, flooding

We burn about 1

million years’ worth

of fossil fuel every

year

VisionUse greenhouses to produce local,

high quality food in the Appalachian

Highlands. In doing so, create:

• Sustainable jobs

• Stable communities

• Improve water quality

• Improve food security/nutrition

• Reduce flooding

• Lower greenhouse gas emissions

Current Project Goals:

•Grow specialty crops to be sold locally in Western Maryland•Demonstrate best greenhouse growing methods for these crops through research •Train others to operate greenhouses•Help industry expand to become a regional producer of food•Shade house component to grow native trees

Future Goals

•Use one acre of greenhouses to produce 20% of Aramark produce needs for FSU dining•Expand to 5 acres to meet 100% of campus needs

FSU, GCWA, RC&D priority

GCWA goes to Annapolis

Greenhouse visits

Would allow easier tie-in

UMES Greenhouse project

Tech Innovation features

Material Reuse

• Food waste

• Runoff

• Fly ash

• Highway signs

• Building materials (Tawes Hall deconstruction)

• Freight Containers

Greenhouse operation can:

Eliminate soil erosionReduce floodingGreatly reduce ag pesticide useEssentially eliminate nutrient ‘leakage’Produce 5X (minimum) more food/acreAllow for WIDE buffers and wildlife habitat

regeneration

Where We Stand Now

•$22k for design work, construction grant opportunities looming

•Match is an issue—possible match items…

•Design charrette

•Possible regional co-op for root crops

Get involved!

•Talk up the project•Ask Aramark to incorporate local foods into its purchasing for FSU•Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Conservation Corps position