Barns: A Cherished Part of Farming | Homegrown by Heroes | Women Embrace Farming In partnership with Frederick County Office of Economic Development | Supplement to Frederick Magazine
VOTED F O BEST ICK! R FRErDtheE2nd year Fo
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You can’t eat home comfort, but if you could, TriState would be delicious. You can count on TriState Home Services year-round to bring you the freshest in home comfort solutions. Born and raised here in Frederick Maryland, we know our community inside and out. So if you are looking for an answer to your home heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical questions, trust TriState to give you expert advice and service that you won’t find anywhere else. To learn more, contact us today at:
301.624.5970 | TriStateHomeServices.com
KEENEY & BASFORD P.A. Funeral Home
Frederick’s Funeral Home for Over 160 Years … Keeney & Basford P.A. Funeral Home, has been “Frederick’s Funeral Home”, since early in the 20th century. Unsurpased service and attention to detail that Frederick families have come to expect at a most difficult time in their lives. The foundation laid as the Etchison Funeral Home in 1848, a family funeral home located in downtown for over 160 years. Today we serve your needs for traditional services and cremation and memorial services based on your preferences and desires.
www.keeneybasford.com • 106 East Church Street, Frederick MD • 301.662.2175
celebrating 40 years of business in Frederick county the Mercer family started the business as a small dairy farm and have since seen it grow into a fullservice fertilizer, chemical, grain, seed and ice melter facility serving the local community of farmers, landscapers and designers of Frederick, Maryland. Providing exceptional service and the highest quality products, Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc.
prides itself on highly-qualified fertilizer, top-line certified seed, Certified and Registered Applicators, plus a team of qualified Sales Agronomists. Custom-blended fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides meet local farmers’ crop and turf needs, and significant grain capacity provides a local market for their harvest.
“
It is a well-known fact that there is no one institution that has done more to assist the development of agriculture in this area than Eddie Mercer Agri-Services. —JIM GRIMES
”
6900 Linganore road, Frederick, Md 21701
301.663.4678 • www.eddiemerceragri-services.com
Supplement to Frederick Magazine
PUBLISHERS Shawn Dewees Joseph Silovich MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Luse ART DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER Matthew Piersall GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Annie Ellis Dan Jae Smith CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Turner Photography Studio FREDERICK COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Helen Propheter, director Katie Albaugh, agriculture business development specialist Sharon Hipkins, administrative assistant ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Linda Dove ldove@fredmag.com Leslie Lillo llillo@fredmag.com Jean Wright jwright@fredmag.com DISTRIBUTOR Josh Ensor alloutdist@aol.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Stephanie Dewees subscriptions@fredmag.com
Telephone: 301-662-8171 FAX: 301-662-8399
www.fredmag.com Letters to the editor: editor@fredmag.com Homegrown Frederick is an annual publication of Diversions Publications, Inc., 6 N. East Street, Suite 301, Frederick, MD 21701-5601 (ISSN 006-923). Periodicals postage paid at Frederick, MD. Subscriptions to Frederick Magazine, $24.95 per year, which includes the Homegrown Frederick and all other annual guides (available through the business office). Back issues w/in the last 12 mo/$3.95. Prior to 12 mos. ago/$7. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Frederick Magazine, 6 N. East Street, Suite 301, Frederick, MD 21701-5601. Customer inquiries to same address or call 301-662-8171. Distributed through mail subscriptions, home delivery, and sold at newsstands and other locations in Frederick, Upper Montgomery counties, and throughout the Central Maryland region. Advertising rates available on request. Manuscripts, drawings, and other submissions must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Frederick Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited material. All rights to submissions, including letters and e-mail, will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to Frederick Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and to comment editorially, unless otherwise negotiated with the author. © DIVERSIONS PUBLICATIONS, INC. 2016. All Printed on contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced in whole Recycled or in part for any reason without prior approval of the publisher. Paper
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Frederick Equipment Co. 9640 Liberty Rd. Frederick,MD 21701 (301) 898-1200
CONTENTS 8 12 20
ABOUT THE COVER Catoctin Creek Farm in Jefferson has a barn that is all post and beam; no nails, and is home to a sheep operation.
8
Barns are a Cherished Part of Farming
28
Veggie Road Trip
12
Markets are Plentiful
30
Homegrown by Heroes
18
Spirited Farms
34
Agri-tainment Promotes Farms
20
Women Embrace Farming
38
Family Festival @ the Farm
24
Promoting Young Farmers
42
Farm Listings
26
Before a Tree is Decked
80
Farm Facts
7
Barns are a Cherished Part of the Farming Life by Nancy Luse
As important as fertile fields and cooperative weather are to a farming operation, a barn where animals, crops and equipment are sheltered also ranks high on the list. But barns don’t just fill a practical need; they also represent the heart and soul of a livelihood that is as old as the dirt itself. “I even love the smell of a barn, it brings back lots of memories,” says Mike House of Three Springs Farm in Middletown where he and his five brothers grew up as the third generation on the land. “The best smell is when the fresh hay is put in” and as far as manure, “I call it country perfume.” The weathered, red bank barn, built so there’s a ridge across the back for tractors to unload hay on the top floor, was constructed in the 1850s as near as House can determine. A quarry on the corner
of the property provided stone for the foundations of both the barn and farmhouse. Thirty-foot beams span the barn and you can still see the Roman numerals carved into them so that builders could replicate the way it was laid out on the ground. House recalls a childhood of forts built from hay bales and sometimes coming face-to-face with a raccoon when traversing hay tunnels. He remembers shooting basketballs through a hoop that had a net made from bailer twine. The barn was where he and wife Jodi were
married. “Before the wedding we took up the floor planks—they were warped—and flipped them,” adding a coat of oil. “We work hard to keep the barn,” tractor shed and other outbuildings in good shape, he says. At Distillery Lane Ciderworks in Jefferson, a mid-century bank barn is part of the landscape. “I was told by a neighbor that a group of Mennonites from Pennsylvania built some of the barns in the area” including this one, says owner Rob Miller. “They made the beams from trees on the property; I’m guessing it’s oak.” In its former life the 40-by-60-foot barn with its pair of concrete silos housed a dairy operation. Today it’s used to store apple boxes, tractors and other equipment for the cider operation that began in 1999. 9
Linganore Wine Cellars
Catoctin Creek Farm
Also on the property are the remaining three sides of a fieldstone foundation of a barn built in the mid 1800s. As part of a Maryland Historical Trust easement, it’s believed the barn may have been used as a hospital during the Civil War battles of Burkittsville and South Mountain, Miller says. A new barn is also on the property, built in a style that gives the appearance of an old one. “I do love old barns,” says the grandson of a farmer. Miller even has a couple of barn cats, Scooter and Oreo, who are soon approaching retirement from their days as mice catchers.
Romantic Barns Two years ago, an organized tour of Frederick County barns brought at least 600 people to his farm, says Bob Galey, who with his wife, Jean, own Catoctin Creek Farm in 10
Jefferson. “It was mostly city people, but some farmers, too. I guess they thought barns were romantic.” It’s a feeling he also admits to, although after 30 years on the sheep farm, a barn is more a part of the job. Still, he says he has an abiding respect for the craftsmanship that resulted in the large bank barn on his property. “It’s all post and beam; no nails,” he says. The original part of the barn was built between 1860 and 1880, and “it’s well-built as long as you continue to take care of things.” Ten years after they moved in they had it shored up and later they updated the wiring. Topped with a horse weather vane and painted red with white trim, Galey laughs and says, “I have no idea why barns are painted red.” In addition to the German bank barn, Catoctin Creek also has two other smaller barns, one used as Galey’s woodshop and the other for straw and hay storage as well as a shelter for the award-winning Romney sheep that may not think their shelter is romantic, but it’s certainly cozy. The 1800s barn at Linganore Wine Cellars, Glissans Mill Road, Mount Airy, is all about romance, serving as the venue for numerous brides and grooms and their guests who raise a toast with wine from the vineyard’s 80 acres of grapes. The top floor of the barn is banquet space and the bottom serves as a tasting room. Anthony Aellen’s parents, who were big city transplants, bought the property in the early 1970s for a beef, dairy goat and sheep operation. The 54-foot-by-72-foot barn that had served five or six generations before that was regularly
Springfield Manor
filled with 80 tons of hay, Aellen says. By 1985, the family decided to dispense with raising livestock and move into growing grapes. “And we thought, ‘why not repurpose the barn?’” he says. Renovations were “all cosmetic because the barn itself was very sound.” American chestnut was used on the top floor and hickory and black walnut framed out the bottom. “American chestnut used to be the main hardwood until the blight came through” and wiped out all the trees, Aellen says. He marvels at how the barn was erected “when they didn’t have cranes” and how “if you took the roof off and pulled the pins out, it would drop like Lincoln Logs. “It’s really neat to be able to show it off and sometimes when I tell people about the walnut that they used, they’ll say, why didn’t they use that for furniture? Well, it’s because they didn’t need a rocking chair, they needed a barn,” he says. Mary Kathryn Barnet and her husband Andrew own Open Book Farm in Middletown where they raise pastured livestock as well as
some fruits and vegetables. Their barn, dating back to the early 1900s, “is timber-framed and it’s huge,” Mary Kathryn says. “It’s in pretty good shape, but with old barns inevitably there’s always something that needs to be fixed.” Formerly a dairy barn, “you can tell they milked cows on the bottom floor and the top was where they stored hay,” she says. Today, they rent out a large portion of the barn to another farmer for hay storage and the Barnets use the rest of the space for their supplies. It’s a red barn, and, like Galey of Catoctin Creek Farm, Mary Kathryn is at a loss as to why so many barns are red. “It’s just a tradition.” Springfield Manor Winery & Distillery owner Amie St. Angelo recalls when the family bought the Thurmont property in 2004 and the amount of work involved to get the barn into shape for a tasting room and party and wedding venue. “We took out the stanchions and had to lower the floors, so it was dug out with new footers, new posts … A lot of the exterior was missing— someone had taken the old barn wood—and new wood” had to be
milled and matched to the old structure. “We put in insulation to make everything comfortable … It has a rustic, country appeal with all modern conveniences.” Still, St. Angelo waxes poetic when talking about her barn and how “it’s musical” every time there’s “the patter of rain on the metal roof or the wind blows.” She often thinks while working of “the people who were toiling in that barn for over 100 years and that’s a good feeling.” St. Angelo says she’s always sad when she sees a barn being torn down, and is grateful that she has three beautiful barns in various parts of the county. “Thinking that they’ll probably be there long after I’m gone, that’s what makes me happy.”
