Week 6 was shortened due to the July 4th holiday, but it was still one of the most diverse and productive weeks of my internship so far. Every day provided a new opportunity to learn, explore, and connect with people and projects from across the UMD Extension network.
Andrea Franchini organized a special field trip to Red Cedar Farm on Monday, which kicked off the week well. I had the honor of accompanying several others from the Fleet Services building on this visit, where we learned about preserved Native American culture, agricultural practices, and ceremonial traditions. It was an amazing day, highlighted by the opportunity to learn directly from members of the Piscataway Indian Nation. One of the speakers, Sebastian (Sebi) Medina-Taya, generously shared his knowledge of generations-old growing and harvesting techniques. Seeing tobacco drying on a farm in Nanjemoy and standing on ancestral lands added a powerful dimension to the experience.
On Tuesday, I returned to the office and went into project planning mode with the Foodways UMD team. We started coordinating upcoming farm interviews, and I had a quick check-in with Andrea to discuss the next steps for the MAP project. I'm also working on a hydroponic fact sheet that I started researching in Week 1, which is specifically about Clayton William's hydroponic farm, and I'm excited to see how it turns out.
On Wednesday, I participated in an exciting hands-on event at Dr. Izursa's aquaponics lab located by the greenhouses on the UMD College Park campus. There I supported an Aquaponics research tour for farmers and the advisory committee. It was a rewarding experience to support the tour while also learning from the informative presentations. The visitors were very interested, and Dr. Izursa's explanations of the systems, such as how the AC setup supports plant and fish life added a lot.
On Thursday, I went on a neighborhood walk with Neith Little and Rachele Franceschi, where we distributed bilingual flyers highlighting UMD Extension's support for urban and home food growers. We used satellite maps to find garden plots, explored new areas on foot, and formed meaningful community connections. Later that day, Neith and I went to a mushroom farm, which really impressed me. From a massive inoculation room, to pristine processing areas, and advanced storage, the whole facility exceeded my expectations. They are even producing freeze-dried mycelium powders using mushrooms such as Lion's Mane.
Even on July 4th, I spent some time teleworking to make progress on both the MAP project and the hydroponics fact sheet. Even though the internship is coming to an end, I'm looking forward to all of the upcoming projects and excursions I have planned with UMD Extension.
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| Tobacco Drying at Red Cedar Farm |
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| Ancestral Lands of Piscataway Park |
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| Aquaponics System at Dr. Izursa’s Lab |
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| Mushroom Storage Room in Baltimore, MD |
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| Climate-Controlled Mushroom Growth Tent |
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