Frostburg Grows is on a site that was formerly deep-mined and strip-mined for coal, used as a county dump, and most recently used to store FEMA trailers. Today, the site has been re-purposed and rejuvenated as a community-based, five-acre sustainability complex and training center.

1. YOUTH & MINE
RECLAMATION
Leveraging Innovative Partnerships in Appalachia
PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Conference 2017
Frostburg Grows
Community Stewards
A Program of Conservation Legacy

2. PARTNERSHIPSCASE STUDY
Frostburg Grows
OSMRE VISTA QUESTIONS
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AGENDA
Local Food and Sustainable
Development Partnerships
Systems of Solutions to address
Systemic problems

3. FROSTBURG GROWS
Frostburg Grows was formerly deep-mined and strip-
mined for coal, used as a county dump, and most recently
used to store FEMA trailers.
Since 2012, the Frostburg Grows site has been
repurposed and rejuvenated as a community-based, five-
acre sustainability complex, compost site and local food
production and training center.

4. FROSTBURG GROWS
Goals & Objectives
Local food production
Sustainable agriculture training center
Aiding food security
Renewable solar energy
Native tree nursery
Stormwater BMPs
Composting of City yard materials
...

5. FROSTBURG GROWS (FG)
Origin and early development
Paul Kazyak, Maryland DNR – brook trout, water quality
Heard of economic needs in Western MD
Created FG to do both
Acquiring the land
Building partnerships

6. Hoffman Tunnel flows in to Preston Run
and then to Braddock Run

7. WHY FROSTBURG GROWS?
Food Insecurity in Western Maryland
MD
US
12.5%
15% Households in the US (2010)
49 Million People with Food Insecurity
Average age of farmer – 58 years old
Median farm income – ($1453)/year (Loss, 2012)
Health challenges – obesity, diabetes, heart disease
Less than 1% of food grown locally
Need for jobs and economic revitalization
Johns Hopkins,
Center for a Livable Future

8. Sept 2010 Sept 2012 June 2013 Aug 2013 Jan 2014 Sept 2016
FROSTBURG GROWS
Project Timeline
July 2013 Fall 2013 Apr 2017

9. High tunnels great for season extension

10. FROSTBURG GROWS
Leveraging Relationships
*EPA
*American Rivers
*Appalachian Regional Commission
Western Maryland Resource Conservation &
Development Council (WMRC&D)
Frostburg State University
University of Maryland Extension
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Maryland State Highway Administration
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps VISTA
Maryland Conservation Corps
City of Frostburg
Allegany County
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Town Creek Foundation
Rural Maryland Council
Allegany Coal and Land, Will Jenkins
...

11. FROSTBURG GROWS
Leveraging Relationships
Chartwells (FSU Food Service)
Frostburg Summer Lunch Program
Garrett Growers
Local Restaurants

12. FROSTBURG GROWS
FSU and Faculty Partnerships
1898 – land for school bought by towns people, coal miners
2012 - University goals of sustainability, economic
development, experiential learning
Hands-on Experience
Outdoor Classroom
Exposure
Chance to Make Real Impact
Interaction & Participation
Creative & Complex
Assignments
Social Skills

13. FROSTBURG GROWS
Involving local students

14. FROSTBURG GROWS
Later Stages of Development
Sustainable Ag Training Program
University of Maryland Extension

15. High Tunnel Workshop

16. FROSTBURG GROWS
Later Stages of Development
Solar & Aquaculture Prep

17. Compost building construction

19. FROSTBURG GROWS
No well water – all irrigation from rain
Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant – Stormwater Collection
French drains rainwater collection system
40,000 gallon pond
Bank water in wet season, use in dry season

20. FROSTBURG GROWS
Major setbacks and issues
Blizzard of Jan. 2016 destroyed 4 high tunnels

21. FROSTBURG GROWS
Toward financial self-sufficiency
Potential income per high tunnel - $9,000
We have not yet achieved that
More challenging than growing on fertile
land with abundant water