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In the search to find food that hasn’t traveled thousands of miles, Frederick County residents have options ranging from weekly markets held during the growing season or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprises where you share in whatever bounty the farmer produces. Following are resources for fresh-from-the-farmto-the-table offerings:
Erika Brown HIPPY CHICK HUMMUS
Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley 101 Willowdale Drive Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. June through October
Grace Farmers Market Matthew Benning FULL CELLAR FARM
FARMERS’ MARKETS Brunswick Farmers Market Near the MARC Station Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon End of May to end of September
Emmitsburg Farmer’s Market 302 S. Seton Ave. Fridays 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mid-June to end of September
9380 Butterfly Lane Fridays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mid-May to mid-November
Great Frederick Fair Market Frederick Fairgrounds Saturdays, all year, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Linganore Farmers Market Corner of Eaglehead and Coldstream drives Thursdays, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. June-August
Middletown Farmers Market
Everedy Square & Shab Row Market
12 S. Church St., Middletown Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. May to October
Church and East streets Thursdays 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Early June to end of October
Thurmont Main Street Market
Farmers Market at NCI-Frederick Fort Detrick Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mid-June to October
Frederick City Market 331 N. Market St., Frederick Sundays 9 a.m. to noon May to October
Thurmont carnival grounds Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon Mid-June-September
Fridays, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. June through September
West Frederick Farmers Market 800 Oak St., UnitedHealthcare parking lot Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May through November
YMCA of Frederick Market 1000 N. Market Ave. Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. May-early October
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE Big White Barn Produce 301-874-3173 www.bigwhitebarn.com
Dragonfly Farms 240-353-8408 www.dffarms.com
Urbana Library Market 9020 Amelung St., Urbana Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April to October
Walkersville Market School building “B” at Nicodemus Road and Frederick Street EVEREDY SQUARE & SHAB ROW MARKET
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Shadows of Catoctin Farm 301-898-3228 www.shadowsofcatoctinfarm.com
ORCHARDS CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD 301-271-2737 www.catoctinmountainorchard.com
COUNTRY PLEASURES 6201 Harley Road, Middletown 301-371-4814 EVEREDY SQUARE & SHAB ROW MARKET
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Full Cellar Farm
Rights of Man Farm
301-639-9711 www.fullcellarfarm.com
240-674-2727 www.rightsofmanfarm.com
House in the Woods Farm
Seed of Life Nursery & CSA
301-607-4048 www.houseinthewoods.com
240-344-6533 www.solnurseries.info
Hometown Harvest
Summer Creek Farm
301-798-2616 www.hometownharvest.com
301-271-9399 www.summercreekfarm.com
Oakie Doke Farms
Sycamore Spring Farm
301-473-0723 www.oakiedokefarms.com
301-788-6980 www.sycamorespringsfarm.org
Open Book Farm
Thanksgiving Farms
240-457-2558 www.openbookfarm.com
301-662-1291 www.thanksgivingfarms.org
Pleasant Hill Produce
Twin Hills Farm
301-471-2699 www.pleasanthillproduce.com
301-788-2784 www.twinhillsfarmllc.com
PRYOR’S ORCHARD 13841 B Pryor’s Road, Thurmont 301-271-2693
SCENIC VIEW ORCHARDS 301-271-2149 www.scenicvieworchards.com
Rich Calimer SCENIC VIEW ORCHARDS
Sip and sample local wine, brews, cider, mead, and spirits at dozens of unique tasting rooms across
HIP & HISTORIC FREDERICK COUNTY, MD BE SURE TO REQUEST OUR BROCHURE
visitfrederick.org
SPRINGFIELD MANOR WINERY & DISTILLERY
Frederick counTy 4-H BeeF, SHeep & Swine Sale
Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 Time: 5:30pm The GreaT Frederick Fair BeeF Show rinG, BuildinG 18
• Sale Order: Swine then Alternating Beef and Sheep through remainder of the sale •
Registration Procedure: registration begins at 4:30pm at the Beef Show ring. You will need to provide name, address, phone number, and drivers license. You will then receive a buyers number. This card needs to be provided to the auctioneer when a purchase is made. The auction begins at 5:30pm
LETS TALK TuRKEY, and so Much More. Sure, We Offer the Area’ s Freshest Turkey but Did You Know We Also Make
Fresh Turkey Sausage Potpies, Turkey Jerky Turkey Snack Stix
Not to Mention
(6 Flavors)
Smoked Turkey Parts
All Natural Fresh Chicken, DEli-Sliced Roast Beef, Country Ham and Pork Bacon At Amazing Prices
301.271.2728
•
www.hillsideturkey.com
30 Elm St., Thurmont, MD 21788 • Store Hours: Thursday and Friday 8am-3pm, Saturday 8am-12pm
Stop By and See For Yourself. Get Perky, Eat More Turkey
CHEERS! FREDERICK COUNTY ON THE LIBATIONS MAP People have been increasingly captivated by the notion of eating local and part of that movement is drinking locally-crafted wines, beers, ciders and liquors. Visit www.homegrownfrederick.com to view a map of locations. BARLEY AND HOPS
DISTILLERY LANE CIDER WORKS
ELK RUN
5473 Urbana Pike Frederick • www.barleyandhops.net
5533 Gapland Road Jefferson www.distillerylaneciderworks.com
15113 Liberty Road Mount Airy • www.elkrun.com
BERRYWINE PLANTATIONS LINGANORE WINECELLARS 13601 Glissans Mill Road Mount Airy • www.linganorewines.com
BLACK ANKLE VINEYARDS 44463 Black Ankle Road Mount Airy • www.blackankle.com
BREWER’S ALLEY
FLYING DOG BREWERY 4607 Wedgewood Blvd. Frederick • www.flyingdogbrewery.com
FREY’S BREWING COMPANY 8601 Mapleville Road Mount Airy • www.freysbrewing.com
HIDDEN HILLS FARM AND VINEYARD
124 N. Market St. Frederick • www.brewers-alley.com
7550 Green Valley Road Frederick www.hiddenhillsfarmandvineyard.com
CATOCTIN BREEZE VINEYARD
LOEW VINEYARDS
15010 Roddy Road Thurmont • www.catoctinbreeze.com
14001 Liberty Road (Md. 26) Mount Airy • www.lowevineyards.com
DRAGON DISTILLERY
MAD SCIENCE BREWING AT THANKSVIVING FARMS
1341 Hughes Ford Road, Suite 108 Frederick www.dragondistillery.com
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1619 Buckeystown Pike www.facebook.com/madsciencebrewing
MAZZAROTH VINEYARD
RED SHEDMAN FARM BREWERY
8333 Myersville Road Myersville • www.mazzarothvineyard.com
13601 Glissans Mill Road Mount Airy • www.redshedman.com
MCCLINTOCK DISTILLING
SMOKETOWN BREWING STATION
35 S. Carroll St. Frederick • www.mcclintockdistilling.com
223 W. Potomac St. Brunswick • www.smoketownbrwing.com
MILKHOUSE BREWERY at STILLPOINT FARM
SPRINGFIELD MANOR WINERY & DISTILLERY
8253 Dollyhyde Road Mount Airy www.milkhousebrewery.com
11836 Auburn Road Thurmont • www.springfieldmanor.com
MONOCACY BREWING
508 E. Church St. Frederick • www.tenthwarddistilling.com
TENTH WARD DISTILLING CO.
1781 N. Market St. Frederick • www.monocacybrewing.com
WILLOW OAKS CRAFT CIDER
OLDE MOTHER BREWING CO.
ORCHID CELLAR WINERY
911 E. Patrick St. Frederick • www.oldemother.com
8546 Pete Wiles Road Middletown • www.orchidcellar.com
6219 Harley Road Middletown www.willowoakscraftcider.com
[ SIP. CELEBRATE. STAY. ]
4236 Main Street Rohersville, MD 301 302 8032 BIGCORKVINEYARDS.COM
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Taylor Lawyer Huffman
When Carol Rollman talks to children visiting her Frederick-based Sycamore Spring Farm, she asks them to call her Farmer Carol. “I just want them to know they have a farmer in their lives,” she says. One day more than a decade ago, a boy had a Lego he wanted to share with her while she was in a discussion with a group. “He came flying across the yard waving this little thing in his hand and said ‘Mr. Farmer Carol! Mr. Farmer Carol!’ I looked at the group and I said ‘You see what I mean (about perceptions about women farmers)? We need to work on this,’” she remembers. “Rarely, do they do that anymore but 13 years ago, there was a lot of confusion from the young ones minds about having this lady farmer in their lives, but I think we have done a lot to really change that. Now I hear lots of parents and young people telling me that the girls, the daughters, are thinking they want to be farmers like Farmer Carol and to me that is like ‘Yea!’ What better work could I be doing out here?”
Farming is typically seen as a male dominated profession but of the 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms in the United States, 288,264 are run by women as the principal operators with 969,672 involved in ownership, according to the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture. Women make up 30 percent of farmers across the country. “I feel like some people, when they picture a farm and women on the farm, they think that we just cook and clean and help out here and there,” says Taylor Lawyer Huffman of Thurmont’s Winterbrook Farms. Since her mid-teen years, she has done the same physical tasks as men including baling and unloading hay and driving various farm vehicles. “I think people forget that we can do the same things,” she says. “I enjoy the physical work. I think that they think when women are on the farm they have the lighter tasks and that is not always the case.”
