* HOST: From the past to the present, agriculture is everywhere.

Did you know that preserving history can help build a better future, that tobacco used to be one of the most popular crops grown in Maryland, and that our state's culinary traditions include more than just crab cakes?

Don't go anywhere.

Stories about the people who grow our food and more are coming up next on Maryland Farm and Harvest .

ANNOUNCER: Major funding for Maryland Farm and Harvest is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board: Investing in smarter farming to support safe and affordable food, feed, and fuel, and a healthy Bay... Additional funding provided by... Maryland's Best: Good for You, Good for Maryland...

Rural Maryland Council, a collective voice for rural Maryland... MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain food and fiber enterprise for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: Lending Support to Agriculture and Rural America... Brought to you in part by a donation, from the Cornell Douglas Foundation...

The Maryland Soybean Board and Soybean Checkoff Program: Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, better lives through food...

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts... And by...

The Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association...

The Maryland Seafood Marketing Fund...

The Maryland Farm Bureau Incorporated...

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment... And by... Closed Captioning has been made possible by Maryland Relay, empowering those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled to stay connected by phone.

* HOST: We're at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster.

This 140-acre property includes lots of buildings, machines, and exhibits, all dedicated to teaching the public about the history of Maryland agriculture.

Hi, I'm Joanne Clendining, and this is Maryland Farm and Harvest.

In case you haven't guessed, today's show is all about the history of farming in our state.

Join us as we look back at how agriculture has changed through the ages.

[horn blows] Coming up, Joe Ligo takes a ride on a time machine, sort of.

But first, if you ask a farmer in Southern Maryland what their grandparents used to grow, there's a chance tobacco might be on that list.

However, fields of this controversial crop are increasingly rare today.

We visit two farms to learn why.

* MIKE PHIPPS: We try not to squeeze the leaf too much, so it won't bruise.

We just try to cock back the stalk and the leaves and go down, and give it a good cut.

And then, we drop it behind us.

The way we harvest is pretty much the way the colonists did, except ours is probably larger now than what they grew because of genetics and fertilization.

But basically, the way we harvest hasn't changed in hundreds of years.

JOANNE: For nearly four centuries, broad-leaf tobacco plants covered many fields and hung in many barns across Southern Maryland.

But now, only a handful of farmers still grow it, including Mike Phipps on his farm in Calvert County.

MIKE: Well, I always plant a little bit out here, so people can see it.

And there's a great number of people that always comment how they look forward to seeing the crop out there every year.

JOANNE: Maryland tobacco was prized for its slow-burning qualities.

And for centuries of local farmers, it was the king crop.

MIKE: The whole economy revolved around tobacco.

Whether, the person was a lawyer, a judge, or just a tenant farmer, everybody grew tobacco back then.

It was all over the place.

JOANNE: But during the second half of the 20th century, rising awareness of the dangers of tobacco use, such as cancer and heart disease, combined with labor shortages and falling profits began to whittle away at its popularity.

Using money from a national settlement with cigarette manufacturers, the state of Maryland started a buyout program in the year 2000.

It helped farmers transition to other crops by paying them to quit growing tobacco.

MIKE: And it was based on the amount of poundage on an average three years prior to the start of the buyout.

And it was dollar per pound.

So, a number of folks took it.

JOANNE: Over 90% of Maryland tobacco growers took the buyout, including Russell Brothers Farm in St. Mary's County.

BRIAN RUSSELL: So, it was kind of one of those things everybody in the neighborhood was talking about, said, "Okay, what are we going to do?

How's our future look for this?"

And we knew the future for raising tobacco in Southern Maryland was kind of on its way out.

You know, there really was no future, and the next generation coming along didn't want any parts of it.

So, it's kind of like, do we take it now or do we wait?

And said, "Okay, the money's available now."

We take it or we don't get it at all.

JOANNE: Before the buyout, nine generations of Russell's grew tobacco on this land.

And for Brian, it was a life, he was willing to leave behind.

BRIAN: Every generation had the same story.

You work all day long in the hot sun for low wages, and it's just something we did.

We used the buyout money to improve the infrastructure just here on the farm, buying several pieces of new equipment that we never had before.

All that money kind of, you know, is on a 10 year payout.

So after the 10 years, we had actually transitioned into other things.

So that money was very helpful in transitioning.

So, it was sad to lose the tradition.

It's sad to lose the culture, but you know, like everything else it changes and you just move on.

You adapt to what comes.

JOANNE: While, many farmers welcomed the transition, others took it hard.

MIKE: You know; the buyout was a big thing.

A lot of people debated about whether to take it or not.

One farmer told me, "That he wrestled with the notion of taking the buyout and he finally did."

