At our recent in-person PTLT board meeting, board members reminded Frank, current long-time president of PTLT, that he is “Really really old!” and it’s time to hand over the reins (which he has been trying to do for some time!) “He could get run over by a bus!” one member suggested… “and then what would PTLT do?!” “Frank could get hit by a car tomorrow!” another contributed… and all his valuable corporate knowledge would be lost! Another member seriously suggested a tornado or some disaster could kill him unexpectedly!! Frank said to me, they missed killing him off by lightning…he was struck once when he was younger (and lived, obviously). On one hand it shows how essential and committed he has been to PTLT and its mission; on the other hand, we wonder how sensitive it was to have him killed off in SO many creative ways. (But I know he could easily be killed off with just a muffin, since he is celiac and has many allergies.)

THEREFORE:

PTLT is currently seeking to hire for a part-time staff position, with potential for growth.  The candidate must be self-motivated, work well with the board and volunteers, and be willing to learn the corporate knowledge of the organization. Basic computer skills necessary. Much of the work can be done at your home/office. He/she would be assisting current PTLT president, Frank Allen, in essential tasks of running the organization with the goal of eventually relieving Frank of his workload.

PTLT’s President, Frank Allen, has passionately and tirelessly given his best for the mission and goals of running the Land Trust.  He possesses the rare ability to understand the complex interdependence of factors that contribute to the working of systems; he understands the big picture.  He is a kind, patient, and very intelligent man to work with.  But he knows, and wishes, to retire from most of his duties for PTLT.  This is a rare and special opportunity for a person who cares about our community and   

and the environment to make a real difference.

Contact: frank@ptlt.org

 IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bankins Family Property protected through Rural Legacy Easement

— Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) is pleased to announce the completion of a Rural Legacy conservation easement protecting 83 acres of woodland in Mechanicsville, Maryland, owned by Gwen Bankins, Elizabeth Bankins, Donnetta Bankins Reed, and Lawrence Bankins. The property contains a network of streams that flow toward the Patuxent River, helping protect forest habitat, water quality, and the rural character of Southern Maryland.

For Gwen Bankins, however, protecting the property was about more than its natural resources. It was about preserving a family legacy that reaches back generations. “It was about building and preserving the legacy of land in the first county in Maryland, St. Mary’s County,” Bankins says.

The property has been in her family since her great-great-grandfather purchased it. At a time when African Americans faced significant barriers to land ownership, his ability to acquire and retain land represented an important achievement. Today, Bankins sees the conservation easement to ensure that legacy continues.

“Being an African American at the time my great-great-grandfather purchased it was not something easy, and to leave a legacy of African American ownership is not something to be taken lightly,” she says.

The Rural Legacy Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources helps protect the state’s most important agricultural, forest, and natural resource areas through permanent conservation easements. The Bankins property adds an important block of protected forest within the Patuxent River watershed while ensuring that the land’s conservation values will endure.

Continued...

Jenny Sivak, left, Bruce Sivak, Gabrielle Sivak and Gail Sivak show off the sign they received for being named a Maryland Century Farm. The Sivak Family Farm in Lexington Park was established in 1912.

One hundred and fourteen years later, the Sivak Family Farm is still standing.

Established in 1912 and now managed by Bruce, Jenny, Gail and Gabrielle Sivak, the Lexington Park farm was recently recognized as a Maryland Century Farm. Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks hosted a ceremony on April 23 celebrating this year’s five inductees.

“It was a nice little ceremony, and it was just nice for the recognition for what has been done,” Jenny Sivak said. “I think it’s just nice that the state recognizes that the farming down here is still very much important and you don’t lose the traditions that we had.”

To receive the recognition, Gail Sivak filled out a form detailing the family’s history and information about the farm. A few months later, the family received a sign celebrating the title.

“These families have not only sustained their land for more than a century, they have strengthened our economy, protected our environment and ensured that agriculture remains a cornerstone of Maryland’s future,” Miller said in a press release.

The Sivak Family Farm is almost 300 acres. In 2009, they combined the Sivak side, which was Bruce’s family’s land, and the Owens side, which was Jenny’s uncle’s land. The land is preserved through the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust.

Bruce’s great grandfather, Michael, purchased the land in 1912. He moved from Slovakia to Iowa to pursue coal mining before settling down and starting the farm in St. Mary's County with his second wife along with two kids from his first marriage.

Over the years, the farm passed down from Bruce’s great grandfather to grandfather to father until he inherited it. Now, along with his excavation business, he grows produce and grain with his family.

“We do have a very loyal group of customers that have come to us forever. They came when our grandfather was … doing produce on the stand, and people still always talk about grandpa,” Gabrielle said. “We’re very much ingrained in the community. People still seek us out for the produce.”

Their top crops include strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and green beans.

The family sells produce at the Home Grown Farm Market in Lexington Park as well as at their roadside stand just south of the market on Three Notch Road.

“There is no average day,” Bruce said. “We are a really small operation. We hire no help.”

The Sivaks balance their farming responsibilities with their full-time jobs: Jenny and Gail work at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Gabrielle is a teacher.

“You can be either picking strawberries in the evening, or you’re planting stuff throughout the summer and into the early fall,” Gail said. “We’re getting stuff prepped and ready to go for the market on the weekends.”

The farm’s biggest shift was growing produce and grain instead of tobacco, Bruce said. They stopped growing tobacco in 1982, and he even remembers when the farm had animals back in the 1960s.

“Farming has changed a lot,” he said. “It’s so expensive to get into … it’s nothing like what it was.”

To get more eyes on the farm and the agricultural industry in general, Jenny and Gail sit on the St. Mary’s County Farm Bureau and the St. Mary’s County Soil Conservation District.

They are also increasing their presence on Facebook and Instagram to maintain their customer base. Check them out on Facebook by visitingwww.facebook.com/sivakproduce.

 a 2025 CLEAN Environment Award of $25,000 from  Constellation for  our work for land restoration work, principally our Weed Warrior activities at Myrtle Point Park in St. Mary’s County and at Historic St. Mary’s City.  

Thank you for supporting our mission to continue our Weed Warrior activities and we hope to expand them this year. This funding will help us to continue that work and we hope to enlist more volunteers to help us save more of our woodlands in public parks in the area and conduct other projects to improve our communities. The volunteers always enjoy the experience of meeting and conversing with others who love the outdoors, have free warming exercise outdoors in the colder months, and enjoy snacks donated by the Good Earth Natural Foods Company. 

On December 1st the Maryland Board of Public Works approved an award of $2,217,053.00 to the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) to acquire conservation easements in the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area in Northern St. Mary’s County. PTLT plans to apply this funding toward acquiring conservation easements on several important properties including a 437-acre waterfront parcel that will significantly help protect the environment and wildlife habitat in St. Mary’s County.

PTLT asks any property owners in the Huntersville Rural Area who may be interested in the conservation easement purchase program, or have questions, to contact us at saveland@ptlt.org or call 301-862-3421.