* HOST: From up in the tree tops Maryland agriculture is Did you know that our state every 17 years?

That a new generation of farmers And that pickling isn't the Don't go anywhere.

Stories about the people who on Maryland Farm & Harvest .

ANNOUNCER: Major funding for is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Investing in smarter farming and affordable food, feed, Additional funding Maryland's Best: Good for You, Rural Maryland Council, for rural Maryland... MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: and Rural America... Brought to you in part by from the Cornell Douglas The Maryland Soybean Board Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, The Maryland Association of And by...

The Maryland Nursery Landscape The Maryland Seafood The Maryland Farm Bureau The Keith Campbell Foundation And by... Closed Captioning has been made empowering those who are deaf, or speech disabled to stay * HOST: We're at Hoober a farm equipment dealer And this giant machine is which a farmer uses to and mix leftover crop residue Hi, I'm Joanne Clendining.

And this is Coming up in today's show, break new ground while honoring And with all this talk of there's a good chance that you saw one of the millions of out of the ground in the And while these unusual bugs the reactions to their * You may not realize it, a community of creatures has for almost two decades, slowly maturing and waiting to They're the Brood X And in the spring of 2021, emerged from the soil for the And as University of Maryland explains it's quite a dramatic PAULA SHREWSBURY: They've And as soon as they emerge, some type of vertical structure.

They then will shed their their exoskeleton.

And the adult cicada When it first emerges, Then, within an hour or two, JOANNE: While, of periodic visitors to be it's safe to say that Paula PAULA: I love cicadas.

I'm an entomologist in general, But cicadas because they are and their ecology.

JOANNE: And she's not [rooster crowing] Here at Playtime Pastures farmer Jamie Condon's' enjoy snacking on these JAMIE: So, coming out of the ground, that the chickens knew where to So, they would come out of the run to some of our biggest trees to come up out of the ground, pluck them right out of the got the chance to adventure JOANNE: And the extra protein has not only been beneficial but to the farm as well.

JAMIE: What it is doing chicken feed bill.

Because chickens are out that they would much prefer the chicken scratch that And so, it's actually [cicada sounds] JOANNE: But the cicadas aren't working in agriculture.

While, they're harmless grain and produce, they can here at Ruppert Nurseries PAULA: So in general, the egg laying of the females Large trees will get die back They will recover.

It's the smaller, newly so much damage that they will of the females.

JOANNE: In early June, with Paula and Ruppert's farm Nick Graves, the cicadas could cause PAULA: Well, kind of outstretching branches, And we definitely have a lot with the dogwoods.

NICK GRAVES: Yep.

PAULA: Look at all the cicadas.

Just hanging out on the trees, Usually... NICK: There is some over...

Position right there.

PAULA: She's already been busy.

Yep, you can see the little So each slit is referred And in an egg nest, the female In her lifetime, NICK: There's some more A lot more damage over here.

JOANNE: After the eggs hatch, will burrow into the soil While, homeowners can protect that would be too costly for the Instead, they'll have to NICK: Typically, when we plant we will prune them almost We decided this year not And just maybe let the cicadas probably pruned off.

And then, we'll come in the damage.

Hoping that they didn't damage JOANNE: Four weeks later, And the cicadas have But reminders of their short of the trees.

NICK: From what we can tell, about 30 to 40% of Some of the smaller trees had not a ton.

And some of our larger trees, There's a good amount of damage.

But it all seems, to be able to be salvaged.

JOANNE: That means a lot of And while the chickens and bug to see them go, to worry about the cicadas NICK: They were a welcome distraction They definitely did do some a little bit more work.

And may set a few of our You know, But I'm happy they're gone.

And maybe in 17 years, JOANNE: We visited Ruppert That time, they were to the Maryland Zoo.

To watch that story and others, And did you know?

Birds aren't the only ones Fish, moles, and even humans All right.

It's time to test your Here is our thingamajig Do you think you Here's a hint.

It's not a bird feeder.