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Lawyer Huffman has fulltime duties with her farm that she co-owns with her husband and she is also a Realtor. “I drive a Ford F-150 pickup truck,” she says. “Some of the people at my office laugh. They say ‘You are this little petite thing, dressed up, getting out of a truck’ and I say ‘Yes, because the other half of my life is farming.’” Teresa Summers Greenwood balances farming at her Frederickbased Summers Farm and raising 5-year-old and 2-year-old boys. She has a babysitter come three days a week so she can farm, then dedicates her remaining time to having adventures with her kids. “I really put an emphasis on balancing (both) because I do want my kids to be a part of (farming) and I want to be here with them,” she says. Rollman grew up on a farm in Appalachia “where if we didn’t make it, grow it, or raise it ourselves, we didn’t usually have it. (Her parents) went into town to the stores every couple of months to get coffee and sugar and things like that, but otherwise we did all of our storing, food preservation, butchering. We did it all. I grew up on a farm like that and thought I lived in paradise.” Carol Rollman
She bought Sycamore Spring Farm 34 years ago with the hope of one day hosting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. “The year I turned 50, I said ‘I am going to pursue this farm dream and I am not going to let anything stop me’ and that was 13 years ago,” Rollman says. She opened her farm to the public in 2003, raising over 60 different varieties of fruit, vegetables and herbs along with free-range beef,
lamb, goats and poultry and hosting an annual CSA. Farming is a lifestyle choice. “People say ‘Don’t you ever take a vacation?’ And I said ‘Well, you know, if I could I would probably just want to go to an Amish farm for a week or a dude ranch.’ Why would I ever want to take a vacation? Every time that I walk out the door, I go ‘Thank you,
memory. Nobody is even going to remember it anymore.’ But now that daughter (now 23) is doing the identical thing that I am doing on our new farm up in Gettysburg. To have these young people inspired to pick up the baton ... I feel that I have a real responsibility to encourage any young person that has that desire inside of them to farm. I want to be able to be there to inspire them and help them to do that.” Teresa Summers Greenwood
God. I love this place!’ I mean it’s a dawn-til-dark project out here. It really is. But I don’t feel like I am putting in a lot of hours on the clock. It’s my lifestyle that I live. I just happen to be able to at this point in my life to make my career my lifestyle choice.” Rollman recalls a conversation when her youngest daughter was 16 or 17 and watching Rollman
working hard on the farm. “She said to me ‘One day, Mom you may just have to accept the fact that when you are gone and my generation grows up, all of this stuff that you are fighting for will be just a
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YOUNG FARMERS ARE STILL GOING INTO THE FIELD On their way to other careers, Andrew and Mary Kathryn Barnet fell in love with farming. “My plan was to go into international development work,” says Mary Kathryn, but in studying sustainable agriculture she realized “I should actually work on a farm and after several seasons” decided it was a career she desired fulltime. As for Andrew, while he was attending college in Pomona, Calif., he became involved in the campus organic farm. Later, during a summer break he divided his time between an agricultural non-profit in New York City and an organic farm in Connecticut. “He liked farming better than sitting at a desk,” his wife says. The Barnets, in their early 30s, met while working on a farm near Atlanta where Mary Kathryn was impressed with his abilities with poultry. “He led the charge on the chickens,” she says and now they oversee 6,000 meat birds a year as well as a flock of egg-layers on their Open Book Farm outside Middletown. The couple began their farm search by looking for a place between New England and Atlanta, somewhere with a temperate climate and a market for what they would produce. Coincidentally, the parents of a college acquaintance were looking to rent their Myersville farm and the Barnets took the plunge. Within the past year they took an even larger leap by buying their own farm. “It was a really big decision and I’m glad we started out by leasing,” Mary Kathryn says. “Once our families saw that we weren’t completely crazy they helped us out.” In addition to Frederick’s weather and the availability of customers, another advantage is that “there’s such a good, strong farming community around here,”
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she says. “We know a lot of other young farmers” who have become friends “we hang out with, who don’t think it’s weird” to talk about the nuts and bolts of farming that wouldn’t interest others. More seasoned and experienced farmers also are helpful. “They don’t tend to be vocally judgmental, they sit back and see what happens,” Mary Kathryn says. Andrew, for instance, has a “grazing mentor” who’s teaching him the ins and outs of having good pasture land, necessary for their beef cattle, chickens and pigs. Additionally, they raise a wide variety of vegetables, all with a focus on soil health, livestock well-being and selling directly to consumers. Mary Kathryn says the biggest piece of advice for others is “to work for farms. We apprenticed for two years and it was really valuable.” She also suggests taking advantage of the expertise of the Natural Resources Conservation Services and Extension Service. Not only do they advise the best way to control pests, they’re also invaluable with loan and grant programs. When she runs into people from her past, Mary Kathryn says often “there’s a double take—Farming? What?—and then they ask, ‘can I come and visit?’”
THE SCENT OF PINE LOCAL GROWERS PROVIDE ALL THE HOLIDAY TRIMMINGS By Nancy Luse
Michael Ryan remembers when he was a young boy living in New York City, excited by all the tree lots that sprang up right before Christmas. Years later, Ryan owns a Frederick County farm in Union Bridge, a place he calls “out in the middle of nowhere,” where he has been providing Christmas trees to thousands of customers for a little more than 50 years. “We did a first planting of 30 acres of trees,” he says, an operation that now encompasses some 180 acres. The farm at 1012 Clemsonville Road was once home to a dairy herd, probably as labor-intensive as it gets, but Ryan quickly injects that “no matter what you do in farming, it’s work.” In other words, you don’t just stick some trees in the ground and walk away until they’re grown. Planting begins in early spring, he says, around March, with 10-inch to 12-inch seedlings going into the newly-thawed ground. The farm grows pine, spruce, fir and a few cedars. Through-out the year there’s mowing to be done between the trees, although Ryan likes to hold off during the summer so that beneficial insects have a habitat. “We also need to trim the trees,” which take 8 to 10 years
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before they can be cut, “and before you know it, it’s Christmas.” Before coming to Frederick County, Ryan had a small farm near Rockville where he also grew Christmas trees, catering to folks from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. “It was when the Christmas tree industry was coming on,” he says, so it was logical to grow trees on his new, much larger, farm. “Then in the mid-80s artificial trees came on the market,” he says.
Growers weren’t too concerned because the trees really did look fake—“sort of like green bottle brushes, but they became better looking over the years. A lot of customers switched and some of the smaller tree farms went by the wayside. It’s been a real battle to get new customers, but over the years we have had to come up with new ideas.” Much of what Ryan has devised revolves around giving customers a unique experience, something opposite of going to a box store or “climbing into the attic,” he says. Instead, starting on the day after Thanksgiving people can come to the farm, with family and friends in tow, and be provided with a saw and pointed to the fields to find the perfect tree. If there’s a nip in the air and some snow on the ground, it’s all the better.
CATERING TO CHRISTMAS Following are Frederick County farms where you can get a Christmas tree:
CLEMSONVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 10120 Clemsonville Road, Union Bridge, Frederick County, 410.848.6083
DREAMLAND CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Ryan also sells firewood, another way to expand their offerings.
2700 Sumantown Road, Middletown 301.418.5348
E&E TREES The barn is decorated for the season, including a “Christmas World” display and a natural maze to get lost in. Punch and cookies are laid out for some socializing along with the tree-cutting. The barn also contains a gift shop and there are hand-made wreaths, swags and what Ryan calls “a bag of Christmas” with various cut greens that can be used to fill window boxes or make table arrangements. Speaking of wreaths, the farm has bragging rights to making the Guinness Book of Records for having the largest wreath—116-feet wide, to be exact—built in the early 1980s.
A special touch at the farm that is open every day up until Christmas is the holiday story that Ryan pens every year, printing it out and handing to customers, many of whom look forward to a new story every year. “We don’t have to turn it into Disney World,” Ryan says of the “agri-tainment” aspect of his operation, but it is a way to attract people to the farm. “It’s enjoyable and a tough business, too,” says the farmer whose motto is “treat customers like gold.” He even goes so far as holding back on cutting his own Christmas tree to the very end. “I tell people I want them to have the best tree first.”
9420 Dublin Road, Walkersville 301.829.0394
EBERLE CHRISTMAS FARM 13415 Liberty Road, Union Bridge, Frederick County, 301.898.4232
FRANZ TREE FARM 12056 Fingerboard Road, Monrovia 301.865.1798 or 301.717.8449
GAVER FARM 5501 Detrick Road, Mount Airy, Frederick County, 301.865.3515
MAYNE’S TREE FARM 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown 301.662.4320
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MOBILE MARKET PROJECT BRINGS FRESH PRODUCE DIRECTLY TO AT-RISK CONSUMERS Frederick city and some towns out in the county have food deserts, places where the only source for groceries may be a gas station or convenience store, places not known for fresh, nutritional fruits and vegetables. Even if there’s a full-service grocery nearby, a person may not have transportation to get there and underlying the problem is not having an income to support healthier food choices. Michael Dickson, founder of Seed of Life Nurseries, Inc., a non-profit with a mission to grow more gardens to meet nutritional needs, support local growers and help at-risk youth by teaching them gardening skills, has added a mobile market to the mix. If people can’t get to the food source, the source will come to them. The bus, decorated with inspirational thoughts scrawled by more than 100 people in the community, carries harvested crops from Seed of Life’s gardens along with produce from local farmers and suppliers who sell to the project at a discounted rate. The savings are then passed on to low-income individuals shopping at the mobile market. Currently the bus stops in Carver and Lucas Village public housing complexes as well as at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on North Market Street. Stops also are made in Brunswick, Emmitsburg, Hagerstown and Union Bridge. “We carry about 40 different fruits and vegetables,” Dickson says, along with coolers on board for meats and dairy products. “I’m inspired that we can create food access” in areas that are in desperate need. He recalls a resident
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of senior housing in Brunswick who said it had been two years since he had fresh vegetables, instead relying on canned goods. The project expects to expand into bringing nutrition experts along for the ride and having cooking demonstrations using produce some people may be unfamiliar with such as Swiss chard or egg plant. Literature pertaining to healthy eating is also made available. The bus is on the road four days a week and often draws stares from other motorists or when it’s parked in neighborhoods, says Dickson, who is always ready to talk about the project and listen to suggestions. www.solnurseries.info
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LOCAL VETERAN’S FARM EARNS HOMEGROWN BY HEROES DISTINCTION By Gina Gallucci-White
On the last day of his second tour of duty in Fallujah, Iraq, as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, DeWitt Williams spent the day helping transition a new unit coming to relieve his group. “I thought I had cleared (an) area out and I hadn’t,” he recalls. “When we drove by, it blew up.” As a result of the brain injury he suffered from the improvised exploding device and three total tours of duty in Iraq, Williams was later diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. On a recent morning, Williams sits at the dinner table in his family's Keymar home, a few minutes shy of the Woodsboro town limits. His service dog, Bizzy, a 3-year-old Belgium Malinois, sleeps by his feet and helps to calm him when he has anxiety or nightmares. After eight years in the Marines, Williams became a police officer at a federal facility for six years, losing his job because of the effects of PTSD. “We weren’t sure what to do,” says Allison Williams, his wife. “I had a little produce stand at the time. We had a big garden but one day we sat down and were like ‘What are we going to do? He doesn’t have a job. What are we going to do?’ We looked at each other and just said ‘Let's farm.’”
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Although the couple had no major experience in agricultural, they formed Oakie Doke Farm in 2013 where they grow a variety of produce including sweet corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers,
cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupes. The couple put in an average of 12 to 14 hours a day on their farm but it is work they love. “You go to bed physically exhausted but your soul feels good,” Allison Williams says. DeWitt Williams adds “The best thing for me is when you get done doing all (the preparation and planting work.) When everything starts popping up out of the ground and it’s like ‘Oh, man! Look at all of this!’ It's so cool.” For their efforts, the farm this year earned the Homegrown By Heroes designation, an official farmer veteran branding program. Meeting several eligibility requirements including having veteran or active duty military status and a characterization of their service as general or honorable, more than 250 farms across 43 states participate. There are only four farms in Maryland that have earned the designation, according to the Farmer Veteran Coalition. Oakie Doke may now use the label on their products which
basically “says he supported his country through his military efforts and now he is continuing to support our country through his agricultural efforts.” Owning just over 12 acres and leasing several more next door, the couple hopes to one day bring veterans suffering from PTSD and transitioning out of the military to the farm to work and heal. “They (can) unwind,” he says. “They (can) reconnect back into society. Learn a different skill. Learn how to be sustainable themselves. Grow their own food they are going to be
eating and just realize they don’t have to go back into what they know. You can do something that is completely foreign to you and be happy and not have to deal with that other day-to-day grind.” The farm offers a commitment fee Community Supported Agriculture program which has people driving from as far away as Washington, D.C. and West Virginia to get their products. Allison Williams also hosts canning and freezer meal classes periodically throughout the year. “Our kids (DeWitt Jr., Dayson and Adalyn) are the driving force behind why we did what we did,” she says. “We just wanted a better life for them.”
