Madison Thayer- Week 7

 Week 7 was a bit of a shorter week for me, as I was in North Carolina for the first part of the week to move into my new apartment. My current lease ends this month, so I had a very quick turnaround to get out of my old apartment and into the new one. However, it was nice to move in early, as I was able to avoid most of the traffic and congestion that typically occurs on move-in weekend. On Wednesday, I was glad to return to a much cooler work environment. This served as a bit of a catch-up day for me in the office. I reviewed the Weekly Connection that I had missed and sat in on our second-to-last Master Gardener Training Session. This week focused on vermicomposting and growing garlic and turmeric. In the afternoon on Wednesday, I worked on organizing some of the passes for our fair exhibitors. The Allegany County fair is a week away, and I am now realizing how much prep work goes into running a county fair. There are so many small details that go into preparing for fair week, and I am sure that I will gain even more insights this week. 

An image from the Kitzmiller library before our firefly event. 

    On Thursday, I worked out of the Garrett County office. Izzy and I assisted with a summer reading club program in Kitzmiller. Here, we taught kids about fireflies and created puddling stations with them. The kids enjoyed learning about how fireflies glow and the various ways to support firefly habitats. Then, we headed back to the office for a Master Gardener transplanting lesson. I also worked on reviewing a financial guide for farmers that one of my colleagues had assigned to me. I am reviewing this document for any grammatical errors or confusing sections.

Izzy and I making puddling stations with the library program! This was an activity that the kids really enjoyed, as they got to play with dirt and rocks. They also got to take their puddling stations home to set up outside. 

My week ended with a farmers' market at Frostburg. A Master Gardener volunteer, my mentor, and I set up a table for the market to share our programs and resources. We also had an activity where children could design their own gardens and plant various fruits and vegetables in different sections. In the afternoon, I continued to review the financial plan document. This guide is about 200 pages, so it will take me a while to get through, but I have made good progress so far. I can't believe that we are already approaching our 8th week of this internship, and I am excited for the busy weeks ahead!

A Master Gardener volunteer and I at the Frostburg Farmers' Market. This event is great for reaching out to the community and sharing our upcoming programs!