He said, "One day, he went in the barn after he had taken the buyout and he sat down, and he started crying."

It was just an emotional thing because tobacco was his life, that he couldn't grow it anymore was just a huge, huge change.

JOANNE: The buyout also came with a few strings attached that kept some, including Mike, from signing on.

MIKE: The way it was structured it was a life sentence.

So, if one took the buyout, one could not produce tobacco for the rest of one's life.

And I always say, life sentences are meant for murder or marriage.

And I mean marriage in a good way, okay?

But I just didn't think that was appropriate.

And I enjoy fooling with it.

And so, I didn't...I declined.

JOANNE: Today, most Maryland tobacco comes from Amish and Mennonite farms along with the modest amount that Mike raises.

He'll be the first one to admit it's labor-intensive.

But for him, filling a barn with rows and rows of loose leaf is a labor of love.

MIKE: Once, the tobacco softens, or gets in order as we call it, then we can take it into the stripping room, take it off, and then we can go ahead, and grade it for market.

And this is what farmers would do in the winter, get a little fire in here and just strip away.

JOANNE: Twenty years later, Maryland farmers continue to adapt and thrive in the wake of the buyout.

Mike now focuses mostly on raising cattle, but he still enjoys keeping a small part of the past growing on his farm.

* JOANNE: All right, it's time to test your agricultural expertise.

Here is our Thingamajig for the week.

Do you think you know what it is?

Here's a hint: It came from the antique tool collection here at the farm museum, and it's not a set of brass knuckles.

Stay tuned and we'll have the answer at the end of the show.

Coming up, Al Spoler cooks up an old-fashioned feast using authentic Maryland ingredients.

This is the Hoff Log Barn, which was built in the 1790s when George Washington was president.

Of course, history is about more than just memorizing fun facts.

Sometimes, it means addressing difficult or shameful parts of the past.

And unfortunately, one of the dark spots in Maryland agriculture is the unavoidable legacy of slavery.

Travel with us to St. Mary's County as we visit a place that's sharing the stories of yesterday in hope of making a brighter tomorrow.

* NANCY EASTERLING: They made this farm run.

They made this country run.

The economy of this country was agrarian in nature, and their contribution to running the economy and the way this country evolved goes back to the incredible amount of labor the enslaved, and the skills that the enslaved brought, not only here at Sotterley but nationwide.

JOANNE: Stories of endurance, resilience, and resistance are deeply rooted here at Historic Sotterley.

For a century and a half enslaved people were forced to work against their will in the fields, barns, and houses of this former tobacco plantation.

NANCY: Sotterley was always a farm from day one.

For 300 years, this site has been a farm.

JOANNE: In the 1700s, the property spanned over 6,000 acres.

Today, this National Historic Landmark in Southern Maryland covers just 94.

Now, they work hard to preserve, honor, and share the complex realities of the past that are forever tied to hundreds of years of slavery.

GWENDOLYN BANKINS: My people were property.

Someone sold them.

Someone owned them.

And it was at that moment that I was given the history of Sotterley that it hit me.

And that's a lot to take in.

JOANNE: As a living descendant of enslaved people, Gwen Bankins reconnection to this place began with her cousin, Agnes Kane Callum.

Through genealogy, Agnes discovered their grandfather was born at Sotterley, and she wanted to know more.

Her research led to this tiny slave cabin.

Built in 1830, it's the only standing dwelling of its kind in Southern Maryland.

Here, Agnes and Gwen's ancestors once lived.

GWENDOLYN: When she came on a visit with her dad, Phillip Moten Kane, and the slave cabin, the door was locked with a chain and a sign with do not enter.

And that made Agnes want to tell our story.

JOANNE: From that day forward until she passed away in 2015, Agnes relentlessly pursued the stories of her ancestors, which led to the slave cabin being unlocked and restored and the contributions of many who had been forgotten finally acknowledged.

GWENDOLYN: I didn't have a story when I came here.

There was no story when I came here.

Just like Agnes saw the do not enter and the padlock, the voice of my ancestors, and the contributions were also locked.

It's like they didn't make a difference.

JOANNE: Sotterley has been open to the public since 1961, making it one of the oldest museums of its kind.

Over time, the foundation recognized the need to show a broader picture beyond the historic barns, and elaborate mansion, a picture that included the lives of the enslaved.

NANCY: We realized that not only do we need to be inclusive, but one of the things that's so needed is as you understand the realities of the past, realities that my generation really were not taught, as you understand the realities of the past, you can better understand the realities we're facing as a nation today.

JOANNE: Sotterley's Common Ground Initiative brings these stories to light through their Descendants' Project, which connects families of the former owners, workers, and enslaved people who were once part of the plantation.

