Summer is in full swing in Maryland and during this time, the University of Maryland College Park hosts its weekly outdoor farmers market. Located in the Tawes Plaza Garden on Preinkert Drive, the Farmers Market at Maryland  hosts a variety of vendors selling various self-produced goods ranging from food to plants. There is also a food truck that serves fresh, locally-purchased foods in compostable and recyclable packaging. 

The Farmers Market first opened in 2012 and has become an annual tradition since thanks to the University of Maryland's Department of Dining Services. This year, the market opened April 3rd and will run until November 13th. It runs every Wednesday from 11:00am - 3:00pm, and from 11:00am-2:00pm during the summer. In order for one to sell their wares at the farmers market, the vendor must be located within a 250-mile radius of the university to ensure the food is local, and must be producer-only, meaning the vendor grows or makes their own goods. To learn more about selling at the market, visit here.

Shopping at local farmers markets not only supports the hard-working vendors behind them, it also helps reduce one's environmental impact because it minimizes the distance food needs to travel from harvest to plate. Shopping at a farmers market also boosts the local economy. To find a farmers market near you in MD, visit here.

 

SM staff meeting with Parkside stormwater team

 

For the second year in a row, the SM program will be working with neighborhood groups in Montgomery County to assist them on educating their residents about incentive programs like RainScapes, as well as developing a basic stormwater action plan for their community. This work is part of a Chesapeake Bay Trust grant, which is funded by the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Charge.

 

One of the communities will be Parkside Condos in Bethesda, which reached out to SM in 2017 about forming a Green Team (the other is Rosemary Hills Neighbors Association in Silver Spring). This new group, Parkside Green, has moved ahead since then, organizing an Earth Day festival, planting a community garden, and exploring ideas for energy efficiency projects. SM staff look forward to working with members of Parkside Green and other residents on stormwater education and action planning, and hope to use this experience as a model for creating Green Teams in other homeowners and civic associations.  

 

If you would like assistance in forming or launching a Green Team in your civic association or HOA, please contact [email protected]  

 

If you have not heard, some youngsters amongst us are raising their voices, to insist on a future where climate change does not radically limit their prospects, and the prospects of other young people across the planet.