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Solutions in Your Community
Anne Arundel County UME Newsletter
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Fall is an exciting time of year, as cool brisk air heralds the harvest, and the colorful season change to our landscape. Holidays will soon bring us together with heartwarming traditions of food and plenty. The Anne Arundel Extension Office is wishes to invite you to our open house event, the Family Fall Harvest Festival to be held on Friday, October 14, 2022, from 1:00- 5:00 p.m. I hope you also enjoy in this issue of the Anne Arundel County UME
News, the update of the Anne Arundel Extension Urban Farming Research Clinic, and news of all of the planned Extension events for the upcoming fall season.
Thanks for partnering with the University of Maryland Extension, and supporting our programs.
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R. David Myers, Extension Educator
Agriculture & Natural Resources
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Water First for Thirst!
LaTasha Coleman, MD SNAP-Ed Educator
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Maryland SNAP-Ed is partnering with AACPS to encourage students and their families to choose water first! Did you know that the human body is made up of approximately 60-70% water! Water is needed for everything your body does, such as circulation, digestion, and regulating body temperature. Water helps our bodies digest food, fight illness, and maintain a healthy weight. When we drink enough water, we feel energized and ready to learn, work, and play. Here are some simple ways to encourage children to choose water first:
Set goals for yourself and your family!
The start of the school year is a great time to begin or refresh healthy habits! Here’s a water tracker. Print one for each member of your family. Turn the challenge into a competition for a little fun and added excitement. If goals are met, reward the family with fall fun on the farm: https://www.visitmaryland.org/list/ways-have-fun-farm-fall
Add something new!
Buy attractive water bottles for you and your family! Keep water bottles in the refrigerator for easy access. Fill up a pitcher and use a favorite fruit or vegetable to add flavor to the water. Check out this Wild Water recipe for ideas. Eat your water by increasing fruit and veggies at each meal. Try tasty Fruit Kabobs as a snack or addition to any back to school meal.
Reward the savings!
Take water and healthy snacks when you are on the go or at a fall sporting event. You will be amazed by how much you can save at the store by cutting back on these items. Put the money you save aside each week and share the savings with your children. They will be learning two important lessons this way: Sugary drinks are unhealthy and expensive
and that small savings will add up! Give the money to the kids for a reward to encourage these healthy new habits or use it on a fun family activity after you save up for a few weeks.
Like us on Facebook and turn on notifications for
ore simple wellness tips and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/EatSmartMD
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Anne Arundel County
Urban Farming Research Clinic
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The Urban Farming Research Clinic was created as part of the Anne Arundel and Prince George's Urban Farming Workgroup. This group is committed to leading the urban farming initiative by planning educational workshops and projects like the Urban Farming Research Clinic to help urban farmers with topic areas such as business planning, land access, and integrated pest management. The project began in April of 2022. Visit the Anne Arundel Extension Urban Farming Research Clinic Website, Click Here.
Three varieties of pumpkins (Rhea, Iron Man, and Gladiator), Indian Corn, Popcorn, and Sunflowers have been planted for the 2022 season. Golden German Foxtail Millet was planted on June 6th as a cover crop in the area where a high tunnel will be assembled for spring 2023.
At the Urban Farming Research Clinic an integrated pest and weed management approach is used to control pests and weeds. Integrated pest management focuses on the longterm prevention of pests and their damage. The herbicides that have been applied are Poast®, Dual®, AAtrex®, and Sandea®. Learn more about IPM, Click Here.
The definition of Urban Agriculture that is provided by the Environmental Protection Agency states: “Urban Agriculture is a part of the local food system where food is produced within an urban area and marketed to customers within that area”. Urban Agriculture is an environmentally sustainable way for farmers to generate income in a smaller area. It allows access to food security while reducing the transportation costs of transporting food. Learn more about Urban Agriculture in Extension, Click Here.
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Urban Farming Research Clinic Activity Log
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Month of April 2022
The Urban Farming Research Clinic began in April of 2022. It was created as part of the Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Urban Farming Work Group as a way to follow the urban farming initiative. The two-acre plot is located only a few steps away from the Anne Arundel County office!
There's much work that must be done before the land is ready for planting. The biggest challenge so far has been leveling out and cleaning up the plot to be ready for planting. The plot had been untouched for 10 to 15 years before this project began. The area was bush-hogged to maintain the overgrowth more easily, prior to moldboard plowing and disking.
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Month of May 2022
To get a better idea of the condition of the soil, a soil sample was taken on May 26th. Click Here to view the results of the soil sample collected on this day. Click Here to view the nutrient management plan that was developed for the project.
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Month of June 2022
This month was busy! The first to be planted was Golden German Foxtail Millet on June 6th. The next day, June 7th, all three varieties of pumpkins (Gladiator, Iron Man, and Rhea), Indian corn, Popcorn, and sunflowers were planted. Two rows of sunflowers were placed as boarder rows between the other crops. The first herbicide application took place on the same day of planting, Dual® herbicide and Poast® herbicide were applied. These are pre-emergent herbicides that were sprayed with a broadcast sprayer.
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Fertilizer was applied two weeks after planting on June 21st, and 200 lbs of gypsum and 200 lbs urea were applied to the pumpkins, sunflowers, and corn. On the same day, 80 lbs of urea and 200 lbs of gypsum were applied to the millet.