JAN BRISCOE: Hopefully, we'll get more and more people... GWENDOLYN: Yeah.

JAN: ...interested in doing it.

GWENDOLYN: I think, telling the story transparently is what helps.

JAN: Absolutely.

GWENDOLYN: And what brings them on board.

JAN: Absolutely.

I agree.

JOANNE: Uphill from the modest cabin, sits the expansive Manor House.

Inside, the luxurious splendor of the era is carefully preserved, demonstrating the stark contrast of how Jan Briscoe's ancestors once lived.

JAN: We're here in the Red Room where my grandfather, John H. T. Briscoe, was born in 1890.

And he was the grandson of this gentleman, Dr. Walter Hanson Stone Briscoe and of course, his wife, Emeline, who, as I say, were the owners of Sotterley for many decades in the 1800s.

JOANNE: Today, Gwen Bankins and Jan Briscoe both sit on the Board of Historic Sotterley.

They want to provide not just education, but reconciliation too.

NANCY: We are working really trying to get to a place of understanding, reflection, and healing.

And that's what we're trying to do with Sotterley.

JOANNE: The path towards healing also includes reconnecting with the farmland.

JOE GOLDSMITH: Right now, we're working 10-12 acres of potatoes, 4-6 acres of produce, and about 100 acres' hay.

JOANNE: Farm manager Joe Goldsmith maintains the grounds and leads the Growing for Good program, an initiative that brings people together to learn about agriculture, and get their hands dirty.

GWENDOLYN: In the past seven years, they've donated over 70,000 pounds of food to the local food banks.

And that's incredible.

You can watch it grow at a place where there was pain.

So it's a healing of sorts to me.

We still have a long way to go, but I believe that they're on the right track by being transparent and giving back to the community.

JOANNE: Although, the past may hold painful memories, understanding it can help build a better future, which is why this place means so much to people like Gwen.

GWENDOLYN: I truly believe that Historic Sotterley helps you to be comfortable with what you're uncomfortable with.

When individuals ask me why am I here?

My first question is have you ever visited the place?

It is a historical site that tells a story of a time that was not pleasant, but at the same time, it's found a way to try to heal.

Continue the story, become educated, keep the conversation going, and support the historic sites who are trying to tell the story.

JOANNE: If you watched our recent tractor test drive story, you know that modern farm equipment is loaded with all the latest bells and whistles.

Well, Joe Ligo recently drove a much older tractor.

And although it didn't have any bells, it certainly had whistles.

He's headed back to the golden age of steam to show us... "The Way it Works."

* JOE LIGO: If I was a farmer in the olden days, I don't think, I'd want to milk cows or grow vegetables.

I'd want to be a steam tractor operator.

But as it turns out, this job involves a lot more than just driving around tooting a whistle.

It's actually, a lot of work.

To prepare the tractor for the day, the engineer had to get up two hours before everyone else on the farm.

That's how long it took to start the fire, heat the water, and check over the machine.

All right, we've given it plenty of time to get good and hot.

The boiler's built up a nice head of steam.

We have about 120 PSI.

So now, it's time to take it for a spin.

[engine starts up] And we're off.

Whether, pulling a plow, running a thresher, or some other job, the operator had to keep the fire blazing and the engine running smoothly all day because unexpected breakdowns cost time and money.

As you can imagine, doing this for hour after hour on a 90-degree day would be hard, sweaty, loud, difficult work.

This is a lot different from driving an air-conditioned tractor and listening to the radio while the GPS steers it for you.

But if I'm honest, this is a lot of fun too.

So maybe, I'd do all right as an old-fashioned steam engine driver.

After all, it's better than a lot of other old-fashioned jobs.

[engine noise] And that is, "The Way it Works."

[horn blows] JOANNE: Supposedly, Maryland's nickname as the Old Line State came from George Washington's name for a group of Maryland soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

In this week's The Local Buy, Al Spoler meets up with the author of the "Old Line Plate," a food blog showcasing the wide and wonderful history of Maryland cooking.

Al.

* AL SPOLER: Imagine you've invited your great-great-great-grandfather to go shopping for your next Saturday night dinner.

He leaves the 1800s and joins you here, the Waverly Farmer's Market circa 2021.

As you walk around, you're curious to hear what he thinks.

KARA MAE HARRIS: The market that we have today would actually be a lot safer than a market you would go to maybe 100 years ago.

A lot of people think that the past is really pure and safe, and farm to table, but we actually live in a golden age for eating really fresh and safe food.

AL: Food Historian, Kara Mae Harris has created a blog called the "Old Line Plate" that details hundreds of recipes from old-time Maryland kitchens.

Today, she and I are going shopping for the ingredients for our own old-time Maryland meal.

Kara has done her research, studying dozens of old cookbooks and their treasured regional recipes.

