July 2022. This summer at Anchored Roots Farm, we had the opportunity of hosting 9 wonderful young ladies from Austria for a day. They are here for a month as part of an internship with HBLA Elmberg! Their host farm is at the beautiful Woodlawn and Jubilee Farm.
In Austria, they have high school programs that allow children to explore specialized career paths. They learn real life skills through hands-on internships, and get the opportunity to travel around the world. I love this model of teaching and believe it is these experiences that can shape the future for children.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to study agriculture in Poland, where the farmers were such great hosts and I learned so much in a short amount of time. And I said if ever I get the opportunity, I would love to host people here on our farm to learn about growing flowers.
So when the opportunity arose I jumped right to it! We started the morning with a tour of the farm and talked about our 4 seasons here in Maryland and how the flowers change over the 32 week season.
Then we did some harvesting of sunflowers, zinnias, hydrangea, cosmos, and other bright colorful summer flowers.
After, we headed to the shop to learn the art of designing flower arrangements. We learned tips and tricks to making centerpieces based on the theme of the event. The ladies each got to make 3 arrangements themselves that then went on to be showcased at a farm festival that evening at Serenity Farms in Hughesville, MD.
The centerpieces were for the Buy Local Challenge lead by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission.
The day wouldn't have gone as smoothly if it weren't for the help of Madeline and Mary Ellen, helpers here on the farm. Fun fact, Madeline, was born in Czech Republic, just north over the boarder of Linz, Austria. A big world, yet a small world all the same.
We wanted to show the girls the full experience of our farm, from harvest to vase, and hopefully they will visit again one day if they are ever in the Washington D.C. area. We love to providing fresh flowers to the community, but also educational experiences like these.
Next up, we are hosting a kids yoga camp! Learn more about our cut flower farm in Hollywood, Maryland at www.anchoredrootsfarm.com
