The Slackwater Podcast

Students AJ Ellis and Grace Dillingham walk us through history as they explore oyster aquaculture, sustainability, and consumption in the Chesapeake Bay. What is the future of this keystone species? Spike Meatyard of the Tall Timbers Marina, Jack Russell (a waterman in St. Mary’s County), and Everett Grube (an aquaculture apprentice) share what oystering may look like for the next generation of watermen. 

What we eat is a major part of our culture and in Southern Maryland is integral to identity and the economy.  Student Jack Darrell interviews Brett Grohsgal, the owner of Even’ Star Farm in St. Mary’s County about organic farming and the transition from tobacco farming to new agriculture ventures in Southern Maryland. 

Once part of a large resort community in Southern Maryland for Black patrons, the Golden Hotel (later renamed The Graves Hotel) has been lost to time. Alma Jordan, her siblings, and Elfreda Mathis (interviewed by Delilah Parks) share their stories of growing up spending family vacations at the Golden Hotel.

Student Kevin Glotfelty explores Black agriculture and how sharecropping has impacted generational involvement in farming in Southern Maryland.  Alvin Chase, grandson of Joe Thomas, a former sharecropper in St. Mary’s County, shares his family’s agricultural story alongside Larry Thomas (cousin to Alvin Chase) and Leandrea (daughter to Larry Thomas). 

In the 1960s Southern Maryland was the “Wild West” for gambling and eased the region into a stage of growth, bringing in more than 26 million dollars annually.  Student, Will Burke, uncovers why slot machines were phased out of the county and the political and financial implications of this decision.

PFAs, the forever chemical crisis. Aden James Ellis looks at the PFA crisis from a Southern Maryland perspective and how it has impacted the ecosystem, agriculture, and health of residents in the region.  Pat Elder, Southern Maryland Journalist: https://patelder.weebly.com/ Brent Walls, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper in Southern Maryland  Vicki Blazer, research fishery biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey 

Ellie Pratt interviews Dr. Julia King (anthropology professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland), Donnie Hammett (former park ranger at Point Lookout State Park), and Ed Pratt (long-time St. Mary’s County resident) about their experiences and research related to the paranormal at the Point Lookout State Park. But do these ghost stories hold merit? Or are they a way to consider how we relate to our own societal and personal histories?

Lilianna Bowman interviews Catherine Grube about her coffee shop, St. Inie’s, a special location for St. Mary’s College of Maryland students and the St. Mary’s County community. Conner, a former student, and St. Inie’s employee, weighs in with what may make this place so unifying.