On the menu today, lamb stew, hot cabbage slaw, chow-chow pickles, cornbread, and peach pie.

You know, looking at our shopping list, I think, we can get just about everything we want right here at the market today.

KARA: Yeah, I think so too.

AL: So, it's not many obscure ingredients.

First stop, Woolsey Farm for our main protein.

AL: Hi, you got lamb cubes?

MERCHANT: I do.

Yes.

AL: Okay.

Perfect for lamb stew.

How much?

A study of the lamb stew recipe makes us wonder if we should doctor it up a little.

And we were looking at the recipe for the lamb... KARA: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

AL: ...and it was a little simple.

So I thought maybe we could throw something in if that would be okay.

KARA: Yeah, that sounds good.

AL: Okay.

I love the look of these carrots.

And we'll get some of these.

We pick up some fresh peas from Tom McCarthy.

Hi, Tom.

TOM MCCARTHY: How you doing?

AL: We're fine.

Pound of peas.

TOM: Okay.

AL: At One Straw Farm, Kara finds some cabbage for her slaw, a few onions, and some cucumbers for the chow-chow.

Then, we head over to Black Rock Orchard for our peaches.

DAVE HOCHEIMER: How you doing, Al?

AL: I'm doing great.

I need peaches for a peach pie.

DAVE: All right.

AL: Are these freestone or cling?

DAVE: They're a cling peach.

AL: I'd better get a couple more then.

So give me 10.

DAVE: Okay.

AL: We grab them and Kara's green tomatoes.

Dave Hocheimer always takes care of me.

Well, it looks like our market basket is getting pretty full, so it's time to get back to the kitchen and start cooking.

AL: So Kara, this is kind of an old-time recipe, the seasoning salt.

AL: As we prepare the meal, Kara gives me a quick history of Maryland cuisine.

KARA: Maryland cuisine is a lot like a lot of Southern cuisine.

What it's most famous for developed on plantations and was created by enslaved people, which then kind of morphed into Baltimore having these famous hotels and usually the food there would be made by these Black caterers.

So, you had a lot of highly skilled chefs using, working on both sides of the home cook versus high-end cooking culture.

AL: Other groups have left their mark too.

KARA: So, a lot of these immigrant recipes, Polish recipes, for instance, would be made in the home and wouldn't appear in cookbooks as much.

So, we have the German influence because we have things like peach cake and of course, the sauerkraut that people still eat at Thanksgiving.

AL: After a couple hours, our food is ready for the table.

Well...Kara, it's really amazing to think that all this food a few hours ago was just produce and meat at the farmer's market.

But we worked all afternoon cooking up this fabulous meal.

And I think, it turned out really well.

What do you think?

KARA: I think so too.

I'm looking forward to trying some of these recipes that are new to me.

AL: Well, I'm really pleased with the way they worked out.

This is the lamb stew.

This is the hot slaw.

We have cornbread, very traditional recipe, chow-chow.

And then, my favorite is the peach custard pie.

We're going to put all of our recipes and all of our little ideas on our website at mpt.org/farm so you can try it at home.

I really think you should.

For The Local Buy, I'm Al Spoler.

Joanne.

JOANNE: Thanks, Al.

To get all the recipes for that delicious Maryland dinner, visit mpt.org/farm.

And you can watch full episodes online as well.

Also, don't forget to follow us on social media for show updates, pictures, and videos.

Now, hold on, we're not done yet.

Remember our Thingamajig?

Did you guess it?

Our hint was that's it's not a set of brass knuckles.

This is an antique husking peg.

A farmer wears this on their hand when picking corn and uses it to tear through the husk as they pop the ear off the stalk.

Congratulations, if you got it right.

Thanks for joining us and taking a look back at Maryland's agricultural past.

We'll be back next week with another Thingamajig along with more stories about the diverse, passionate people who feed our state.

I'm Joanne Clendining.

Thanks for watching.

Closed Captioning has been made possible by Maryland Relay, empowering those with hearing and speech loss to stay connected.

* ANNOUNCER: Major funding for Maryland Farm and Harvest is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board: Investing in smarter farming to support safe and affordable food, feed, and fuel, and a healthy Bay.

Additional funding provided by... Maryland's Best: Good for You, Good for Maryland.

Rural Maryland Council, a collective voice for rural Maryland.

MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain food and fiber enterprise for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: Lending Support to Agriculture and Rural America... Brought to you in part by a donation, from the Cornell Douglas Foundation.

The Maryland Soybean Board and Soybean Checkoff Program: Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, better lives through food...

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts and by the Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association...

The Maryland Seafood Marketing Fund...

The Maryland Farm Bureau Incorporated...

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment... And by... *