Anne Arundel County UME News

Solutions in Your Community

Anne Arundel County UME Newsletter

June 2022

Dear Friends and Clients,

Happy 4th of July! It is never a wrong time to thank a member of the armed forces or a veteran for their service! Please remember how many others have sacrificed their lives to keep our country free!

Best regards.

Karol Westelinck Dyson

Area Extension Director

Utilize your Extension Office for your

Home Gardening Questions!

Rachel Carey, Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Coordinator

When was the last time you called up to the extension office, stopped in with pictures, or turned in a plant sample from your home garden?

When was the last time you were puzzled by your home garden? Probably much more often than the amount of times you contacted us.

Your Anne Arundel County office has a Home Horticulture Agent for the first time since 2019, and we are here for you. Choose your own path to get UMD-quality guidance for your garden:

Call the office (410) 222-3900 and ask for Rachel Carey. Direct and easy.

Come on down to the Dairy Farm and ask for Rachel Carey. Park your car in the lot, walk down the paved path and look for the building with the Anne Arundel County Extension Office sign on it. See photo. We have beautiful gardens around the building to tip you off where we are located too. The most recent native plant to bloom is our whimsical Buttonbush. It began blooming in week 25 of the year (last week). See photo.

Drop off a sample of a plant/insect curiosity at the front of our office. This gives you the ability to reach out when we are closed on nights and weekends, and gives us a chance to do a little research with the specimen in-hand. Fill out this simple form, Plant/Dis eas e/Insect ID Submission Form. Follow the guidelines on the form for what to include, and place it on the cart outside our front door. See photos.

We are very happy to be your home horticulture resource in Anne Arundel County.

Field Crops Research Twilight, Barbecue

& Ice Cream Social

August 3, 2022

4:00 - 9:00 PM

You are invited to a Fields Crops Research Twilight, Barbecue and Ice Cream Social at the Central Maryland Research & Education Center, 2005 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, Maryland on Wednesday, August 3, 2023 from 4:00 to 9 PM. A barbecue dinner will be served at 4:00 pm followed by homemade ice cream prior to the evening tour. University of Maryland Extension Educators and Specialists will showcase their field crop, vegetable and fruit research plots.

Barbeque begins at 4:00 PM

Ice cream Served at 5:15 PM

Crops Twilight at 6:00 PM

Please arrive on time as the tour will start promptly at 6:00 PM. This event is free. However, a reserved meal ticket is required.

If you need special assistance to participate, please contact the Anne Arundel County Extension office at 410-222-3906 by August 2nd.

Many Hands Makes Light Work!

On Monday, September 12th, 2022, Anne Arundel County 4-H Youth Development needs adults (minimum 1 hour) sometime between 2:00 and 8:00 pm to assist in judging youth 4-H projects at the Anne Arundel County Fair. Bring only yourself, instructions & materials will be given to you when you arrive. Please rsvp for a time, contact Joy Sim at jsim@umd.edu.

Join Anne Arundel County 4-H

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!"

Become an Anne Arundel County Master Gardener

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.

Our Agronomy Experts are Here to Help

When our offices are closed, we are still working to provide assistance.

Call or email us: We continue to answer questions and conduct field research to deliver the resources you need.

Field visits: If needed and following social distancing protocol, we continue to conduct on-site field visits for diagnosis of production issues.

Online Resources: We are expanding online learning available at the websites below. Find online pesticide and nutrient voucher recertification here: Upcoming programs

We are here to help you. Contact any of your Southern Maryland Agriculture Agents:

Alan Leslie

301-542-7612

aleslie@umd.edu

https://extension.umd.edu/charles-county

Ben Beale

301-481-7209

bbeale@umd.edu

https://extension.umd.edu/locations/st-marys-county

Dave Myers

410-980-1768

myersrd@umd.edu

https://extension.umd.edu/locations/anne-arundel-county

Healthy Eating - Watermelon and Tomato Salad

2 cups cherry tomatoes, washed

2 cups watermelon, washed and cut in cubes

½ cup fresh basil, washed and chopped

½ cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, cut in cubes

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, add tomatoes and watermelon. Add basil, cheese, lemon juice, and oil. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in refrigerator before serving.