During the start of the pandemic we were looking for ways that we could help give back to the community that has been so supportive of us and our local wildlife. Even though our Wildlife Center is still under construction and not yet open to the public, we wanted it to be able to provide to those in need during these difficult times, even if just in some small way, while showing how sustainable agriculture can coexist with rich wildlife habitat. Seeing how especially important local farms have become in recent months to ensure the supply of healthy food, we decided to convert two unused portions of our land buffering between our pollinator meadows and forest into gardens centered predominately around early Native American crops consisting of beans, squash, and corn; even planting some in the traditional “Three Sisters” companion garden technique in which the plants are arranged in circles to protect and benefit from each other’s growth. Thanks to the help of our friends at The Mill of Bel Air who provided the seeds, a handful of other vegetable plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers, soil and organic fertilizer we were able to create our main enclosed raised bed garden by recycling downed tree logs from our property. This design helped to protect our crop from easily becoming wildlife food (we have plenty of natural food for them) and provided the necessary ingredients for growth. After a few months of patiently waiting and maintaining the gardens we were rewarded with our first donation to the local food pantry in Edgewood provided by the Harford Community Action Agency who will in turn offer it to those in need. Please support them, our local businesses and other service organizations in any way you can. We want to thank all of you out there who continue to help keep our community strong and help one another to endure these difficult times.