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LETTUCE AGRI-TAIN YOU! AREA FARMS OFFER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO ENTERTAIN THE MASSES By Gina Gallucci-White
While driving along Md. 550 in the Thurmont area, folks will notice there’s more than meets the eye when passing by Winterbrook Farms (also known as Lawyer's Farm). You'll see tractors, acres of corn, bales of hay and Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from the Transformers movie franchise. These gigantic metal re-creations make excellent scarecrows, but serve a more entertaining purpose come fall. Since 2000, the Autobots have become targets every fall season for the farm's two pumpkin cannons. The Transformers are made from two old farm trucks created by the farm's former owner, the late Jan Hunter Lawyer. “We shoot about 10,000 pumpkins a year at them so by the end of the season they are pretty rough,” says Taylor Lawyer Huffman, owner. “Right before we open again, we always go back out there and we add more metal and we repaint them.” Creating mass pumpkin casualties is just one of the many activities fall visitors will find. They can also meander through five corn mazes,
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watch a movie on a jumbo screen, run around the indoor playground or play in a hay fort. “I feel like we are unique compared to the other fall festivals,” Lawyer Huffman says. “Where else can you shoot pumpkins out of a canon? We just like to try to be unique and offer (different) activities for families and people of all ages to experience.”
Agri-tourism is important for the area because it comes in many different shapes and sizes including breweries, wineries, distilleries and seasonal farms. “These sites bring visitors from all over the area, from many, many miles away,” says Becky Bickerton, Tourism Council of Frederick County's director of sales and marketing. “They come here for those specific attractions because it is something they maybe can’t get where they live or because our product is so good.” Not only does agri-tourism benefit the county, but it helps bring in additional revenue to local farms. “It’s become very expensive to farm for a living,” Lawyer Huffman says. “The price of fuel, equipment, feed—it has all gone up. It’s to the point where we need that extra income to help support our farms. For us, we enjoy inviting the public to the farm and getting to show them a little bit of what we do.”
Deavers’ children are the seventh generation for the farming family which bought the property in 1870. Working as a teacher, she says it is great to get people out to the farm. “We need to get everyone a little bit more knowledgeable about where our food comes from.”
What started as an additional source of revenue in 1994 has turned into a fun, family tradition at Jumbo's Pumpkin Patch at the Huffer Family Farm in Middletown. “We all just really enjoy doing it and getting people out to the farm experience (including) a lot of people from the city whose children haven’t seen a cow before,” says Amy Deavers.“It’s pretty fun to do that for the community.” Beginning in late September, the farm offers 30 acres of pick your own pumpkins, a petting zoo, horse drawn wagon rides and pony rides.
Thurmont’s Catoctin Mountain Orchard welcomes patrons to not only see where food grows, but to pick it as well. Grab a basket and get ready to pick your own apples, black raspberries, dark sweet cherries, blueberries and flowers. “People are looking for something to do (that is) family oriented,” says Robert Black, Orchard president. “Folks come in to pick berries or cherries or apples that they can take home and know that they picked them here. They know where it is coming from. They can talk to farmers (here). ...We are trying to educate (patrons) while having
a lot of fun, too.” The orchard also features a retail farm market stocked daily and a bakery showcasing pies, cakes, cookies and other desserts. After her family sold their herd of dairy cows in 1992, Teresa Summers Greenwood read an article about a Florida family who turned their farm into a festival space featuring a corn maze and pumpkin patch. After several years of research, Summers Farm opened Harvest Festival in 1997. “As most of us get further and further removed from agriculture, it is really important that those of us still in agriculture to be able to go out and to bring folks to our farm to share what we do to teach them about agriculture,” Summers Greenwood says. Today, the farm's festival features more than 30 activities, live weekend music, fireworks and campfires. Last year, the farm made national headlines for its ‘Taylor-Made Maze’ featuring singer Taylor Swift. Ideas are still being discussed for this year’s corn maze.
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• Farm & Companion Animals • Farm & House Calls
• Specialized Rehabilitative Services including Acupuncture
• Reproduction Services with Board-Certified Specialist • Boarding & Grooming
• Dog Training Classes including Nose Work • Underwater Treadmill
FAMILY FESTIVAL @ THE FARM SHOWS WHERE FOOD ORIGINATES Rich Calimer, owner of Scenic View Orchards in Sabillasville, spends the growing season selling to customers and visiting with them at farmers markets around Frederick County. They are in turn welcome to come to his farm, but on Oct. 15 and 16 (raindate is Oct. 22 and 23) is an even better time to look behind the scenes of a farming operation as Calimer and nearly two dozen others participate in the annual Family Festival @ the Farm, a self-guided tour filled with special activities. One of the activities at Scenic View that weekend is a hay ride to the orchard where Calimer explains the different types of apples and how they’re grown, as well as pointing out the fall vegetables in the field. “It’s educational,” he says, “and many realize just how much work it takes to grow our food.” From pumpkins to alpacas, to learning how milk is transformed into ice cream, tour participants see the diversity of agriculture that makes Frederick County so special. Julie Tingue, of Brookfield Pumpkins, LLC, Thurmont, is a sixth generation farmer. Previously a dairy operation, the farm now includes a 10-acre patch for pick-your-own pumpkins as well as cash crops of corn and soybeans. Tingue says she enjoys the opportunity to educate consumers about where their food comes from, as well as providing fun, family time. Brookfield has a corn maze each year and the money charged for
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people to try and navigate the twists and turns is 100 percent donated to various charities. Carol Rollman, of Sycamore Spring Farm on Elmer Derr Road, also likes the chance to be a cheerleader for farming and agriculture. As part of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) component of her operation she promotes education throughout the year, with the Family Festival @ the Farm mirroring that initiative. “When I turned 50 I made farming a career choice,” she says, “bringing me back to my first love.” Visitors to Sycamore Spring Farm will learn about her passion of everything from wood chip gardening to canning and preserving, growing wildflowers and milking goats. “I’ve met a lot of folks at the festival who have become farm friends,” she says, including one young man who became an intern at the farm. “They love to come out and we love to have them,” Rollman says. For more information, visit www.homegrownfrederick.com/family-festival
FAMILY FESTIVAL @ THE FARM
Adams County, PA
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PARTICIPATING FARMS 1. Brookfield Pumpkins 2. Catoctin Mountain Orchard 3. Gaver Farm 4. Glade Links Farms 5. Jumbo’s Pumpkin Patch 6. Lawyer’s Farm 7. Mayne’s Tree Farm 8. Nick’s Organic Farm 9. Oakie Doke Farm 10. Persistence Run Farm 11. Rights of Man Farm 12. Rocky Point Creamery 13. Scenic View Orchards 14. South Mountain Creamery 15. Sycamore Spring Farm 16. Thanksgiving Farm 17. Three Streams Farm 18. Twin Hills Farm 19. Whispering Meadows
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"U Y A R M O N T H E& O R /NL I NE When you buy directly from farmers, you get fresh, healthy produce, keep your food dollars close to home, and support a local farm family.
NEW IN 2016! Homegrown Frederick, a service of the Office of Economic Development, serves farmers and citizens by promoting local agriculture and business in order to preserve the rich heritage of our County. Search for local events, creameries, craft beverages, products and more.
Visit www.HomegrownFrederick.com to plan a day trip or buy local!
COMMERCIAL DUTY TOUGH WWW.GRAVELY.COM
D.W. OGG Equipment Company
D.W. OGG Equipment Company
5149 Cap Stine Road | Frederick, MD
5149 Cap Stine Road | Frederick, MD
301-473-4250 | www.dwogg.net
301-473-4250 | www.dwogg.net
Are you ready for a D.W. OGG Equipment Company
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D.W. OGG Equipment Company
5149 Cap Stine Road | Frederick, MD
5149 Cap Stine Road | Frederick, MD
301-473-4250 | www.dwogg.net
301-473-4250 | www.dwogg.net
FINDING IT ALL ON THE FARM PROVES POSSIBLE Clearly some of the county’s agricultural past has disappeared, but farming continues to play an important part in the local economy with 65 percent of the land zoned for agriculture. Increasingly, consumers are seeking fresh, locallyproduced food and other products and Frederick County farmers and growers are meeting the demand—whether it’s raising alpacas, beef cattle and heirloom vegetables, or inviting you to pick-yourown fruits and vegetables and enjoy a corn maze and hay ride. THE FOLLOWING ICONS DESIGNATE SPECIAL FARM FEATURES. Pick-YourOwn
Family Festival @ the Farm
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ALLEN’S APIARY 9980 Harvest Drive, Frederick 240.409.3589 • 240.793.5532 www.allensapiary.com Allen's Apiary is a great source for fresh, local honey, 100 percent beeswax candles and homemade honey oatmeal soaps. Stop by to pick up your honey or visit them at one of the local farmers markets.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT The apiary has more than 100 hives spread throughout Frederick County and is producing honey for a few local restaurants.
ALPACAS OF WINDSWEPT FARM 2887 Station Road, Middletown 240.235.1597 • www.windsweptalpacas.com Nestled in the rolling hills of Middletown, the owners raise Huacaya alpacas prized for their exquisite fiber which is extremely soft, lightweight, yet provides excellent warmth. Alpaca fiber is considered to have hypo-allergenic qualities. They focus on producing yarn as well as knitted and woven products from their fiber. Visitors are welcome by appointment only.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Yarn is offered in a variety of natural and hand-dyed colors. Finished products from their yarn include scarves, shawls and fingerless gloves, supplemented with Peruvian products. School groups tours and special events available. 44
BIG WHITE BARN PRODUCE 6601 Manor Woods Road, Frederick 301.874.3173 • www.bigwhitebarn.com The nearly 200-acre farm, located in Buckeystown, has been offering CSAs for the past eight years. Farmer Steve offers the expected staples in your CSA share. However, you will also find heirloom tomatoes, kohlrabi, leeks and pak choi. The farm features an herb and fresh flower cutting garden open to the public on Saturdays during the summer months.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT A partnership with the Greater Urbana Area foodbank ensures that overrun produce from each CSA will be donated to the hungry in our local community. Cut yourself a weekly bouquet from the fresh flower cutting garden.
BLACK ANKLE VINEYARDS 14463 Black Ankle Road, Mount Airy 301.829.3338 • www.blackankle.com This 145-acre farm has 42.5 acres planted in wine grapes. Cows, pigs and chickens graze in the non-vineyard land in support of the vineyard operation. The tasting room is 100 percent wind and solar powered. For a fee visitors can try a selection of wines. Glass and bottle sales are also available. Tasting room hours vary by season. For the most up-to-date tasting room information, please visit www.blackankle.com
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT All wines are sold at the farm and online. In addition, a cheese plate featuring an assortment of locally-produced cheese is available.
