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|  ECO City Farms March 2015 |
This Friday marks the Vernal Equinox and the first day of spring, when the Earth's northern hemisphere starts it's tilt back towards the sun, providing us with longer and warmer days. Throughout Earth's history, many civilizations and cultures have marked this time to celebrate the coming of spring by gathering with friends and family, thanking Mother Nature, and preparing for a new season of health and growth.
No matter how you celebrate, try to make this new season the one to grow something to eat or admire. It doesn't matter if your home is small or big, urban or rural; there are many creative ways of growing food and flowers. Give-a-go at hanging baskets on your porch, starting raised beds in your backyard, or creating an indoor herb garden in your kitchen. Join together with neighbors and friends to find space and share resources, having plants around can bring a new spirit and happiness to your life and build a closer community.
After months of crop planning, site planning, ordering new tools and seeds, building infrastructure, and starting seedlings, the spring planting rush is nearly upon us here at ECO City Farms. We have been toughing it out all winter long and now welcome the warmer temperatures and longer days with open arms. Hopefully we will see you volunteering at our farms, buying at our markets, and celebrating the joys of spring with us!
-Colin Mahoney, Bladensburg Farm Manager
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Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders
Dates and Times: The classes will be held over two weekends: April 24th-26th and May 8th-10th, from 9am-6pm on Fridays and Saturdays (with a 1-hour break for lunch), and 1pm-5pm on Sundays.
Location: ECO City Farms at Bladensburg at 6100 Emerson Street, Bladensburg, MD 20710.
Cost: The fee for this course is $200. However, a sliding scale is available to those in need. A space for requesting financial assistance is provided in the online application.
To learn more about this course and to apply today, click
HERE.
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| FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY! Apprentices and Interns Wanted for the Spring/Summer Season!  ECO's apprenticeships and internships present an immersive, hands-on opportunity to learn about sustainable urban agriculture by working directly with experienced farm staff. In addition, you make a significant contribution to ECO's programs.
We are still accepting applications for 4 different positions:
1. Edmonston Farm: (2) Apprentices and (4) Interns 2. Bladensburg Farm: (1) Apprentices and (2) Interns 3. (1) Farm to Market Intern 4. (1 or 2) Farm Educator Intern CLICK HERE to learn more about our internship and apprenticeship program and to read the job descriptions of each position. CLICK HERE to apply for an internship or apprenticeship. |
 Open Volunteer Hours
Come one, come all and get your hands dirty and help us run our farms! Perfect way to take advantage of the arrival of spring and warmer temps.
Work is from
9am - 12:30pm
at each location. Please plan to be there for the whole time period. Farm tour follows at
12:30pm. No need to rsvp if you are coming, unless you have more than three people coming with you.
Read more info on volunteering and what to expect. Contact Kayla, our volunteer coordinator, for more information: [email protected]. Find out how to get to our farms: maps and directions
> Edmonston Farm: Volunteer hours are on 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month.
> Bladensburg Farm: Volunteer hours are on 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. |
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Let's Talk Food! ECO City Farms is conducting community conversations about Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL), integrating healthy food choices into our lives.
These free two hour sessions bring practical information about food and nutrition. The goal is to promote good health habits and a healthy life style for children and adults in Prince George's County.
Upcoming Workshops:
>Thursday, April 16, 8:30am to 10:30am @ Templeton Elementary School Address: 6001 Carters Lane. Riverdale, MD 20737 >Friday, April 17, 9:00am to 11:00am @ Riverdale Elementary School Address: 5006 Riverdale Rd. Riverdale, MD 20737 (Spanish session) >Saturday, April 18, 2:00pm to 4:00pm @ Magic Johnson Community Empowerment Center
Address: 6001 Logan Way. #A5, Bladensburg, MD 20710 >Friday, April 24, 8:30am to 10:30am @ Port Towns Elementary School Address: 4351 58th Ave. Bladensburg, MD 20710
Do you want to bring a Let's Talk Food workshop to your community? If so, please e-mail Viviana Lindo at [email protected].
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| Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer Wanted! 
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is accepting applications for volunteers for the 2015-16 Chesapeake Conservation Corps, a program that provides service-learning opportunities and green job training for young people through environmental and energy conservation projects. This initiative pairs young adults with organizations that provide hands-on environmental, leadership, and technical training opportunities for a one-year term of service. ECO City Farms is one of the host organizations seeking a volunteer. If you'd like to work alongside ECO and you meet the qualifications, please consider applying for the program. All applications must be RECEIVED by April 17, 2015.
Learn more about this program HERE. For any questions about becoming a volunteer or about the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, contact Tara Baker, 410-974-2941, ext. 102.
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SHOW YOUR LOVE WITH AN ECO PLATE ON YOUR CAR!
We want to establish a Maryland license plate in the name of ECO, and we need your support! In order to apply we'd need at least 25 committed members who are Maryland registered drivers to make this happen.
The projected cost for the plates is $40, which includes a $15 donation to ECO. Pictured is a preview of what the plates could look like; this is not a final version. If you are interested in supporting ECO by purchasing one or more these tags, please e-mail [email protected] with your full name and current license plate number. |
| ECO City Farms Annual Report  ECO has accomplished so much over the years! The 2013-2014 annual report sums up all of our programs from new farmer training to nutrition education to our summer youth program, just to name a few. This annual report highlights the work that we do to create a just, vigorous and sustainable food system in the Chesapeake foodshed with ample fertile soil, quality environments, livable incomes and decent working conditions for farmers and food workers, and nutritious high quality food for all. We'd like to take this time to thank all of our donors, funders, partners and supporters. ECO would not be possible without you! CLICK HERE to view our annual report. |
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Support ECO via AmazonSmile
ECO is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and we are now registered with AmazonSmile.
When you purchase products that are eligible for donations marked
"Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" on their product detail pages, t
he AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price. Every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to
smile.amazon.com. Y
ou use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile.
On your first visit to AmazonSmile
, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations. To choose ECO as your charity, either search for ENGAGED COMMUNITY OFFSHOOTS, INC. or search our EIN: 26-4196401.
Please choose ECO as you selected charity, it would be greatly appreciated! No donation is too small, every bit counts!
CLICK HERE to learn about other was to donate to ECO. |
 Farmers Market in the Winter The Riverdale Park Farmers Market will be indoors until the end of March. Enjoy the atmosphere created by live music and conversation. Come visit our stand and chat with farmer Deborah about what's in season and share your yummy recipes with Amanda. Every other week you'll catch Sade doing cooking demos of yummy healthy dishes.
The Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open
Thursdays from 3-7pm
and is located inside of the brick and yellow building on the corner of Queensbury Road and the MARC train station parking lot (4650 Queensbury Road Riverdale Park, MD 20737).
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