Living in an area surrounded by water means a few things: we can dine on beautiful marinas; we can fish, swim, kayak, canoe, and jet ski in all sorts of water; we can watch the Wednesday night boat races; and of course, the perk that has the most pay-off is that we can eat of the local waters. Most notably, we can eat Maryland crabs, the feisty creature we take great pride in and other states wish they could call their own. This year, the 68th Annual Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast goes on, but with a slight, Earth-friendly twist. That’s right, the crab feast is going green, providing you more incentive to go and providing the landfill a big break. We’ve got the details below.
Founders of Annapolis Green, one of our favorite local green organizations, Lynne Forsman and Elvia Thompson, have teamed up with the Rotary Club of Annapolis to marry crab feasting with festival greening. This is a big deal for two reasons: one, it’s the eco responsible thing to do, and two, it’s the first year more options for recycling have been provided. The crab feast brings in about 2,000 people, 300 bushels of crabs, gallons of crab soup, 3,000 ears of corn, pounds of dessert, and an incredible amount of bottles. All these factors generate tons of waste that, in years previous, has mostly been thrown out into a landfill after the night’s end. With Annapolis Green on board, there will be containers for bottles, cans, glass but also will include food recycling bins. In the Preferred Dining area, there will be 64-gallon bins for composting food along with 50-gallon bins for recycling glass and other items.
Where does the food waste go? Local business owner and war veteran (whom we interviewed last summer), Justen Garrity, will take the crab shells, food, and crab feast waste paper to his farm in Aberdeen and, eight weeks later, it will be compost. Very appropriately, this business is called Veteran Compost. This process certainly beats throwing spent ears of corn and crab shells into the trash.
Annapolis Green is providing expanded recycle options only in the Preferred Dining room off Farragut Road because, as this is the first year, they want to start small. Forsman has said this new recycling option will help them see what they can do for the 69th crab feast. Even still, the folks in the Preferred Dining room add up to a good portion of the total number of people there, so this will certainly put a dent in the pounds of waste.
So what does all this mean for you? Aside from enjoying succulent, juicy crabs, you can be mindful of the waste you generate at home. Make your own compost, or purchase some from Veteran Compost!
You should have a handle on the crab feast by now, but here’s some essential details:
What: All-you-can eat and drink feast starring local crabs
Time: 5 to 8 p.m.
Date: Friday, August 2
Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium off Rowe Boulevard
Cost: $120 for Preferred Dining area, $60 for adults in non-Preferred Dinning, $20 for children (3-12), free for kids under 3
Parking: Parking at the Navy Stadium is free
Ticket profits are dispersed amongst several local non-profit organizations in the area that are chosen by the Rotary Club. In just recent years, the Rotary Club has been able to give $50,000 to local groups and overall, has raised $1,000,000 since its inception. Talk about a tasty tradition that does major good.
For more details about the crab feast, head to http://www.annapolisrotary.org/crabfeast.
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