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BROOKFIELD PUMPKINS, LLC
CATOCTIN BREEZE VINEYARD
8302 Ramsburg Road, Thurmont 301.898.3527 • www.brookfieldpumpkins.com
15010 Roddy Road, Thurmont 240.449.0677 • www.catoctinbreeze.com
Brookfield Pumpkins is a pick-your-own pumpkin patch located on a six-generation cash crop farm with a view of the Catoctin Mountains. Three generations of the Ramsburg and Roop families are active in running it. Many customers start their visit with a hayride out to the 10-acre patch, returning to participate in the numerous activities around the barn. Call or visit the website for hours.
Catoctin Breeze is a boutique vineyard and winery operation producing small lots of fine quality Maryland wines. The winery offers a range of varietal and blended wines, as well as a selection of honey wines known as mead. From thoughtful attention to the vines, careful selection of fruit, and gentle winemaking methods, their commitment to producing the finest quality wines is reflected in each bottle. Catoctin Breeze offers both general and private tastings.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Hay ride, petting zoo, corn fun (table filled with shell corn and miniature farm equipment), face painting ($), (weekends only), Molly Moo (life size cow replica that can actually be milked), Corn Maze for the Cure ($). 46
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Live music is hosted every weekend during the spring, summer and fall. These events make for the perfect time to unwind and enjoy a beautiful day with wine, family and friends.
CATOCTIN CREEK FARM 4939 Broad Run Road, Jefferson 301.834.6427 • www.catoctincreekfarm.com Catoctin Creek Farm raises award-winning Romney sheep. A new solar array has been established to make the farm carbon neutral. They are an example of sustainable agriculture—a small ag business concerned most with maintaining high environmental standards. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Their Romney wool is highly prized by hand spinners. They also make wool products including blankets, roving, historic throws, yarn, socks and various other wool crafts.
CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN ORCHARD 15036 N. Franklinville Road, Thurmont 301.271.2737•www.catoctinmountainorchard.com Catoctin Mountain Orchard is a third generation fruit, vegetable, and berry farm celebrating more than 50 years in business. One hundred-plus acres produce products sold at the retail market on the farm. Pick-your-own crops and flowers are available. Call or visit the website for hours and farmers market locations.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Products also include plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, pears, grapes, kiwiberries, blackberries, sweet cherries, black raspberries, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, kale, fruit pies, cookies, crumb cakes, apple butter, cider, apple sauce and honey. Participant in the Frederick County Public School Lunch Program. 47
CELEBRATION FARM 9961 Green Valley Road, Union Bridge 443.745.0207 • www.celebration-farm.com Celebration Farm is a boarding and training center featuring lessons in dressage and eventing. Lessons and some sale horses are available. The farm also has an award-winning small Oldenburg and Trakehner breeding operation. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Dressage Show Series, PVDA Schooling Show, monthly clinics with Eugene Abello, photos with Santa in December. Equine boarding and training, Daily Dose Equine Natural Horse Feed.
CLEMSONVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 10120 Clemsonville Road, Union Bridge 410.848.6083 • www.clemsonville.com At Clemsonville’s 250-acre Christmas Tree Farm you can cut or dig trees—fir, pine and spruce—plus get wreaths, swags and tree stands. All trees are $20. The farm dates back to 1775 and has a historic mansion copied from George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. The farm is the home of Guinness Record-breaking wreaths.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT A Christmas tradition for over 50 years. Visit the Christmas Barn, explore the nature maze, see Boulder GardenChristmas Wonderland and go to Picnic Park. Open every day after Thanksgiving until Christmas. Fresh-cut trees and greenery. Free punch and cookies. 48
COOLING SPRINGS FARM 2455 Ballenger Creek Pike, Adamstown 301.874.0235 • www.coolingsprings.org Cooling Springs Farm has been operated by seven generations of the same family since Andrew and Barbara Michael founded the farm in 1768, making Cooling Springs Farm one of the county’s oldest farms owned by the same family. Passed-down oral tradition tells of the family using the farm to shelter Underground Railroad freedom seekers in the 1800s. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Cooling Springs Farm has been open to the public since 2004 as an Underground Railroad historic site. Come and hear the history and the farm’s involvement on a free tour. The farm is powered entirely by sun and wind.
CRUMLAND FARMS 7612 Willow Road, Frederick 301.845.8099 • www.crumland.com www.screamlandfarms.com Crumland Farms has activities from late spring through fall. School tours of farm life including the Pizza Farm in the spring and summer, to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch in the fall. An eight-acre corn maze to get lost in, various animals to interact with and a huge play area makes for a great place for birthday parties, reunions and company outings. Fun for all ages!
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Nights in the fall can get truly terrifying with Screamland Farms. Three different haunted attractions, zombie paintball, and other types of entertainment await. Not suitable for younger ages. www.screamland.com
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E&E TREES INC. DISTILLERY LANE CIDERWORKS 5533 Gapland Road, Jefferson 301.834.8920•www.distillerylaneciderworks.com Distillery Lane Ciderworks, located just outside of historic Burkittsville, specializes in growing a wide variety of apples perfect for cider, baking and eating. The family-owned and operated farm and cidery offers unique apple varieties, sweet cider and hard cider. Their heritage apples are prized by apple lovers, bakers, and home brewers for their exquisite taste. Open year-round, Saturdays and Sundays noon – 5 p.m. Check the website in the fall for extended hours.
9420 Dublin Road, Walkersville 301.829.0394 • www.eandetrees.com This cut or pick-your-own Christmas tree farm has been in business since 1976. The company name stands for Ecology and Environment which was so important at that time and even more so now. They have been a family-owned and run business since that time. The farm is located on 100 acres with many evergreen trees to choose from: White Pine up to 14-feet, Norway spruce up to 12-feet, Douglas fir to 12-feet and smaller sizes of Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir, Canaan Fir and Serbian Spruce. They also have balled and burlapped live trees for those who want to plant their tree. Pre-cut trees available along with wreaths made on the farm, holly and roping. Saws are available.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Hard and fresh cider featured on this heritage apple farm.
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E & E Trees, Inc. is a member of the Maryland Forest Association, the Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association, The Maryland Farm Bureau and Maryland Christmas Tree Association.
EBERLE CHRISTMAS FARM 13415 Liberty Road, Union Bridge 301.898.4232 • www.eberlechristmasfarm.com They are a family-owned and operated Christmas tree farm located on 40 rolling acres with Civil War-era buildings. They offer a great variety of tree species ranging from 4 to more than 12 feet for u-cut. Fresh-cut trees range from 6 to 11 feet and are kept in water for you. Open the day after Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. until dark six days a week. Closed Tuesdays.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT A full service farm with a wide variety of trees and accessories. Hand-made wreaths of all shapes and sizes by on-site artist. Shaking and baling included.
ELK RUN VINEYARDS 15113 Liberty Road, Mount Airy 410.775.2513 • www.elkrun.com Elk Run grows 25 acres of classic wine grapes, practicing sustainable agriculture since 1980. Elk Run has won more than 600 national and international awards. Open for tasting year round, guests are invited to enjoy a glass of wine on the patio, bring a picnic or enjoy local cheeses and breads, while listening to some of the best local musicians in Frederick. A gift shop feaures local artisans.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Elk Run is noted for many unique wines in addition to their classic red and white varietals including sparkling wine, ice wine and port.
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ENGLAND ACRES 5620 Detrick Road, Mount Airy Market Sales: 240.674.2028 Hay and Field Products: 240.674.2030 www.englandacres.com Family-owned and operated by life-long farmers, the goal is to provide quality local products and services. Home to pasture-raised Angus beef cattle, meat and egg producing chicken flocks and fiber/meat sheep. The land provides berries, vegetables, flowers, forages, hays, straw and a variety of grains used on the farm and sold. Products from other local farmers help meet the demand for fresh, local and natural products. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Visit at lambing time, watch chicks grow to maturity, frequent the gardens as the produce ripens, help to plant potatoes in April and dig them in August, press apples into cider, all to learn the benefits of eating with the seasons.
FLYING GOAT FARM 5241 Bartonsville Road, Frederick 443.538.8303 • www.flyinggoatfarm.com The owners have 25 acres that they farm in an organic and sustainable way, with fruit, berry and nut trees, free-range chickens, guinea fowl, Angora goats, cormo and BFL sheep. They sell organic eggs, jams and pickles at the farm or at local farmers markets. As their orchard matures they will also offer fruit, berries and nuts. They sell mohair locks, fleeces, roving and yarn and hand-dyed commercial quilting fabric and yarns. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They offer spinning, dyeing and weaving workshops and have occasional farming specialty classes such as pruning and animal husbandry as well. 52
FLYING PIGS FARM 9233 Bessie Clemson Road, Union Bridge 301.898.8956 • www.flyingpigsorganic.com They offer certified organic blueberries, raspberries and jams. The farm consists of 25 acres of beautiful countryside where the owners, Paul, Pam and Emma Burke, have lived since 2002. Viewing their role as caretakers of this land, they have worked to protect it and enhance its productivity. They have corrected erosion problems, planted more than 700 trees and several pollinator strips, improved the fertility and organic matter of the soil, protected water resources on and around the property and worked to reduce invasive species—all while growing fruits and vegetables that are delicious and nutritious.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT The operation is certified organic. Visitors are welcome with advance notice
FOX HAVEN ORGANIC FARM & LEARNING CENTER 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson 301.748.2427 or 240.490.5484 www.foxhaven.org This large organic farm emphasizes innovative conservation practices designed to improve healthy soils and water quality in the Catoctin Creek watershed. It features an organic certified, large-scale production garden, 120 acres of organic mixed hay and 200-plus acres of CRP trees, shrubs and warm season grasses. Annual Field Days scheduled.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT New learning center is available for seminars, workshops and meetings. “Farm stay” rentals available in four renovated farm houses. 53
FRANZ TREE FARM
FULL CELLAR FARM
12056 Fingerboard Road, Monrovia 301.865.1798 or 301.717.8449 franztreefarm@gmail.com
3901 Lander Road, Jefferson 301.639.9711 • www.fullcellarfarm.com
Franz Tree farm is 144 acres of beautiful countryside with 35 acres in Christmas trees. The remaining acreage is made up of woodlands and hay fields. Choose and cut your own tree (saws are available). Call or email for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Scotch and white pines, Norway spruce and Colorado blue spruce are available.
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They grow fresh vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and pastured poultry, pork and eggs on the scenic westward slopes of the Middletown Valley. Though not certified organic, they aim to grow the prettiest and tastiest food for the local community in a way that leaves the farm healthy and productive for future generations. You can find them at area farmers markets, CSAs and local food hubs.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
They bring your CSA right to one of the local farmers markets – no need to miss out on the best produce.
