Maryland Public Television’s (MPT) original series Maryland Farm & Harvest, now in its 11th season, will feature farms and locations in Howard County, Prince George’s County, and Baltimore City during an episode premiering on Tuesday, January 23. A preview of the episode can be found on the series’ webpage at mpt.org/farm.
Maryland Farm & Harvest airs on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on MPT-HD and online at mpt.org/livestream. Episodes are also available to view on the free PBS App and MPT’s online video player following their broadcast premiere. Encore broadcasts air on MPT-HD on Thursdays at 11 p.m. and on Sundays at 6 a.m. Episodes also air on MPT2/Create® on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
The popular weekly series takes viewers on a journey across the Free State, telling engaging and enlightening stories about the farms, people, and technology required to sustain and grow agriculture in Maryland, the state’s number one commercial industry.
Joanne Clendining, who has earned two regional Emmy® awards for her work on Maryland Farm & Harvest, serves as series host. She is joined during the season by Al Spoler, host of “The Local Buy” segments, and by a rotation of local chefs who each take a turn hosting a new segment called “Farm to Skillet,” during which viewers are led through the process of finding, preparing, and presenting the locally produced ingredients that make up some of the chefs’ favorite dishes.
With introductions filmed at the Basil Harding Farmstead – part of the Peace and Plenty Rural Historic District in Frederick County – the January 23 episode features the following segments:
- Clagett Farm (Prince George’s County). Sediment runoff contributes to high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay, which diminishes water quality and threatens to kill many of the 3,600 different species of plants and animals that call the bay home. Visiting Clagett Farm, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s research farm in Upper Marlboro, viewers discover the regenerative agriculture techniques used on the farm and learn how these techniques improve soil health, water conditions, and food quality both on land and in the bay.
- Heron’s Meadow Farm (Howard County). Tea is the most popular beverage in the world, with more than 3.5 billion cups of tea consumed each day. Despite the beverage’s prevalence in the area, Heron’s Meadow Farm in Woodbine is Maryland’s first and only tea growing farm. Viewers join farmers Lori and Bob Baker as the couple harvests Camellia Sinensis – the plant from which all tea is derived – and gain insight into the unique challenges of tea farming in the state. Despite many trials and errors over the years, the farmers are optimistic they can get over the hump and usher in a future when tea in Maryland isn’t just brewing but is also booming.
- The Local Buy: Swagger Sauce (Baltimore City). In the latest installment of “The Local Buy,” Al heads to Gwynns Falls to pick peppers with Joe Panella, owner of Ellicott City Sauce Co. Joe has spent years building a small parcel of land into one of the hottest spots in Baltimore. As Al picks a peck of piping hot peppers, Joe provides a lesson in proper pepper preparation. To save Al’s palette – which Al admits is “as sensitive as a baby’s bottom” – Joe prescribes a recipe that starts with Jalapeños and Chesapeake seasoning before adding the really hot stuff: red savinos, ghost peppers, and Carolina reapers – each of which have spent time as the hottest pepper on earth. Al’s tasting of the final batch left him gasping for air and pleading for pineapple. Additional information about Joe’s “swagger sauce” will be available at mpt.org/farm.
Nearly 16 million viewers have watched Maryland Farm & Harvest on MPT since its debut in 2013. The series has traveled to nearly 450 farms, fisheries, and other agriculture-related locations during its first 10 seasons, covering every Maryland county, as well as Baltimore City and Washington, D.C.
Past episodes can be viewed at video.mpt.tv/show/maryland-farm-harvest/, while episode segments are available on the series’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/MarylandFarmHarvest/featured. Engage with the show on social media @MarylandFarmHarvest on Facebook and @mdfarmtv on Instagram.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture is MPT’s co-production partner for Maryland Farm & Harvest. Major funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board.
Additional funding is provided by Maryland’s Best; a grant from the Rural Maryland Council Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund; Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO); a grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Program; Farm Credit; Maryland Soybean Board; Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts; Wegmans Food Markets; Maryland Nursery, Landscape & Greenhouse Association; Maryland Farm Bureau; The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment; and a contribution made by the Citizens of Baltimore County. Other support comes from the Mar-Del Watermelon Association and Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation.
SYNOPSIS OF JAN. 23 EPISODE:
Discover how Clagett Farm in Prince George’s County is working to bring about better food on land and healthier water in the Chesapeake Bay. At Heron’s Meadow Farm in Howard County, visit Maryland’s first and only tea farm, home to experimental blends not found anywhere else. In “The Local Buy,” pick a peck of piping hot peppers and brew a Chesapeake-style hot sauce with Al Spoler at the Ellicott City Sauce Co.
About Maryland Public Television
Maryland Public Television (MPT) is a statewide, public-supported TV network and Public Broadcasting Service member offering entertaining, educational, and inspiring content delivered by traditional broadcasting and streaming on TVs, computers, and mobile devices. A state agency, it operates under the auspices of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission. MPT creates and distributes local, regional, and national content and is a frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards. MPT’s commitment to educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through instructional events and Thinkport.org. MPT’s year-round community engagement activities connect viewers with resources on a wide range of topics. For more information visit mpt.org.
