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BLOG: Howard County’s 16th Annual Farm-City Celebration sprang into action last week with the County Executive’s Job Exchange Luncheon

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Howard County’s 16th Annual Farm-City Celebration sprang into action last week with the County Executive’s Job Exchange Luncheon and more than 50 events hosted by Howard County farms and the Howard County Library System. To kick off the celebration, the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) co-hosted the annual Job Exchange Luncheon to celebrate the importance of agriculture over a locally-sourced lunch at the Living Heritage Farm Museum in West Friendship, MD. County Executive Calvin Ball, together with the HCEDA team, Howard County students, community members and partners, honored the value of agriculture and farms to Howard County. The lunch was catered by Dandelion Bistro of Glenelg, MD and featured locally grown ingredients by Howard County farms. After the luncheon, attendees stayed for the Farm-City fundraising auction which raised over $600 for the Farm-City scholarship fund.

Dandelion Bistro’s generous donation provided a seasonal spread which included turkey breast with lemon sage stuffing, apple roasted pork tenderloin, local heirloom tomatoes, and a sweet, cinnamon apple crisp for dessert, signaling a warm welcome to autumn’s arrival.

The annual Job Exchange is a Howard County tradition where the County Executive exchanges responsibilities with a local farmer; this year, “Farmer” Calvin Ball helped run the Patrick family’s Maple Dell Farm operation, and “County Executive” Caitlin Patrick had the opportunity to learn more about our Howard County Police Department and Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.

“The annual Howard County Farm-City Celebration is a special opportunity to bring together our rural and urban communities. From the abundance of our agriculture to the excitement of Columbia and Ellicott City, our county is fortunate to have an incredible diversity of communities,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “To learn even more about our agricultural community, I traded places for the morning and tried out a new title as ‘Farmer Ball.’ As a farmer, I fed calves, forked ground silage, and visited Sunflowers of Lisbon. The challenging, but rewarding, day helped me experiencing my home county from a new perspective and highlighted our farm-city interdependence.”

Between now and October 6th, there’s still a wide array of Farm-City events to explore across Howard County. The Farmers Market series will continue in Ellicott City, Maple Lawn, Clarksville, and Oakland Mills. On Sunday, October 6th, Farm-City’s finale-style Fall Festival at the Howard County Conservancy will feature local craftsmen’s stations, blacksmiths in action, local fall produce to take home, and an array of fall activities for families.

Howard County’s Annual Farm-City Celebration provides a unique opportunity for residents from across the County to participate in the diverse experiences the agriculture community has to offer. Visit the full Farm-City event calendar to explore ongoing events, http://www.farmheritage.org/farm-city-a.html.

About Howard County Farm-City Celebration: Howard County Farm-City is an annual celebration which provides opportunities for engagement between the metropolitan and agricultural communities in Howard County. The Farm-City Celebration highlights the Howard County farm and city mutual interdependence, and promotes understanding and appreciation between town and country.

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