Farm Spotlight: Summers Farm in Frederick, Maryland

Five Fun Activities at Summers Farm

One way to live a green life is to appreciate local, natural beauty.  What better way to accomplish that goal this season than to visit a farm?  Perfect destinations for the fall, many farms feature animals, produce, foliage, and more.

For this farm spotlight, the Grady's GreenLiving Tips team features Summers Farm in Frederick, Maryland.  Only 15 minutes from Downtown Frederick, several of the great features of Summers Farm include:

1) Pumpkin Patch: The Summers Farm team operates a wagon ride to their pumpkin patch when the farm is open to the public.  The pumpkin patch contains pumpkins of all shapes and sizes along with gourds and squash.  Those who pick pumpkins pay by the pound to take the produce home. 

2) Corn Maze: A staple of Summers farm is the 12 acre corn maze.  The theme of the maze this year is the Washington Nationals baseball team.  The maze contains two trails: one designed to be a leisurely walk and the other with many dead ends and roadblocks throughout. 

3) Farm Animals and Goat Walk: When the farm is open to the public, the Summers Farm team showcases the many animals that live there.  One feature is the "Goat Walk", an interactive exhibit in which visitors can pay for goat food and use a pulley system to deliver the food to the goats on the above ground platforms they walk during the day.  Cows, pigs, and chickens also live on the farm. 

Three Steps to Make a Recycled Fall Ghost

Five Green Ideas for Old Books

Transform Books Into Decor, Art, Projects, and More

With the fall season beginning in just a few days, it is time to plan for seasonal activities and events!  Trips to pumpkin patches and haunted houses are always fun, but some days, it is just as enticing to curl up at home with a good book.  

For voracious readers, with stacks of novels at home, it may be a good time to comb through bookshelves and decide if any books are no longer needed.  Instead of throwing unused and unwanted books away, books can be "upcycled" and/ or re-purposed in creative, and green, ways.  Learn some methods for "recycling" books here:

1. Donate books to a new home: A great way to "recycle" old books is to donate them!  Many organizations, like non profit organizations/ charities, accept gently used books.  In addition, local libraries often accept book donations.  In the Montgomery County Public Library system, many branches accept book donations.  Learn more about MCPL here. 

2. Identify academic texts and old school books: Academic books like old course books can also be donated or even sold.  Sometimes, universities will buy back old academic texts.  In addition, local school systems will sometimes accept donations of gently used textbooks and academic texts.

3. Start a book swap with friends: While this method will not help in an effort to get rid of excess books, this is a great way to connect with friends both near and far and experience new novels and texts.  Contact friends, coworkers, and acquaintances to form a book swap, and send books to each member on a monthly (or routine) basis.  

Car Free Day 2018: Reminders About This Green Holiday

Car Free Day is September 21 and September 22 This Year

Celebrating green holidays is a great way to promote a green and eco-friendly life.  One upcoming green holiday is Car Free Day that will be celebrated on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22 this year.  Car Free Day, sponsored by Commuter Connections, encourages participants to find alternatives for the car in order to commute to work.

What are several ways to celebrate Car Free Day?  Learn three possible methods below:

1) Bike: Biking is a great way to commute to work or travel.  Biking is a sustainable and eco-friendly way to travel and, in many cases, is just as reliable as cars and other traditional vehicles.

2) Carpool: Though not, exactly, car free, carpooling is a great way to commute to work that simultaneously reduces the amount of vehicles on the road.  Less vehicles on the road (one of the main goals of Car Free Day) reduces the amount of pollution that is released in the air and environment.