GAVER FARM, LLC 5501 Detrick Road, Mount Airy 301.865.3515 • www.gaverfarm.com Gaver Farm features a farm market with pumpkins, apples, fall produce, cider, decor and free hayrides to pick-your-own pumpkins and apples. Enjoy the Fall Fun Festival complete with farm animals, corn maze, straw activities, jumping pillow and over 45 family-friendly activities. For over 30 years Gaver Farm has provided cut-your-own and fresh-cut Christmas trees and wreaths, roping, swags and fresh greenery in the farm market. Visit the Barn Bakery and Grill open during the fall and Christmas seasons.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Gaver Farm is a family-owned and operated working farm growing seasonal farm products from apples and pumpkins to mums, corn stalks, Christmas trees, fresh-baked pies, their famous apple cider donuts and family farm fun.
GLADE-LINK FARMS, LLC 12270 Woodsboro Pike, Keymar 301.898.7131 • www.gladelink.com Glade-Link Farms is family-owned and operated. For 40 years, it has provided customers with fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and fall decorations. Pick-your-own strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins and fall vegetables. Wedding and event design with homegrown cut flowers available. They participate in local farmers markets. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Acres of strawberries and blueberries are complimented by cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kale, green beans, turnips, pumpkins and fall decorations and cut flowers.
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GOOD HOPE FARMSTEAD 10820 Renner Road, Woodsboro 301.237.8378 • www.GoodHopeFarmstead.com Good Hope Farmstead is a pasture-based family farm that offers grass-fed beef, grass-finished lamb and mutton, free-range chicken, and holiday turkey. Customized cuts are available for whole and half lamb orders. This farm is located within easy commuting distance to the Washington D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. Their products are available for on-farm pick-up by appointment or at the Bowie Farmers Market (May-November).
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Pasture raised meats: Beef, lamb, chicken and turkey. This farm is dedicated to keeping the well-being of the animals and quality of the land at the forefront of its farm planning.
GRINDSTONE RIDGE FARM 2710A Monument Road, Myersville 301.908.5985 • www.grindstoneridgefarm.com The farm contains sheep, angora goats and alpacas. Natural colored and hand-dyed commercial yarns, fleeces, wool, mohair and alpaca rovings for spinning or crafting. Dates for needle felting classes on the website. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Free-range chicken and duck eggs, egg ornaments, handmade natural soaps, holiday gifts and jams, jellies and hot sauces made from the garden.
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HARA-VALE FARM 4309 Cap Stine Road, Frederick 301.788.5409 • 301.471.5968 www.edscountrybakery.net Hara-Vale Farm has been a four-generation family dairy farm for more than 50 years and is transitioning from dairy farming to pasture-raised beef, hay and straw sales and livestock hauling. The farm is also home to Ed’s Country Bakery. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They offer baked goods, including wedding cakes, all natural pasture-raised and grain-finished beef sold by the quarter or half or in a variety of cuts and ground beef; hay and straw bales and livestock hauling.
HEDGEAPPLE FARM 3760 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown 301.662.0226 • www.hedgeapplefarm.com Hedgeapple Farm dates to 1731. Since 1956, the Jorgenson family has operated a dairy and a beef farm on the property. Since 1997, it has been a nonprofit research and educational foundation farm dedicated to improving and promoting grass-fed Angus beef. In 2006, the owners reconstructed a 1790s-era log cabin to serve as a market to sell the grass-fed and grassfinished beef raised here. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Individual cuts of beef are available and sold by the pound. Their beef is dry-aged and sold vac-sealed and flash frozen. They also offer a premium boxed assortment package, outstanding beef jerky and monthly beef specials. Beef is 100 percent grass-fed and grassfinished. No grain ever. Open three days per week all year-long. 57
HIDDEN HILLS FARM AND VINEYARD
HIDDEN HILLS HORSE FARM
7550 Green Valley Road, Frederick 301.660.8735 www.hiddenhillsfarmandvineyard.com
7550 Green Valley Road, Frederick 301.305.5963 www.hiddenhillshorsefarm.com
Sharing the land with their beautiful horse farm, Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard produces elegant, dry wines and has 12 of 103 acres in grape production. Come and visit Frederick’s first and only winery located on an equestrian facility in Frederick’s gorgeous horse country. Enjoy your wine and a picnic as you watch the horses play. Phone for a tasting appointment.
Nestled in 103 spectacular acres in Frederick, Hidden Hills Horse Farm is one of the area’s most beautiful equine boarding facilities for the enjoyment of both horses and riders. They offer horse boarding in luxurious, well-equipped horse stables as well as year-round riding in the outdoor and indoor horse arenas and horse trails.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They welcome you to be a part of Frederick County’s beautiful horse country as you learn more about local wine production; minutes away from historic Downtown Frederick. 58
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Shower and changing rooms are available for you and heated wash stalls with hot water for your equine companion. Your horse will thrive in our luxurious turnouts.
HILLSIDE TURKEY FARMS 30 Elm Street, Thurmont 301.271.2728 • www.hillsideturkey.com Hillside Turkey Farms is a family-owned, third generation farm and retail store specializing in today's family needs. The main focus is further processing of poultry to make meals more fun and interesting. They carry many fresh poultry products, deli items and some prepared foods. Hillside Turkey Farms is a USDA inspected plant serving the public with a retail store and in many local restaurants. Call or visit the website for store hours and more information. Don't forget to order your fresh turkey or turkey breast for the holidays!
HOMETOWN HARVEST FARM 9542 Bethel Road, Frederick 301.798.2616 • www.hometownharvest.com Tony and Abby Brusco have a 35-acre produce farm where they also raise pastured broilers, laying hens and sheep. An online farmer’s market offers home delivery of weekly items year round from Hometown Harvest or the 150 other local farmers. New for 2016 is the Hometown Harvest kitchen, bringing finished goods made with local ingredients to home delivery and farmers markets.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Fresh turkeys and breasts, turkey sausage, ground turkey, soups, turkey jerky, turkey snack sticks, fresh chicken, deli-sliced roast beef and country ham, pork bacon, smoked turkeys and breasts, cheeses, turkey pot pies and other products.
What Peapod has done for the online grocery delivery, Hometown Harvest has done for the farmers market. Customers can pay-as-they go, picking only what they want. Farmers in the program enjoy the sustainable income. Customers enjoy coming to farm field days. 59
HOUSE IN THE WOODS FARM 2225 Park Mills Road, Adamstown 301.607.4048 • www.houseinthewoods.com House in the Woods Farm is a certified organic diverse farm near Sugarloaf Mountain. They offer a 20-week CSA, featuring heirloom vegetable varieties and heirloom tomatoes. In May, they sell seedlings to home gardeners, featuring many varieties of heirloom tomato plants. They have been in operation since 2000. Visitors welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT It’s the mission to get people involved during Farm Hands Days, lending a hand to plant, tend and harvest the crops. Produce available for sale at the farm by appointment. Educational tours and harvest events.
J BAR W RANCH 10530 Green Valley Road, Union Bridge www.jbarwranch.com This father, son and daughter partnership has received recognition nationwide for producing and hosting pro-bull riding. The ranch has been credited for professionalism displayed at their Battle of the Beast. They maintain more than 750 head of Generation of Genetics Bucking Livestock. Call or visit the website for hours and event dates.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Battle of the Beast event, pro-bull riding, cowgirl barrel racing, mutton bustin’, face painting, food, souvenirs, including T-shirts, cowboy hats, etc.
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JUMBO’S PUMPKIN PATCH, LLC 6521 Holter Road, Middletown 301.371.6874 • www.jumbos.org Jumbo's Pumpkin Patch, LLC is a part of Homestead Farms, owned by the Huffer family. Homestead was purchased in 1870 and has now been home to seven generations. Pick your pumpkins from the 30acre patch and find your way through a 15-acre corn maze. Hayrides, fall shopping, yummy food, activities for children and fun for the whole family.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Visit the Craft Attic to shop for handmade items from over 50 local vendors, enjoy a fresh-squeezed lemonade and funnel cake at the Snack Shack and marvel at the gorgeous selection of farm-grown chrysanthemums.
LAWYER’S FARM 13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont 240.315.8133 • www.LawyersFarm.com This family entertainment spot also known as Winter Brook Farms offers a different theme each year. Let your children play for hours in the indoor area complete with a hay maze, playground and picnic area. Outdoors enjoy a teepee and bonfire. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Five corn mazes cover 42 acres. A movie theme is tied into the design and then is played on a 30-foot screen. Feel the thrill of shooting the two pumpkin cannons at speeds of 70 mph-plus. There is something fun to do for all ages!
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LILYPONS WATER GARDENS
LINGANORE WINECELLARS
6800 Lily Pons Road, Adamstown 1.800.999.5459 • www.lilypons.com
13601 Glissans Mill Road, Mount Airy 301.831.5889 or 410.795.6432 www.linganorewines.com
Lilypons is an aquatic plant farm that was started in1917. In addition to harvesting and selling aquatic plants, they offer a full line of water gardening products such as liners, pumps, filters and fish. The farm is located along the scenic Monocacy River and is a destination for nature lovers. Visit the website for hours and events.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Aquatic plants, fish, pumps, filters, gift items, birding products, heaters for ponds, nets and more.
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Linganore Wine Cellars is the oldest family-run vineyard on the Maryland Wine Trail. The Aellen family first opened Linganore in 1976 and it currently boasts 86 acres of active vineyards. The Aellen family produces more than 30 varieties of wine, ranging from elegantly dry white and red dinner wines to luscious semi-sweet varietals, fruit and dessert wines.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Celebrating 40 years, Linganore offers it all—wine tasting, tours, festivals, and hosts private events. Open seven days a week, 361 days a year. Come and join the family adventure.
LOEW VINEYARDS 14001 Liberty Road, Mount Airy 301.831.5464 • www.loewvineyards.net The history of winemaking in the Loew family dates back to the mid-19th century in Eastern Europe. To renew that tradition, Bill and Lois Loew put down roots (literally) in Frederick County. They planted their first grapevines in 1982, and since that time, have focused on producing a diverse selection of fine handcrafted wines. They take great pleasure in sharing their love of wine with visitors to the winery.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
MAD SCIENCE BREWING COMPANY AT THANKSGIVING FARM 1619 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown 240.409.8723 • www.madsciencebrewing.com Mad Science Brewing Company is located at Thanksgiving Farms & Garden Center just south of Frederick on Md. 85 (Buckeystown Pike). Mad Science Brewing is open to the public for retail sales on Saturdays and Sundays from April to Christmas. Their emphasis is on high-quality, hand-crafted beer using their own homegrown hops, fruits, and vegetables that are available throughout the growing season at Thanksgiving Farms.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Wine tasting, winery and vineyard tours and picnic grounds. Several varieties of wine, from traditionally crafted dry white and dry red selections to unique semi-sweet and sweet wines. Wine-related crafts and gifts also are available.
Mad Science Brewing Company offers a communitysupported brewery (CSB) program, which allows members to have access to special events, discounts and unique single-batch beers.
