soilSHOP at The Capital Market
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soilSHOP at The Capital Market
October 29, 2023 @ 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Join The Capital Market, Prince George’s Soil Conservation District, and partners for Prince George’s County’s first soilSHOP event!
Along with sponsoring partners, CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), USDA, and the EPA, we invite urban farmers, gardeners, and outdoor play enthusiasts to bring a soil sample for a FREE lead screening. Please check out our instructions on how to collect a soil sample below. Please note this event is rain or shine. Samples will be screened on a first come first served basis. There will be community health workers available to answer questions. If we receive more requests than we have time to screen, you are welcome to leave your sample and our USDA-NRCS screener will contact you via email with the results.
WHEN: October 29, 2023, 12pm – 3pm
WHERE: The Capital Market at Creative Suitland
4719 Silver Hill Rd, Hillcrest Heights, MD 20746
REGISTER: https://TCMsoilSHOPpg.eventbrite.com
SoilSHOP Partners Exhibiting at the The Capital Market at Creative Suitland:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Prince George’s Soil Conservation District
- Prince George’s County Health Department
- Prince George’s County Department of the Environment
- Prince George’s County Master Gardeners (UMD Extension)
- Prince George’s County Office of Food Security
- Prince George’s County Food Equity Council
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- The Windsor Group to discuss the USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program
Instructions for Collecting a Single Soil Sample
(Note: For more than one sample, repeat steps 1-5.)
Step 1: Identify an area of interest for your soil sample.
Step 2: Collect Soil – For a large area, collect soil from 5-10 random spots in that area, and combine in a clean container. For a small area, collect soil from 3 random spots and combine in a clean container. (See table below for sampling depth per spot.)
Step 3: Mix soil well in a clean container.
Step 4: Remove pebbles, rocks, and roots, and air dry. Do not use a flame, oven or hairdryer to dry the soil!
Step 5: Transfer 1 – 2 cups of the mixed soil into a clean one-quart Ziplock bag. Please label the bag with your name and contact information (clearly print both phone and email)!
Rinse your container between samples. Limit of 3 sample bags/person.
| Area of Interest | Sampling Depth for Each Random Spot |
| Urban Farm or Garden Area | Collect soil from the surface down to 6-8 inches deep |
| Play Area (non-garden) | Collect all soil from the surface down to 1-2 inches deep |
Questions about the event? Contact Ashley Drakeford (The Capital Market) or Kim Rush Lynch (Prince George’s Soil Conservation District).
Ashley – 240.257.5363, ashley@thecapitalmarketmd.com
Kim – 301.574.5162 x3, karlynch@co.pg.md.us