When Tom Wisner, the Chesapeake Bay 'Bard' died in April 2010, he'd already given us living treasures: dozens of recorded Chesapeake songs, stories and radio shows. Now, Sara Ebenreck Leeland, co-founder and partner with Tom in the Chestory (Center for the Chesapeake Story) project, has published a book that collects Tom's written reflections on the powerful insights that guided his work. Gather 'round Chesapeake: Tom Wisner's Vision is a collection of Wisner's writing, from short celebratory poems to analysis of how our cultural ways of thinking about 'nature' results in the destruction of our waters-and what an alternative 'Come Full Circle' way of living might be like. 

       A few entries, like the 'Wade-in poem' are familiar to those who knew Tom Wisner, but Tom's writing about his own creative process, his sketching of a personal Chesapeake mythology, his reflections on connecting art to the sciences in education, his 4-page imagining of riding a blue heron's back on the journey from Texas to the Nanjemoy rookery, and over a hundred other pages of writing-are all new. Leeland searched 30 years of Wisner's journals and other notes, lengthy records of e-mail correspondence and other unpublished writing. The result is both visionary and simple.

       "Thanks to water for its grace,

         For singing on the roof when it rains"

         "Spiritual learning comes backwards.

           You begin mostly in the dark,

           choosing paths from impulse

           by following your heart.

           Then, much later, truths begin to emerge,

           ...and you learn why you did those things."          

Tom Wisner's drawings and photos appear here to complement the text. Photos of Tom by Pennsylvania photographer Margo Coffin Groff deepen the sense of Tom's presence in his words. Introductions are by Sara E. Leeland.  The book is available from Chestory, The Center for the Chesapeake Story and the following websites. 

                   www.chestory.org

                   www.amazon.com

                   www.saraleelandbooks.net

                   and selected Chesapeake bookstores.

ISBN 978-1461191803

140 pages, b/w, 65 illustrations with color cover

In the works are:

             a songbook of Tom Wisner's songs for children

             a songbook of additional Tom Wisner songs

             a digital-archive of Wisner's regional stories & songs

For more information, contact: Chestory@gmail.com

Adopt a Garden Box & Pathway Project!

September 2011 Schedule

Greenbelt West Garden: Springhill Lake Recreation Center (6101 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt MD 20770) 

Greenbelt Center Garden: Greenbelt Community Center          (15 Crescent Rd, Greenbelt MD 20770)

Wild Meadows Farm 

Seed Garlic for Sale!  

We had a good garlic harvest 

this past July. After curing and cleaning, it's ready to be planted in the fall for summer 2012 harvest. The pricing is $10 for 8 oz and $18 for 16 oz. We have the following varieties: 

We acquired this seed from 

our friend Gary Lambert. He has been growing this garlic organically for many years. It is a hardneck with red skin, large cloves and excellent flavor.

This one does very well in our region. Very winter-hardy. Large cloves with a purplish blush, 6 to 8 per bulb. Very strong flavor when raw, which mellows when cooked. 

Inchelium Red

Hailing from the Colville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, Washington, this garlic is a large and beautiful artichoke variety. The dense bulb, can have anywhere from 9-20 cloves and an outer bulb wrapper that is thick for the purpose of protecting the bulb. The flavor of the Inchelium Red is softly robust but not so strong as to be overwhelming; the flavor often sharpens in storage (description from slowfoodusa website).

Georgian Crystal is a large and beautiful porcelain garlic with delightfully robust flavor but not very much hotness. If you want a richly flavored, long storing Porcelain that won't burn you out, this one's for you. From a growers perspective, it is a large and healthy garlic to grow and appears to be relatively resistant to most of the diseases that can affect garlic. It originated in the Republic of Georgia, the former Soviet republic between the Black and Caspian Seas. An excellent garlic for raw eating and in pesto, salsa, etc. (from gourmetgarlic growers website).