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MAYNE’S TREE FARM 3420 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown 301.662.4320 • www.maynestreefarm.com This is a full-service farm offering everything from asparagus and pick-your-own strawberries in the spring and sweet corn all summer long to a hayride to the pumpkin patch in the fall. In December is the opportunity to come cut your own Christmas tree and to visit the wreath barn. Call or visit facebook for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Hayrides to the pumpkin patch, pick-your-own fruits, vegetables and pumpkins, cut-your-own Christmas tree. Pumpkin barn set up for group and bus tours and gatherings.
MAZZAROTH VINEYARD 8333 Myersville Road, Middletown • 301.639.0303 info@mazzarothvineyard.com www.mazzarothvineyard.com Mazzaroth Vineyard is a family-owned and operated boutique winery in the Middletown Valley. Achieving a goal of crafting premium Maryland wines requires them to maintain a relentless focus in the vineyard and winery, combined with a respect for nature. They currently grow four varieties well-suited for the region. They enjoy sharing a passion for grape-growing and wine-making. Guests welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They are proud to be a glyphosate-free vineyard. Eliminating this herbicide allows them to cultivate a managed cover crop that moderates soil temperatures and produces more flavorful wines. 64
MILKHOUSE BREWERY AT STILLPOINT FARM 8253 Dollyhyde Road, Mount Airy 301.829.6950 • www.milkhousebrewery.com This is Maryland's first farm brewery, specializing in classic styles of beer “improved with Maryland hops.” They currently grow two types of hops on their 47-acre farm. The brewery produces five year-round beers and rotates a couple of seasonal releases. Visitors are welcome to have a taste and enjoy a perfect pint or two.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Their beers are “farm-grown and hand-crafted.” They use their own hops in all of their beers, as well as many other ingredients grown on their farm or sourced in their neighborhood to enhance the local character of their brews. They brew traditional styles of ales.
MIOLEA ORGANIC FARM 5301 Doubs Road, Adamstown 301.437.8458 www.mioleafarm.com This certified organic farm nestled in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains offers chickens, eggs, vegetables, herbs, berries and native fruits. Products sold on the farm and at farmers markets. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Farm tours offered for a fee and in the winter Italian cooking classes are offered for a fee.
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NICK’S ORGANIC FARM
OAKIE DOKE FARMS
2733 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown 301.983.2167 • nicksorganicfarm.com
10330 Oak Hill Road, Keymar 301.473.0723 • www.oakiedokefarms.com
Founded in 1979, Nick’s Organic Farm sells directly to consumers. They raise all grass-fed Black Angus cattle, pastured chickens and turkeys, free-range eggs and food grade corn, soybeans and small grains. Located outside Buckeystown on a 165-acre certified organic farm, they are committed to constant improvement of the soil. Join the mailing list by emailing nicksorganicfarm@comcast.net.
Oakie Doke Farms is a small farm specializing in sustainably grown, GMO-free produce and eggs from happy chickens. Their mission is to make fresh, healthy produce affordable for everyone. They offer full shares and small shares in their pay-as-you-go CSA. All of Oakie Doke Farms produce, home canned goods and eggs carry the Homegrown by Heroes certification. Stop by and visit us at the farm or at our roadside stand at Calvary Assembly Church in Walkersville.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Grass-fed beef, no hormones, grain or antibiotics; ground beef, beef sausage and jerky; organic pastured chicken and turkey, heritage and standard breeds; organic free-range eggs; organic heirloom grinding corn, popcorn, and cornmeal, non-GMO; organic poultry feeds, hay and straw. 66
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Offering sustainably grown, GMO free produce through our roadside stands and our pay-as-you-go CSA. They offer home-canned goods and cooking and canning classes on the farm. Summer and winter CSA shares available.
OPEN BOOK FARM 6600B Roy Shafer Road, Middletown 240.457.2558 • www.openbookfarm.com They are a diversified livestock and vegetable farm serving Frederick and the larger Middletown Valley. In their farming methods they focus on soil health, livestock well-being and direct to consumer sales.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Their veggie CSA is totally free-choice: members come weekly and fill their bag with whatever produce is seasonally available, in addition to optional you-pick crops like flowers, cherry tomatoes, canning tomatoes, snap beans and peas.
ORCHID CELLAR MEADERY & WINERY 8546 Pete Wiles Road, Middletown 301.473.3568 • www.orchidcellar.com They are Maryland’s premier meadery and winery specializing in complex honey wines, and unique red and white varietals. Visit their scenic tasting room in the Middletown Valley for an intimate tasting experience and an introduction into the divine world of mead. The tasting room sits among 15 acres of land, two acres of grapevines and a handful of beehives. They welcome mead fanatics, wine lovers and beer snobs to sample libations and engage with their questions and thoughts.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They are Maryland’s premier meadery and winery; locally crafted, internationally awarded.
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P&R FARMS 2901 Green Valley Road, Ijamsville 301.385.7898 or 301.509.1688 www.pandrfarms.com P&R Farms is owned and operated by newly-weds Pat and Reilly Curran. After farming as a hobby for a number of years they decided to run their operation more like a business and offer products to more than just friends and family. They believe the everyday consumer should have access to respectfully raised local meat. Their goal is to stay as true as possible to the farming practices of our ancestors by rotationally grazing the pastures to maintain the fields, and avoiding antibiotics. They believe in taking excellent care of their animals so, in turn, their animals will nutritionally take care of their family and their customers.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They would welcome farm tours for those who are interested.
PENNY’S PLANTS 6706 Millime Court, New Market 301.865.0517 • pennysplants@gmail.com Penny’s Plants offers heirloom and hybrid fruit, vegetable and herb garden transplants. Hand-sown and grown from seed, they come in biodegradable direct sow pots. Transplants are available throughout the spring and fall planting seasons, herbs are available all year. Thirteen raised-bed gardens are filled with fruits and vegetables available at several local farmers markets and the farm. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Private educational opportunities available to learn about raised bed and lasagna gardening, companion gardening and starting plants from seed. 68
PERSISTENCE RUN FARM 10171 Masser Road, Frederick 240.409.1006 • www.persistencerunfarm.com This small, family-run farm is nestled in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains. Conveniently located just 7 miles north of Frederick City, ½ mile off of U.S. 15. They breed and raise registered Belted Galloway beef cattle as well as Berkshire pigs. They rotationally graze the cows and feed them hay produced on the farm. Pigs are rotationally grazed on pasture as well. All-natural grass-fed beef and pastured non-GMO pork are available by the cut at the on-farm market.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT The animals receive no hormones, antibiotics, steroids or any other growth promoting chemicals. Their diet is free of corn, soy, pesticides, herbicides and any other genetically modified food input.
PICNIC WOODS FARM 6433 Picnic Woods Road, Jefferson 301.371.9202 • www.picnicwoodsfarm.com Picnic Wood Farm is the home of a flock of Romney Sheep, miniature donkeys to guard them, Angus cattle and bossy geese. Their wool is sent to Prince Edward Island in Canada and spun into wool blankets in many colors. Visitors are welcome, including to see "Hank" the well-known soccer ball playing donkey.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Natural Maryland wool blankets are available in a variety of colors, both tweed and solids and are made from the wool from Picnic Woods Farm sheep. 69
PLEASANT HILL PRODUCE 10009 Kelly Road, Walkersville 8522 Biggs Ford Road 301.471.2699 • www.pleasanthillproduce.com Pleasant Hill Produce was founded in 2014 by Ben and Heather Sayler. They grow high-quality seasonal produce using environmentally-friendly practices on two farms totaling four acres in Walkersville. Products are available through CSA shares and local farmers markets. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They offer a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and eggs and both large and medium share CSA memberships.
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PRAIRIE LAKE ALPACAS 13711 John Cline Road, Smithsburg 301.416.0833 • www.prairielakealpacas.com Prairie Lake Alpacas is a full-service alpaca farm offering Suri alpaca sales, breedings, raw fiber and U.S.-made Alpaca products. Suris are the rarest of breeds and known for high luster, dreadlock style fiber with its elegant drape and movement. They specialize in breeding show quality alpacas with the ideal fiber needed for making their yarns and end products. Visitors are welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT They have raw fiber, natural and hand dyed yarns, one-of-a-kind women’s jackets and coats designed by Frederick based, New York runway designer Holly Kristen exclusively for Prairie Lake Alpacas.
RIGHTS OF MAN FARM, LLC
ROCKY POINT CREAMERY, LLC
9120 Ball Road, Ijamsville 240.674.2727 or 240.674.2733 www.rightsofmanfarm.com
4323A Tuscarora Road, Tuscarora 301.874.5005 • www.rockypointcreamery.com
This family-owned farm sells certified organic vegetables, chicken, turkey and eggs and all-natural, grass-fed beef along with all-natural goat and pork at their on-farm store. All animals are free-range. Winter and summer meat/produce CSAs are available. Call or visit the website for store hours.
The creamery has 60 flavors of ice cream, along with milk, eggs and Catoctin Mountain Orchard’s apple cider. They have 200 cows and 1,500 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay, along with 2.5 acres of sunflowers for sale with proceeds going to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The goal is milking healthy cows and mixing flavorful recipes to bring the highest quality ice cream. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
They operate a farm store with items such as freezer beef, goat, chicken and pork, plus fresh organic eggs and seasonal vegetables.
You can now purchase their pasture raised Angus Cross Beef at the creamery. This leaner than full Angus is 100 percent natural, no antibiotics or added hormones. Beef is dry aged and frozen. 71
SADDLEVIEW RANCH 2719 Thurston Road, Frederick 301.831.8715 www.saddleviewranch.net This small family-owned and operated farm has horses for sale, lease, boarding and horse shows for both English and Western riders. There’s access to miles of trails on Sugarloaf Mountain, two large arenas with sandstone footing and a round pen, plus gift shop. Whether for a day or to stay, you and your horse will enjoy Saddleview Ranch. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Gifts for the equine enthusiast, as well as a therapy section with essential massage, bath and body oils, aromatherapy lotions and remedies. They also have handcrafts, gifts, housewares, transfers and custom embroidery.
SCENIC VIEW ORCHARDS 16239 Sabillasville Road, Sabillasville 301.271.2149 • www.scenicvieworchards.com Scenic View Orchards is a seven generation owned and operated family farm. Their farm heritage requires sustainable farming practices—erosion control, field contouring, cover crops, crop rotation, farm land preservation and use of integrated pest management practices. They meet the needs of customers at nine farmers markets in Washington, Frederick and Montgomery counties, in addition to the Sabillasville farm market. The farm motto is “Get Fresh with Us.”
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Berries, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, apples, sweet corn, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, honey, cider in season, cut flowers, and hay/straw. 72
SCHIFFERSTADT ARCHITECTURAL MUSEUM 1110 Rosemont Ave., Frederick 301.663.3885 • www.fredericklandmarks.org blog.FrederickLandmarks.org Built in 1758, the museum is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Frederick. The house is a fine and rare example of German Colonial architecture still standing in the region. It was built by early German settlers, the Brunner family, in 1758. Open for weekend tours Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. for a suggested donation of $5 per adult, and during the week by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT The Heritage Garden is open for people (please, no dogs) to see daily until dusk. The plants and herbs are typical to those that the Brunners would have grown in the 1700s. Visit the website and blog for up-to-date event information.
