THE GARLIC MUSTARD CHALLENGE

RAIN OR SHINE…WE PULL AND DINE!

Patapsco Heritage Greenway and Patapsco Valley State Park co-sponsor the annual Garlic Mustard Challenge. For over a decade, families, boy scouts, girl scouts, church groups, community and civic organizations, businesses, school groups, groups of friends and individuals have pulled out over 15,000 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. The Garlic Mustard Challenge is held the first Sunday in May from 1-4:30 pm at the Orange Grove Area of the Patapsco Valley State Park in Pavilion 106, in Halethorpe off US Route 1 at 5120 South Street, Halethorpe, MD 21227. Please register here.

For more information on Garlic Mustard, see the link below from the Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group.
www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/alpe1.htm

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. Volunteer groups are placed in suggested locations that are appropriate for children or adults. Feel free to scope out the park in advance and find your own area to pull as much garlic mustard as you can the day of the event!!! For volunteers who enter the "challenge," winners are selected based on the total weight of garlic mustard pulled per group. Prizes purchased or donated by members and local businesses are awarded to all challenge participants. Pre-registration and a $1/person or $5 per group entry fee are required for those participating in the "challenge." Volunteers are also welcome! Challengers 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
- Old fashioned games including pillowcase races, egg toss, wheelbarrow races, the limbo, and more!
- Kid-friendly environmental exhibits, including 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 garlic mustard 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. 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. The Patapsco Heritage Greenway 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 (63 kB pdf file).

Pre-registration is required by May 4 to receive free entry into park. For more information, email patapscofriend@gmail.com. Participants need to arrive by 12:45 pm to participate in the weed pulling challenge.

The Patapsco Heritage Greenway 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 & Sustainability, Howard County Public Works Bureau of Environmental Services, Constellation Energy, R.E.I. and donations from members and local businesses. Directions: From Route 95, take the exit onto Route 195 East (toward BWI Airport). Get off the next exit onto US Route 1 Washington Boulevard. Make a right at the traffic light at the end of the exit onto Route 1. Turn right at the first street onto South Street. Make an immediate left into the park entrance. Follow the posted signs to the registration area! The closest street address to this entrance is 5120 South Street, Halethorpe, MD 21227. Rain or shine, we pull and dine!

To see additional photos of volunteers from previous Garlic Mustard Challenge events, as well as other events, click here. Albums are listed in chronological order.