22. FROSTBURG GROWS
OSMRE VISTA
Future of Frostburg
VISTA Roles
VISTA Goals at Frostburg

23. Kate
Amber
VISTA and AmeriCorps
Crucial to Frostburg Grows

24. First community high tunnel in our area
Raised beds are 3 ft by 25, 50 or 100 ft
Individuals, couples, organizations signed up
All plots spoken for and crops growing well!
Main grant and management – Corey Armstrong
Kate Livengood (VISTA) designed program
Agreement, policies for members
Irrigation and other systems on site
Wrote and won several grants, seed donations

25. Amber Haning (AmeriCorps)
Worked with high school to start seeds and
grow starter plants in heated school greenhouse
Developed and taught workshops on
eating well on SNAP benefits
Collects surplus food from farmers
markets and delivers to food bank
Assists with community garden and site
food production

26. FROSTBURG GROWS
Future and Lessons to Share
Year of evaluation – new advisory board
Pros, cons, feasibility after 5 years
Limitations as training center
Limitations for efficient food production
Key strengths of the mine site
Potential for reclamation – soil formation
Lessons learned – food production on mine site

28. Partnership with OSMRE and AmeriCorps VISTA
COMMUNITY STEWARDS
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Broadband, Water Systems, Housing,
Energy Savings
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Agrotourism, Ecotourism, Recreational
Tourism, Skills Training, Trail Building
CULTURAL & NATURAL ASSETS
Watershed Restoration, Mine Reclamation,
Brownfields
Adrian Uzunian and Kaitlin Foley

29. WHO WE ARE
Conservation Legacy
Community Stewards
BRIDGE Network
Environmental Stewards
Organizational Structure

30. WHO WE ARE
DOI/VISTA
Department of the Interior
+
AmeriCorps VISTA
TCU/VISTA
Tribal College Universities
+
AmeriCorps VISTA
OSMRE/VISTA
Office of Surface Mining,
Reclamation and Enforcement
+
AmeriCorps VISTA
Community Stewards’ Partnerships

31. MISSION
VISTAs promote environmental
stewardship in at-risk
ecosystems.
Environmental Stewardship
VISTAs support community
supported agriculture, health,
and nutrition education.
Healthy Futures
VISTAs support community
revitalization through economic
redevelopment projects.
Economic Opportunity
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Connecting passionate people to
preserve environments & strengthen communities.

32. QUESTIONS?

33. Develop
Economic
Opportunities
Restore
Healthy
Environments
Build
Local Capacity
Innovate
Sustainable
Solutions
Grow
Community
Involvement
Empower
Local Leaders
B R I D G E
Bridging Partnerships through Community Stewards.
BRIDGE Network

34. WHAT WE DO
BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY
Strengthen partnering organizations and promote their stability and success. Leave a legacy
of long-term improvement in the places and organization where Stewards serve and work.

35. WHAT WE DO
RESTORE ENVIRONMENTS
Take action to alleviate environmental damage and protect environmental resources.
Connect people to nature and raise awareness of its importance to human health.

36. WHAT WE DO
INNOVATE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
Provide a fresh perspective to organizational challenges and foster creative solutions.
Collaborate with peer groups that share relevant resources to address common obstacles.

37. WHAT WE DO
DEVELOP ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Develop opportunities through community-based economic
development, job-skills training, and volunteer service events.

38. WHAT WE DO
GROW COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Grow support for our partnering organizations by involving local people in their work.
Increase meaningful engagement with representative community members.

39. WHAT WE DO
EMPOWER LOCAL LEADERS
Encourage skills training, professional networking, and personal growth for
Stewards, community members, and organizational partners.
.

40. The OSMRE/VISTA Teams represent a partnership between the US
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement and AmeriCorps
VISTA. The Team places full-time volunteers with organizations
dedicated to addressing environmental and economic impacts in
communities affected by pre-regulatory mining.
OUR PARTNERSHIPS
OSMRE VISTA