Three weeks after planting, on June 29th, Sandea® herbicide was sprayed with a broadcast sprayer on the pumpkins only to control escaped morning glory and yellow nutsedge. The sunflower rows were hoed for the first time three weeks after planting on June 29th.
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Month of July
This month was spent controlling weeds! The second round of hoeing took place five weeks after planting on July 13th. This time all rows were hoed to control weed growth. On June 20th, 7 weeks after planting, Poast® herbicide was applied to the pumpkins for Bermudagrass control. This application was a spot treatment applied with a backpack sprayer. No fungicides have been applied to date. We are currently monitoring the plot weekly. We are monitoring for potential problems like disease or pests. So far, no fungicides are needed. Weed control for the project was excellent with the judicious use of herbicides combined with hand hoeing of escaped weeds.
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Unfortunately, near the end of July the field flooded twice during two rainfall events, both exceeding 5 inches, leading to phytophthora losses in the pumpkins. The damage was most noticeable in the larger varieties Rhea and Gladiator. It was also evident that native pollinators alone were not enough for uniform fruit set in the pumpkin patches. Groundhog and deer damage were also considerable in he pumpkins.
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Month of August
Scouting and monitoring the crop though August, a decision to spray the pumpkins for disease was made on July 9th and then again on September 1st. On each occasion two fungicides, Pristine® and Rally® were applied to the pumpkin patches, when conditions for rampant infection of powdery mildew and downy mildew occurred. Insects remained below thresholds and no insecticides were required on any of the crops. A couple heavy and gusty thunderstorm in August did lodge some of the Indian corn; The popcorn was unaffected.
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Months of September to October
Looking ahead to harvest, no additional pesticides will be applied. There is a planned Anne Arundel Extension Fall Harvest Party to be held on Friday, October 14th from 1:00-5:00. All are welcome to attend, and enjoy the bounties of the crop season. To register for this event, Click Here
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University of Maryland Extension, Farm Stress Management Workshop
for Agriculture Service Providers.
This workshop is designed for Agriculture Service Providers to equip them with the skills and knowledge to support farms and farm families in times of distress. The University of Maryland Extension Farm Stress Management Team will train service providers to identify signs of distress, develop skills to communicate with those experiencing stress, and provide resources both locally and nationally. Financial and regulatory topics will also be discussed as they are often contributors to stress on the farm.
Upcoming Trainings (All hosted from 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM):
Monday, October 31, 2022 - Baltimore County
Baltimore County Agricultural Center
1114 Shawan Rd. Suite 2,
Cockeysville, MD 21030
Thursday, November 3, 2022- Anne Arundel County
Maryland Department of Agriculture
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Rooms 112 & 114
Annapolis, MD 21401
Monday, November 7, 2022- Virtual
Zoom Link will be sent upon Eventbrite Registration
For more information contact Ryan Salsman, Farm Stress Program Coordinator,
University of Maryland Extension (240-623-6731/rsalsman@umd.edu).
To register visit https://fstraining524.eventbrite.com.
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Walktober is a full month dedicated to health, safety and education for pedestrians and drivers, to build safer, more sustainable communities in Maryland, developed by the Maryland Department of Transportation. Declared officially by Governor Hogan in 2020, the month celebrates Maryland's official exercise -- walking -- as a critical component of well-being for people throughout the state.
Click here to learn more .
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Healthy Eating - Egg and Veggie Stuffed Peppers | |
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1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ Tablespoon garlic, minced
¼ cup onion, finely diced
3 large bell peppers
2 cups kale leaves (or other greens), chopped, tough stems and ribs removed
1 cup mushrooms or other vegetable of choice (optional)
6 large eggs
6 Tablespoons part-skim mozzarella or cheddar cheese, or other cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. The peppers can be either microwaved or broiled. To microwave: Place pepper halves in a microwave safe baking dish, put a small amount of water in the dish and microwave, covered for about 4 minutes or until tender. To broil: Place peppers, open side down, on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler in the oven for 10 minutes. Once they are finished, remove them from the oven and flip them over.
Set oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and kale (and mushrooms or other vegetables, if using.) Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Evenly divide egg mixture among the 6 halves, top with sauteed veggies, then top with cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and the egg is no longer runny
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Join Anne Arundel County 4-H | |
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Did you visit the Anne Arundel County Fair this year? Did you wonder what in the world 4-H is all about? Do you have children between 8 and 18 or know someone who does? If so, it's easy to learn more! Visit our website or email the the Anne Arundel County 4-H office at gsumbrum@umd.edu."4-H makes the best better!"
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Become an Anne Arundel County Master Gardener | |
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Interested in becoming a Master Gardener? Master Gardeners are a group of gardening enthusiasts who are passionate about gardening, education, and volunteering in their community. The curriculum is presented by University of Maryland Extension faculty and trained Master Gardeners.
Click here for more information.
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Agriculture & Natural Resources
Dave Myers, Principal Agent
myersrd@umd.edu or 410-222-3906
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Nutrient Management
Nutrient Management Advisor
410-222-3906
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Master Gardener Program
Master Gardener Coordinator
410-222-3906
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Family and Consumer Sciences
Dhruti Patel, Agent
dhrutip@umd.edu or 410-222-390
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed)
LaTasha Coleman, Principal Agent Associate
lcolema4@umd.edu or 410-222-3903
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