SCRAP B-More is an incredible creative reuse store and donation center that collects and sells a diverse array of school, craft, and art supplies at a very low cost. Buttons, yarn, fabric, paint galore - you name it, they've got it. In addition to their retail sale of arts and crafts materials, SCRAP provides various educational opportunities for residents of Baltimore. Their mission is to "inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community."

Nancy Hotchkiss, the Executive Director, opened the doors of SCRAP B-More in July of 2016 and since then, she and her team have diverted over 87,834 lbs of materials from the landfill! They are also part of the SCRAP Creative Reuse network, which includes grassroots creative reuse centers across the country in cities such as Portland (OR), Richmond (VA), and Ann Arbor (MI). After initially opening in Federal Hill, they have since moved to Pigtown. Donations are accepted Fridays by appointment. Call 410-637-8333 or send them an email. A list of needed items that are accepted for donations can be found here. They also love and rely on volunteers! Don't sleep on this incredible gem of a place and go check them out!

The Baltimore Office of Sustainability and Baltimore City Public Schools, with support from Constellation, an Exelon Company, and other partners, are offering Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge (GHSC) funds to support sustainability leadership by students at Baltimore City Public Schools. The GHSC supports student-driven sustainability projects at Baltimore City Public Schools. Students must be a part of an organized green team that meets to complete their project. Applications are due by October 31st, 2022 via the online application. All Baltimore City Public Schools may apply for up to $1,000 and schools certified as a Maryland Green School may apply for up to $1,500. Learn more about the current guidelines, project ideas, and the 10+ year history of GHSC here. Please reach out to Environmental Planner Abby Cocke with any questions. 

The Black Yield Institute (BYI) has been awarded approximately $66,000 in Healthy Food Priority Area (HFPA) grant funds. The grant is provided and supported by our Food Policy and Planning division. BYI works to address gaps in healthy, affordable, culturally-appropriate foods, establish a marketplace for BIPOC urban farmers, and support and provide education for urban farming in the Cherry Hill area. The HFPA grant will help supplement BYI's urban farm location in Mt. Clare and the "expansion and development of enterprises that build community power, provide food and ownership opportunities, and create a model of Black Land and Food Sovereignty at the hyper-local, community level." Thank you to BYI for being our partner in supporting urban agriculture for the city's black communities! Please contact Food Policy Director Taylor LaFave with any comments or questions about the HFPA. 

On Wednesday, September 21st, the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD), in partnership with the Department of Planning (DOP), issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for urban agriculture. The City is seeking urban farming proposals from qualified for-profits, non-profits, or individuals for one or more of four identified city-owned vacant sites. The sites are a variety of sizes and conditions, are scattered throughout the city, and will either be leased or sold for new urban agriculture projects. Proposals will be received until November 16th, 2022. RFP Submission Guidelines can be found on DHCD’s website. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 5th, 2022, to discuss the call for proposals, provide additional information, and answer questions. You can register here. Please reach out to Environmental Planner Abby Cocke with any comments or questions. 

Knowing When it's Time: Season's End -- Maryland Grows

A University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener shares considerations for common gardening decisions faced at the end of the summer growing season.

With fish-based dog treats, Baltimore restaurateur and entrepreneur hooks a crowd of investors -- Baltimore Sun

"Keyia Yalcin built the Baltimore restaurant [Fishnet] on a model of sustainability and couldn’t tolerate the waste, so she began “upcycling” the castoffs and four other simple ingredients into crunchy, fish-shaped dog treats. Yalcin wanted to expand into new markets and new products. But she didn’t go to a bank for capital; rather she turned to her customers and the wider community for funding..."

Gourd season is here, but what many people don't know is that there is a plant that might be even cooler than the traditional Halloween squash we all know and love. It is a gourd known as the luffa, pronounced the same way many people already know them to be -- loofah! Believe it or not, once grown and dried on the vine, these gourds can be harvested for their fibrous insides and used as...sponges! 

The luffa plant has a very long growing season. It needs adequate time to grow on the vine and then dry before use. It is advised to leave fruit on the vine until just before the first frost. If picked too early, they're susceptible to rot. They also need plenty of room to climb and stretch out. Like their cousins, cucumbers and squash, they put out little tendrils to grab on to whatever they can find to climb. It may not feel like there's space in the city to grow these plants, but with some ingenuity and twine, you can make it happen! For all the questions you could ever have about how to grow and harvest this incredible plant for homemade scrubby sponges, check out this website.