Support ACLT & Local Agri-Businesses … and have some summer fun too!
News Release, American Chestnut Land Trust
For the entire month of August through Labor Day, the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) is partnering with nine breweries and wineries in and nearby Calvert County for a fundraiser that emphasizes the need to support local agriculture-based businesses. All the businesses are locally owned; most, if not all, use local ingredients; and several of the participating wineries are located on permanently preserved agricultural land.
Part of ACLT’s mission is to promote land conservation and preservation throughout Southern Maryland and to “connect people to the land”. This event does just that. Supporting these local agriculture-based businesses is important now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on most local businesses, many of whom will not survive. It is important that we show our support and help them get through this crisis.
The “buy local movement” is a trend that is really taking hold and (hopefully) is here to stay. The advantages of buying local food also apply to beer and wine. Buying from local farmers and businesses that use local products is good for the local economy and good for the planet – consumers are getting fresher products that have traveled much shorter distances, while cutting down on the pollution and inefficient use of fossil fuels created by long-distance shipping. In addition, this event encourages participants to buy directly from the breweries and wineries, which gives the businesses a better return on their products.
The event is simple: participants will visit local breweries and wineries where they will enjoy discounts on beer and wine and have their “passport” stamped for the chance to win prizes at the end of the 5-week period. (The more places they visit and/or purchase beer and wine from, the greater their chances are of winning a prize.)
Those who are concerned about visiting the venues in person can purchase their beer and wine to-go or from local liquor stores and restaurants. Two of the participating breweries (Greenspring and Gypsy) are delivery-only. For at-home participants, they simply need to send us a picture of themselves enjoying the local beer or wine to get credit.
As an added bonus for participants, two local artists will perform private concerts in the event’s Facebook Group via Facebook Live.
One of the performers, “Longman” Joseph Norris, is a St. Mary’s County native, and well known in Southern Maryland as a musician and singer. His performances include songs and storytelling about the history of Southern Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region, and the lives of watermen and farmers. Joseph’s concert will be broadcast live from the barn at the north side trailhead and participants will have the option of attending the concert in person (socially distanced) if they choose.
The second performer, Dylan Galvin, performed at ACLT’s Sip & Save event last year. Dylan is a native Calvert Countian who is now building his career as a musician in Los Angeles and recently released a new music video featuring one of his original songs. Along with other original music and covers of popular tunes, Dylan’s performance will include his original song “The Chesapeake”; a tribute to his youth spent growing up on the very land ACLT works so hard to protect.
For more details, visit the event website at www.bit.ly/ACLTPassport. Please drink responsibly.