​Pinewood Students Spring Up for 'Growing Togther' Event

From the Maryland State Fair: Approximately 200 second, third and fourth grade students will help plant a Green Wall and attend a variety of fun, hands on educational rotations as part of the 3rd Annual Growing Together at the Maryland State Fairgrounds event, Monday, May 15, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Maryland State Fair Park. The event is part of the MY Maryland State Fair Seed, Soil and Students Program.

“This event is the culmination of our agriculture education program partnership between the Maryland State Fair and Pinewood Elementary School,” said Director of Agriculture Programs Robert Fogle. “Our hope is for the students to grow in their knowledge of agriculture and its relationship to their everyday lives as well as provide a natural way to help beautify the fairgrounds.”

The 3rd Annual Seed, Soil and Students program started in March, when Maryland State Fair staff visited Pinewood Elementary School and taught 600 Kindergarten through fifth grade students how to plant seeds that would ultimately be used to create a green wall at the fairgrounds. The students, in addition to planting herbs for the Green Wall, planted marigold seeds to nurture in the classroom and take home for Mother’s Day. Maryland State Fair staff returned to Pinewood Elementary in April to check on the progress and to provide an Earth Day lesson about soil types, soil nutrition and which soils work best for optimal growth of a variety of plants and crops.

Growing Together at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, will include agriculture educational rotations, among them:

1) Transplantation Lesson – students will learn how to transplant their plants in to a recycled plastic milk jug and then place them in the Green Wall planter racks on the Farm & Garden Building.

2) Barrel Racing Demonstration - Miss Maryland Agriculture Megan Millison will bring her horse to demonstrate how to barrel race and teach about the general care of horses. Students will have the opportunity to race around the barrels with stick horses.

3) Bee Pollinator Presentation – New this year, Beekeeper Laura Ritchie will make a presentation centered around honey bees and their importance to growing plants as natural pollinators.

4) Popcorn and Field Corn Lesson – Farmer Stan Dabkowski will teach the difference between popcorn and field corn and will demonstrate how kettle corn is made.

5) Two additional station to be announced.

In addition, students, teachers and chaperones will be treated to lunch. For more information, contact Edie M. Bernier,

410-252-0200 x225.

Photos courtesy of MD State Fair (Photo 1: Maryland State Fair Director of Agriculture Programs Robert Fogle and staff taught Pinewood Elementary students how to plant seeds to nurture at school and to become a part of the Maryland State Fair Green Wall on May 15.)