Stay tuned and we'll have the Since farmers spend every day cicadas aren't the only animals We asked them to send their best page.

And this is what they shared.

* For some, the history of can be a painful subject, of oppression and abuse.

But one group is working hard in this story by empowering to their agricultural roots.

* GAIL TAYLOR: is on a really hard day, and I can weed for an hour.

And I stand up and I can see And I don't have to worry about to make the world a better I can just head down, and see that I did something.

JOANNE: Farmers often in terms of generations.

You might meet a 10th generation has been working the same land Or a first-generation veggie is a second career.

GAIL: Oh, we haven't done JOANNE: of Three Part Harmony Farm uses the word "generation" GAIL: I call myself a return which is sort of like a nod my paternal grandfather, in my family to work on a farm.

His family were sharecroppers And when he was in his he took the Greyhound north JOANNE: Gale's grandfather was of some six million who between the 1910s and agricultural jobs in in search of better in the industrial cities A movement known as the GAIL: As a granddaughter calling what I do being part of a mental reminder that not only part of it for me is like to the land.

JOANNE: Since 2015, Gail has here among rows of carrots she leases in Northeast, DC.

Prior to that, she worked at And in 2014, she joined forces farmers, agrarians, scientists, the Black Dirt Farm Collective.

JOELLE ROBINSON OGHOGHO: We're a bunch of folks who around agrarianism back to the land.

Particularly connecting JOANNE: Thereby, helping to that for many Black Americans GAIL: First, we were in bondage.

And then, we're kicked to the sharecropping system that Now, here we are, for the most part and landless.

JOANNE: According to the of the 3.4 million farmers only about 45,000 are Black.

That's just 1.3%.

But a century ago, Shareefah Williams is for the National Agricultural the organization responsible SHAREEFAH WILLIAMS: The earliest Black farmers in the U.S. That census reported about in the U.S.

If we fast forward to the 1920s, we had about 950,000 JOANNE: That was the peak of But it didn't last long.

SHAREEFAH: After the 1920s, a gradual decline of And then, you have this dropped.

Black farmers operated about Right now, we're sitting So, you're looking at almost a 90 percent decline in that Black farmers operated JOANNE: Although, also decrease during it only dropped by about So what happened?

The Great Migration is one piece Black farmers leaving the land opportunities.

And to distance themselves JOELLE: Our perspective is that disconnect from the land that has happened on the land due to sharecropping, due to that has happened on the land.

JOANNE: But there were other Lone discrimination by the USDA out of business by making it necessary farm equipment, And lack of access to legal meant that when Black farmers their land was often sold between heirs rather than the These and other factors mean Black operated farms account for U.S. farmland.

But returning generation farmers things around, GAIL: Land is power And yeah, of course, one of the most important things JOANNE: Which is why in 2021, collectively purchased here in Prince George's County.

JOELLE: It's about 24 acres.

Some cleared and some wooded.

And this is essentially what our home base.

A place where members can have their workshops, where we can have different JOANNE: For now, the property for the occasional event.

And this morning to hand-off a Black farmer in Georgia to farmer's market.

GAIL: That's what we're Trying to figure out how to not from my farm distributed But also how to open up that in the south.

JOANNE: But in the years to come to transform this blank slate their own.

XAVIER BROWN: We're trying to we want to dig a well.

We need a well out here.

The grove would probably in this direction.

We're thinking, So, we just like slowly But I guess we've jumped over that we have, the space.

JOANNE: A place where they and redefine their own And hopefully help others JOELLE: Everything that we do, at the root of it If it's a housing issue.

If it's a food justice issue.

I think that at the root of many to connect to land and access and utilize land, JOANNE: A lot of Maryland in greenhouses and high tunnels.

But do you ever wonder where to grow food indoors?

Let's look back at the history * JOANNE: A cucumber a day or so thought Roman emperor who had primitive greenhouses vegetable throughout the year.

But it was the orange that In the 17th century, entire greenhouses to shelter during the winter.

