THE GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE

RAIN OR SHINE…WE PULL AND DINE!
The Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway, Inc. and Patapsco Valley State Park are co-sponsoring the 9th annual Garlic Mustard Challenge. For the past eight years, families, boy scouts, girl scouts, church groups, community and civic organizations, businesses, school groups, groups of friends and individuals have pulled out an amazing 8,755 pounds of invasive garlic mustard weeds from Patapsco State Park. This family-oriented event involves "challenges" from volunteers of all ages pulling out garlic mustard weeds from the park, as well as the popular and tasty amateur chef contests. This year's Garlic Mustard Challenge will be held on Sunday, May 4, from 1-4:30 pm at the Avalon/Glen Artney Area of the Patapsco Valley State Park in Pavilion 66, in Halethorpe off US Route 1 at 5120 South Street, Halethorpe, MD 21227.

This year the annual kickoff of our "Villain of the Valley Poster Contest" will be introduced, with the winner receiving their choice of a $50 gift certificate from Toys-R-Us or a $100 savings bond. In an effort to further expand education of this invasive plant, in partnership with the Lazarus Foundation, the first place winner will also receive a computer to be donated to their school or non-profit of their choice. Garlic mustard is a rapidly spreading invasive plant, spreading throughout the Patapsco Valley, blocking out native plants (more details will follow in a future press release).

WEED PULLING CONTEST
Volunteers reap their rewards after spending two hours pulling out as much of the garlic mustard weed throughout the park as possible. For volunteers who enter the "challenge," winners are selected based on the total weight of garlic mustard pulled per group. Prizes donated by members and local businesses are awarded to all challenge participants. Pre-registration and a $5 entry fee per group are required. Both pre-registered contestants and volunteers are later rewarded with several fun-filled, family-oriented events, including:

- Live music by well-known local guitarist and singer, Sam   "Muleman" Miller
- Scavenger nature hunt
- Demonstrators holding live protected birds and snakes from the   Tails and Scales Program
- Local history experts who can answer your questions about the   Patapsco Valley
- Old fashioned games including pillowcase races, egg toss,   wheelbarrow races, the limbo, and more!
- Kid-friendly environmental exhibits, including Patapsco State Park   artifacts, a community storm water run-off model, invasive plants,   rain barrel demonstration, composting, trees and forestry   information, samples of live insects and critters found in clean   streams & rivers and more!
- And later…free sampling of delicious gourmet dishes prepared by   local amateur chefs

COOKING CONTEST
Adult and children amateur chefs from the Baltimore Washington area are invited to participate in the Garlic Mustard Chef Challenge. Categories include: amateur youth chef and amateur adult chef.
The winning adult chef will receive their choice of either a free group ghost tour of historic Ellicott City for up to 25 guests or a complimentary gift certificate from a distinguished restaurant in the Patapsco Valley. The winning child chef winner will receive the prize of their choice among all the prizes displayed at the prize table and a computer for their school or non-profit organization of their choice, courtesy of the Lazarus Foundation. All chef contestants receive a prize. A team of judges will rate each dish for its taste, appearance and originality.

COOKING CONTEST RULES (all entries must follow these criteria):
1. Recipes must use garlic mustard. All contestants must have a recipe to accompany the dish, listing all the ingredients in their recipe. Recipe format includes:

- Name of recipe
- Time required to prepare recipe
- Servings
- Directions on preheating oven
- Directions
- Name of Chef

2. Entries will be judged based on taste, appearance and originality.
3. Entrants are asked to prepare enough of their dish to serve 10 people.
4. Entrants are asked to bring their entry in a disposable container.
5. Entry fee: $5 per entry.
6. Prizes will be delivered no later than May 30. All chef participants will receive their choice of merchandise and gift certificates from local merchants
7. The Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway, Inc. will have the right to publish the recipes, with credit given, for educational and promotional purposes.

Don't have any idea on what kind of dishes you can make with the garlic mustard herb? Check out past award-winning recipes at Garlic Mustard Recipes (58 kB Word file).

VILLAIN OF THE VALLEY POSTER CONTEST
All entries must be dropped off at participating schools or one of the following public library branches (in the kids section of the library): Elkridge, Miller (Ellicott City) or Catonsville by Friday, May 2 or bring with them to the Garlic Mustard Challenge on Sunday, May 4, Pavilion 66 by 2 pm. Posters will be judged at the Garlic Mustard Challenge on Sunday, May 4 and prizes will be delivered by May 30. Winning poster will be selected based on the poster with the most appealing drawings and concise wording which explains why this invasive plant must be removed.

POSTER CONTEST RULES:
1. Open to children 12 and under.
2. One entry per participant.
3. Full name, school, grade, age of artist, and daytime phone number of the artist's parent or guardian must appear on the back of the poster.
4. Poster should be approximately 22" x 28." And the following must appear somewhere on the poster: the words "Garlic Mustard: Villain of the Valley," picture of the garlic mustard plant; picture of a person(s) pulling out the garlic mustard; and using a picture or words, show how this invasive plant hurts our forests.
5. All entries must be dropped off at participating schools or one of the following public library branches (in the kids section of the library): Elkridge, Miller (Ellicott City) or Catonsville by Friday, May 2 or bring with them to the Garlic Mustard Challenge on Sunday, May 4, Pavilion 66 by 2 pm..
6. Posters will be judged at the Garlic Mustard Challenge on Sunday, May 4 and prizes will be delivered by May 30.

Posters are the property of the Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway, Inc., which is the sponsor of this event. Selected posters will be displayed at local public libraries and other locations as selected. For more information on this contest or how to participate, contact Betsy McMillion at (410) 480-0824, or e-mail patapscofriend@gmail.com.

Pre-registration is required by Friday, May 2, 2008 to receive free entry into park. For more information or registration, call 410-480-0824 or e-mail patapscofriend@gmail.com. Participants need to arrive by 12:30 pm to participate in the weed pulling challenge.

The Friends of Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway, Inc. is a non-profit membership organization that treasures the Patapsco Valley and is working to preserve, protect and interpret its historic, natural and cultural resources. This program, in partnership with Patapsco State Park, has been funded in part through a grant from Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, ALMANAC sponsors and donations from members and local businesses. Directions: Entrance to the Avalon area of the park is located off of US 1 (north of Route 100 and just south of Route 195) at 5120 South Street, Halethorpe, MD 21227. . Rain or shine, we pull and dine!

2007 Garlic Mustard Almanac (4.9 MB pdf file)


To see additional photos of volunteers click here to go to photo album.