SHADOWS OF CATOCTIN 6517 Fish Hatchery Road, Thurmont 301.898.3228 • www.shadowsofcatoctinfarm.com Facebook: Shadows of Catoctin Farm shadowsofcatoctinfarm@mindspring.com Certified Organic vegetable and herb farm raising healthy food for healthy bodies.They grow many varieties of tomatoes, sweet peppers and hot peppers as well as a wide variety of other tasty vegetables selected for their flavor. Their vegetables are great for snacking and can help make your favorite recipes the best they can be.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT You can find Shadows of Catoctin at area farmers markets, at the Common Market and they run a CSA. 73
SOUTH MOUNTAIN CREAMERY
SPRINGFIELD MANOR WINERY & DISTILLERY
8305 Bolivar Road, Middletown • 301.371.8565 www.southmountaincreamery.com
11836 Auburn Road, Thurmont 301.271.0099 • www.springfieldmanor.com
South Mountain Creamery is Maryland’s first on-farm dairy processing plant that delivers farm-fresh and all-natural products straight to customers’ front doors. Formed in 2001, today SMC delivers to 8,500 homes in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The goals of the farm are to conveniently instill healthy eating habits, educate about the benefits of local agriculture and provide a sustainable future for next generations.
Springfield Manor Winery & Distillery is a family-owned, historic 130-acre estate which hosts weddings, corporate, and social events for up to 300 guests. The award-winning wines are served along with food in the beautifully restored dairy barn. The on-site craft distillery produces small batch brandy, rum, gin, rye whisky and bourbon. The farm’s lavender field produces both English and French varieties of lavender. Plants, flowers and products are available for purchase.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Watch the cows being milked and help bottle-feed the calves. Visit their store for glass-bottled milk, certified humane eggs, ice cream, yogurt, cream, butter, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb and goat.
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HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Handcrafted fine spirits—brandy, rum, gin and whiskey along with 10 award-winning varieties of fine wines. Lavender plants, flowers, and products.
SPRUCE RUN FARM
STADLER NURSERIES
12924 Spruce Run Road, Myersville 301.293.1070 • www.sprucerunrd.com
5504 Mount Zion Road, Frederick 301.473.9042 • www.stadlernurseries.com
Spruce Run Farm is a small farm located near Wolfsville. It grew from the owner’s desire to share a passion for agriculture and a desire for a simpler country life. Everything started with a small vegetable garden, four chickens and a few rabbits. From there the farm has grown to include a herd of dairy goats and at different times there have been cows, pigs, turkeys and a horse. The farm has been a member of the Middletown Farmers' Market since 2010, and soon after they began offering many products for sale online. As Spruce Run Farm continues to grow, they welcome you to visit.
Stadler Nurseries has been a growing family business since 1932. Their first three garden centers, in Frederick, Gaithersburg and Manassas, Va., are where you will find an exceptional selection of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. They also have a wide selection of native plants and organic garden care products. Stadler is known for trees with over 300 acres in production. Almost all plants sold are locally grown. The staff is enthusiastic gardeners who love sharing ideas and advice with customers. Landscape design services are available.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Spruce Run Farm strives to bring the best of locallygrown or handmade items, featuring seasonal produce, jams and jellies, raw local honey, goat milk soaps, as well as fresh poultry and live or dressed rabbit.
Trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, bulbs and holiday plants, garden accents including fountains, statuary, wind chimes, firepots, birdbaths and containers of every size and style, also garden care products including an extensive selection of organic plant health care options.
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SUGARLOAF’S BREEZY VALLEY FARM 1215 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown 301.874.0958 • sugarloafsgoats@gmail.com This family farm is nestled in the picturesque valley between the Catoctin Mountains and Sugarloaf Mountain. The family humanely raises meat goats. They sell goats as breeding stock, to consumers and restaurants, as well as for 4-H projects, companions for horses, for weed control and as pets. They offer breeding services of their two full-blood Boer bucks and sell orchard grass hay in small square bales. Visit on Facebook. Visitors welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT March and April are great times to come meet the goat kids. April is a great time to make an appointment and see the goat kids playing in the field. If you happen to come at feeding time, you can see the goat stampede.
SUMMERS FARM 5620 Butterfly Lane, Frederick 301.620.9316 www.summersfarm.com Summers Farm is a 100-acre working farm. Each fall they host an annual harvest festival to share their agricultural heritage. Activities include a 14-acre corn maze, slides, farm animals, two jumping pillows, farmer golf, pig races and more. Farm fresh food and bakery items include their famous homemade apple cider donuts.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT In the fall, take a free hayride out to the pumpkin patch and select the perfect pumpkin sold by the pound. A large assortment of gourds, straw, cornstalk bundles available for all your decorating needs. 76
SYCAMORE SPRING FARM 6003 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick 301.788.6980 • www.sycamorespringfarm.org A 14-year-old CSA program on a 340-year-old farm that practices “do no harm farming.” Producing more than 65 varieties of vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and herbs plus pastured beef, poultry and eggs. Healthy food from incredibly healthy soil is available year round at the farm’s market and country store. Tours, workshops and delivery sites are detailed on the website.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Educational tours and classes, pastured meats, beef by the quarter or half. Winter program features hoop house produce and poultry.
THANKSGIVING FARMS 1619 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown 301.662.1291•www.thanksgivingfarmandgarden.com Thanksgiving Farms is a diversified 57-acre family-owned and operated business. They grow a vast selection of fresh fruits and vegetables March through December, and grow and specialize in unusual annuals, perennials, herbs and shrubs in a three-acre greenhouse and nursery garden center. They offer a CSA program throughout most of the year. 'We Grow Our Own' is their motto and they take great pride in an ability to offer products grown from start to finish on their sustainable family farm. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Pick-your-own options are available along with fruits, vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, evergreens, shrubs and trees, a selection of gardening enhancements—pottery, statuary, trellises— and tools and gifts for gardeners. 77
THREE STREAMS FARM 6775 Burkittsville Road, Middletown 410.409.0436 or 240.398.0298 www.threestreamsfarm.com This third generation family farm specializes in 100 percent grass-fed lamb/mutton from Khatahdin sheep and beef from Oreo cows. No growth hormones or antibiotics. Livestock is raised humanely on pastures and butchered locally. Pastured eggs are from heritage breed Rhode Island Reds named Henrietta. Visit them at the Middletown Farmers Market.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Know where your food comes from. Visit Three Streams Farm for pastured eggs, grass fed lamb/beef, and pesticide/herbicide-free produce. Pick-your-own is an option by appointment. 78
TWIN HILLS FARM, LLC 3630 Park Mills Road, Frederick 301.788.2784 • www.twinhillsfarmllc.com They are a small family farm dedicated to providing customers with the full farm experience. Come and see the animals, walk through gardens and even get down in the dirt. This year they will be managing the Stone Barn Community Gardens and will offer education, seedlings and answer any questions customer may have. They will also be offering a CSA program, limited to 25 customers.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
The farm offers fresh eggs, chicken, herbs and fruit.
WHISPERING MEADOWS ALPACA BREEDERS 13959 Unionville Road, Mount Airy www.openherd.com/farms/3743/ whispering-meadows-alpaca-breeders Established in 1999, the farm maintains 30 alpacas. They started the first 4-H alpaca club in Frederick County. Their motto is “first in fiber, first in fun, first in Frederick.� They breed high-quality alpacas as well as their own hay and have a variety of other animals on the farm year round. Call or visit the website for hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT A variety of hand-made, home-grown, made in the USA, and some Peruvian alpaca products available. From natural to dyed yarns, raw fiber, rovings, bears, hats, scarves, gloves, purses, sweaters, vests, socks, finger puppets, throws and more.
WHITMORE FARM 10720 Dern Road, Emmitsburg www.whitmorefarm.com Whitmore Farm specializes in pastured pork and eggs. They also produce a limited amount of lamb, vegetables and cut flowers. We sell at farmers markets, to restaurants and from the farm. They also sell day-old chicks. Visitors welcome by appointment.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT
Pork, eggs, lamb, seasonal vegetables and cut flowers.
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WILLOW OAKS CRAFT CIDER 6219 Harley Road, Middletown 301.371.4814 • WillowOakscraftcider.com Eric Rice and Lori Leitzel Rice craft their farmhouse style cider from certified organic, American heirloom apples on their 35-acre farm in Middletown. Organic pears, blueberries, black currants and other fruits make tasty additions to Willow Oaks' ciders. Fabulous fruit, unique terroir and small-batch barrel fermentation let the flavors and aroma of the fruit shine through to a crisp, dry finish. Visit the website for tasting room hours.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHT Fresh organic produce, beef, jam, flowers, seedlings, potted fig trees and more will be available at the farm store in the Willow Oaks barn. Relax on the deck, enjoy a glass of cider and take in the view.
FARM FACTS WWW.FARMERSFEEDUS.ORG 1. Mature turkeys have more than 3,500 feathers. 2. There are 47 different breeds of sheep in the U.S.
3. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world.
4. Elevators in the Statue of Liberty use a soybean-based hydraulic fluid.
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5. Like snowflakes, no two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots. 6. Agriculture employs more than 24 million U.S. workers, 17 percent of the total work force.
Our Roots Farming. Farming. It’s It ’s in our blood. My father and grandfather grandfather far farmed med 225 acr acres es in Walkersville Walkersvil alkers le from from the the early early 1900’s 1900’s until the late sixties. Growing on the far farm, m, Growing up working working on with my sister Sharon, Sharon, and our involvement invvolvement in FFA FF FA A and a 4H gav gavee me an appreciation appreciation of the value of hard hard work—although, work—although, my Dad ma mayy have have taken exception exception to the wor word d ““worked” worrked ” when rreferring efferring to me. IItt h has as b been een ov over er fi fifty fty years years since I last worked worked on on the family family farm farm and yet, the the memories memories make it seem like it was just yesterday. yesterda dayy. W hile I yet, While didn’ ntinue the far ming legac y, my family family has continued continued to to support suppor t didn’t’t co continue farming legacy, our agr icultural co mmunity over over the years years through through the he Frederick F Frrederick agricultural community Count ctivity Center and The Great Great Frederick F Frrederick F air. Countyy 4H A Activity Fair. F rederick Count waays had a strong, strong, economically economically viable Frederick Countyy has al always agr icultural co mmunity. L et ’s help keep it that wa ayy. agricultural community. Let’s way. ~ Doug St Stauffer, taauffer, President President esideent off St Stauffer taauffer F Fune Funeral uneral Homes Homes
301.663.1690 Boonsboro Boonsboro | Brunswick Brunswick | Frederick Frederick | Mt. Airy Air y | Thurmont Thurmont | W Walkersville alkersvil alker le
www. www.stauf staufferfuneralhome fer funeralhome .com