They call these buildings Orangeries caught on in In fact, what is believed to be in the US is located The Wye House orangery was It once housed over 100 like waterlilies, blueberries, Most greenhouses remained until 1948.

That's when Emery Myers Emmert, at the University of Kentucky, in place of the traditional Plastic brought down the And their use in commercial food Today's greenhouses use temperature controls and the perfect outdoor growing You'll find things like and cucumbers growing inside.

Emperor Tiberius would be proud.

Some picky eaters may not But it's worth giving this Al Spoler has discovered a beet even the pickiest eaters pick up * RYAN KALIVRETENOS: I feel it's sort of a service to as many nutritious vegetables to feed people high quality AL SPOLER: It looks like Ryan Kalivretenos and his crew It's been a really busy morning in Montgomery County.

They've been harvesting just you can think of.

And it all looks really good.

And I understand that next is one of my all-time favorites, RYAN: Beets were one of I really wanted to master.

On our first year, We just couldn't make it work.

And that was 2018.

AL: But since then, Ryan digging deep and getting down to the art of growing beets here in Derwood.

RYAN: We have perfect yield to And there's 264 beets in a row.

So, you're looking at probably AL: Of course, most people deep reddish purple beets.

But check this out.

They also grow in a variety RYAN: So, this is the Chioggia This is the red beet.

The variety is called "Boro."

And then, this is the gold beet.

The variety is called And the gold beets can be and little less earthy than the AL: Beets get the color from The amount and types of pigment of the hues.

These vibrant and eye-catching even to those who are hesitant RYAN: You know, So, if we have a really people are going to want to And I think, there's maybe if it looks really nice.

Maybe you know that it's AL: And beets offer a rainbow They're packed with a healthy immune system.

RYAN: This combination here is but appealing to the body.

Because each of these is going mineral makeup, because the different minerals.

AL: It's safe to say of not only cultivating, RYAN: Beets are really good They have a lot of iron.

I think, they're delicious.

I love the earthy flavor.

AL: But before we enjoy let's get these freshly This is the washing station.

And this is part of the ready to go to market I really think, they're bundling these beets.

They've got all three varieties And I have to admit that until I was only familiar with the So, I'm really eager to see involving all these other beets.

I bet it's really delicious.

Cristin, it must be high season Look what you've made for us.

CRISTIN COOP: Yes, all of these from Common Root Farm.

I get all kinds of vegetables year round.

But I'm so excited about the they're color is just stunning.

AL: Well, I can't get over It's really, really incredible.

Did you use all three varieties?

CRISTIN: I put in the Boro beet And then, also, which is the candy cane stripe So, all three are in this soup.

AL: Now, what kind of seasoning like this?

CRISTIN: The primary seasoning of cayenne.

AL: Mm, this is outstanding.

It really is delicious.

I get that little kick of heat.

What we'd like to do is put at mpt.org/farm, For the Local Buy, Joanne.

JOANNE: Thanks, Al.

Be sure to check out to get all our And you can watch full episodes Also, don't forget to for show updates, pictures, Now, hold on.

We're not done yet.

Remember our thingamajig?

Did you guess it?

Our hint was that it's not This is a carpenter bee trap.

While, carpenter bees can also by chewing through the boards.

When hung outside a barn, and fall into the bottle where This stops them from hurting the or sprays.

Congratulations, Join us next week for another along with more stories about who feed our state.

I'm Joanne Clendining, Closed Captioning has been made empowering those with to stay connected.

* ANNOUNCER: Major funding for is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Investing in smarter farming and affordable food, feed, Additional funding Maryland's Best: Good for You, Rural Maryland Council, for rural Maryland.

MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: and Rural America... Brought to you in part by from the Cornell Douglas The Maryland Soybean Board Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, The Maryland Association of and by the Maryland and Greenhouse Association...

The Maryland Seafood The Maryland Farm Bureau The Keith Campbell Foundation And by... *