Baltimore City Master Gardeners of University of Maryland Extension

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has posted information about new Urban Agriculture Grants to help urban farmers provide residents with better access to healthy foods while promoting environmental sustainability. The Urban Agriculture Grant Program supports both urban farms and community gardens, whether they are startups or existing operations looking to expand. The grants cover a wide range of needs such as:

✓Capital Improvements—Funding for infrastructure such as refrigerated or dry storage, wash-and-pack stations, fencing, low tunnels, and more.
✓Sustainable Practices—Adoption of safe, environmentally sustainable practices, including the creation of pollinator habitat, obtaining certification in the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), installing composting units, and nutrient management planning.
✓Innovative Farming Solutions—Investing in rooftop gardens and controlled environment agriculture.
✓Education—Programs that focus on composting, soil health, and sustainable farming practices.
✓Real Property—The purchase of real property in an urban area. (This option is capped at 20% of the grant award.)
✓Operating Expenses—Covers certain operating expenses. (Capped at 15% of the grant award)

Please note that the maximum funder per application is $10,000.

More information and details about how to apply are available on the Maryland Department of Agriculture website and their post below.

NEWS RELEASE: MDA is excited to announce their new Urban Agriculture Grant Program! This program aims to help urban farmers provide residents with better access to healthy foods while promoting environmental sustainability.​

For more information: https://mda.maryland.gov/resource_conservation/Pages/urban-agriculture-grants.aspx

Explore our new native plant finder! Discover over 600 plant species native to the state of Maryland, and let this new tool help you decide which flora is best for your next project. Check it out at https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources/program-areas/maryland-native-plants-program/maryland-native-plant-finder.

Polilla del boj: ¡Esté atento a este nuevo invasor de bojes! Por Paula Shrewsbury y Laura Nixon ¿Qué son y dónde están las polillas del boj? La polilla del boj, Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidópteros: Crambidae), es una especie invasora que supone una amenaza s…

June is National Pollinator Month! Think like a pollinator with these tips from the US Forest Service:
- Go Native. Pollinators are “best” adapted to local, native plants, which often need less water than ornamentals
- Bee Bountiful. Plant big patches of each plant species (better foraging efficiency.)
- Bee Sunny. Provide areas with sunny, bare soil that’s dry and well-drained, preferably with south-facing slopes.
- Bee Showy. Flowers should bloom in your garden throughout the growing season. Plant willow, currant, and Oregon grape for spring and aster, rabbit
brush and goldenrod for fall flowers.
- Bee Patient. It takes time for native plants to grow and for pollinators to find
your garden, especially if you live far from wild lands.
View their whole guide for pollinator gardening for the Eastern us: chrome-extensio://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/documents/AttractingPollinatorsEasternUS_V1.pdf
More info including some plant suggestions: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening

Image text:
Title: Planning your garden — think like a pollinator.

Go Native. Pollinators are “best” adapted to local, native plants, which often need less water than ornamentals.
Bee Showy. Flowers should bloom in your garden throughout the growing season. Plant willow, violet, and mayapple for spring and aster, joe-pye w**d, and goldenrod for fall flowers.
Bee Bountiful. Plant big patches of each plant species for better foraging efficiency.
Bee Patient. It takes time for native plants to grow and for pollinators to find your garden, especially if you live far from wild lands.
Bee Gentle. Most bees will avoid stinging and use that behavior only in self-defense. Male bees do not sting.
Bee Chemical Free. Pesticides and herbicides kill pollinators.
Bee Homey. Make small piles of branches to attract butterflies and moths. Provide hollow twigs, rotten logs with wood-boring beetle holes and bunchgrasses and leave stumps, old rodent burrows, and fallen plant material for nesting bees. Leave dead or dying trees for woodpeckers.
Bee Sunny. Provide areas with sunny, bare soil that’s dry and well-drained, preferably with south-facing slopes.
Bee Diverse. Plant a diversity of flowering species with abundant pollen and nectar and specific plants for feeding butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Bee a little messy. Most of our native bee species (70%) nest underground, so avoid using w**d cloth or heavy mulch.
Bee Aware. Observe pollinators when you walk outside in nature. Notice which flowers attract bumble bees or solitary bees, and which attract butterflies.
Bee Friendly. Create pollinator-friendly gardens both at home, at schools and in public parks. Help people learn more about pollinators and native plants.

Join us this Saturday! Lots of fun for the whole family, plus take home FREE trees, native seeds, and gardening guides. At 10:30 and 11:30, take a walk with a Master Naturalist to learn more about the plants in and around the Nursery. At 11:00, hear from the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper about how native plants benefit our environment. RSVP at the link in the comments!

Do you have planting days at your local green space? Here’s a quick 📸 from ours at the beautiful Brentwood Commons.

Organizing a planting day is a great way to restore and maintain local ecosystems while bringing the community together. 🌱🌳

Don't have a home or community garden or growing space in your neighborhood? No problem. Baltimore City has many farmers markets with local producers bringing their fresh and healthy food options each week. Check out the Wednesday market outside Rawlings Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Druid Hill Park from 3:30pm to 7:30pm.

📣 …see you at the ❤️🖤💚



📍3100 Swann Drive, Druid Hill Park
(Outside & Botanical Gardens)
Baltimore 21217.
⏰ Wednesdays: (3:30pm - 7:30pm)

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