9640 Liberty Rd. Frederick, MD
700 E. Diamond Ave. Gaithersburg, MD
1115 Baltimore Blvd. Westminster, MD
3828 Washington Blvd. Baltimore, MD
866-RIPPEON • www.rippeonequipment.com
Breweries
Distilleries
5975 Exchange Drive, Suite H-L Eldersburg, MD 21784 1623Brewing.com 443-218-1410
114 S. Main Street, B103 Mount Airy, MD 21771 MiscDistillery.com 240-394-6472
1623 Brewing Company
Brewery Fire
4337 Old Taneytown Road, Suite B Taneytown, MD 21787 BreweryFire.com 410-680-6005
Flood Zone Marketplace & Brewery 50 N. Main Street Union Bridge, MD 21791 FloodZoneBrewery.com 443-937-6170
Johansson’s Dining and Brew House
4 West Main Street Westminster, MD 21157 JohanssonsDiningHouse.com 410-876-0101
Liquidity Aleworks COMING SOON 8 N. Main Street Mt. Airy, MD 21771 LiquidityAleworks.com 240-446-5437
Pipe the Side Brewing
Miscellaneous Distillery
Patapsco Distilling Company
7609 Main Street Sykesville, MD 21784 PatapscoDistilling.com 443-398-8306
Wineries
BirchView Vineyard
2427 Ebbvale Road Manchester, MD 21102 BirchViewVineyard.com 410-206-6461
Galloping Goose Vineyards
4326 Maple Grove Road Hampstead, MD 21074 GallopingGooseVineyards.com 410-374-6596
Old Westminster Winery
1550 Old Westminster Road Westminster, MD 21157 OldWestminster.com 410-881-4656
Serpent Ridge Vineyard 721 Hanover Pike, Suite 147 2962 Nicodemus Road Hampstead, MD 21074 PipetheSideBrewingCompany.com Westminster, MD 21157 SerpentRidge.com 443-639-2980 410-848-6511 Pub Dog Brewing Company
1203 New Windsor Road Westminster, MD 21158 PubDog.com 410-848-3993
Ruhlman Brewery LLC
2300 Harvey Gummel Road Hampstead, MD 21074 Visit us on Facebook 410-259-4166
For more information, hours of operation and tours please visit the business’s respective website PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY
Proudly Carroll County Grown & Made!
www.carrollgrown.org www.carrollcountytourism.org
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK APRIL THRU CHRISTMAS EVE
Frank’s PRODUCE AND GREENHOUSES
6686 Old Waterloo Rd • Elkridge, MD 410-799-4566
FranksProduceGreenhouses.com In the spring, check out our eight greenhouses spilling out with annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, floor pots, hanging baskets, shrubs, tropicals and more! Our farm market specializes in local and high quality produce, local eggs, and a large selection of delicious, local apples. We also carry local honey, McCutcheon’s products, colorful pots, planting supplies and home decor items. In the fall, we carry a huge selection of local pumpkins, gourds, mums, pansies, cornstalks, and Halloween decorations. And finally, to close out the season, we sell Christmas trees, greenery, candy, nuts, holiday decor and beautiful wreaths! Hope to see you this year at Frank’s Produce & Greenhouses!
PUBLISHER Hagerstown Publishing MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Luse ART DIRECTOR Joseph Silovich GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Matthew Piersall Alexandra Werder CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Turner Photography Studio HOWARD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Kathy Johnson, Director of Agriculture Business Development Alison Bliss, Director of Marketing VISIT HOWARD COUNTY Amanda Hof, Executive Director ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terri Davis tdavis@fredmag.com Debra Tyson dtyson@fredmag.com DISTRIBUTOR Josh Ensor
alloutdist@aol.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS Stephanie Dewees subscriptions@fredmag.com
Howard County Economic Development Authority and Visit Howard County are recipients of grant programs through Howard County government that makes this publication possible.
Telephone: 301-662-8171 FAX: 301-662-8399
www.fredmag.com Letters to the editor: editor@fredmag.com Farm and Flavor Howard 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 21701 and at additional mailing offices. 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. POST MASTER: 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, Printed on INC. 2022. All contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be Recycled reproduced in whole or in part for any reason without prior approval of the publisher. Paper
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Farm and Home Service has everything you could need for your lawn, garden & farm with 5 convenient locations in Maryland to serve you. Family owned and operated One Stop Service - Lawn& Garden/Pet Food & Supplies/ Southern State Products - Delivery Available 7625 Main Street • Sykesville, Maryland 21784 • (410) 795-1234 1 Commerce Street Taneytown, Maryland 21043 (410) 756 -6711
16315 Old River Road Poolesville, Maryland 20837 Phone: (301) 948-5372
630 Sounder Road Brunswick, Maryland 21716 (301) 834-7141
9064 Frederick Road Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 Phone: (410) 465-0930
www.farmandhomeservice.com
COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE Howard County Office of County Executive 3430 Courthouse Drive • Ellicott City, Maryland 21043 • 410-313-2013 voice/relay • www.howardcountymd.gov Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive • cball@howardcountymd.gov
Dear Friends, Agriculture plays a vital role in Howard County, both in terms of our environment and our economy. We have a robust agricultural industry with over 330 farms. It is the fifth largest economic driver in Howard County and remains vitally important to our health and wellness. Our farms provide locally grown food, help protect our environment, and create jobs. I believe that our precious farmland must be protected, in service of our environment, our economy, and our farmers. In 2019, I re-opened the Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Since then, we have added 5 farms, and almost 270 acres in the program. Re-opening the Agricultural Land Preservation program was a critical step to ensuring our farms continue to thrive for many generations in Howard County. To support our local farms impacted by the pandemic, we distributed more than $600,000 in grant funding to nearly 90 farms in Howard County. Additionally, we provided funds in our FY23 budget for the important initiatives and programs that support agriculture, including: • Howard County Soil Conservation District initiative to assist farmers with designing and installing conservation best management practices that reduce sediment and nutrient loads and improve local water quality • Agriculture Innovation Grant program expansion • “We are HOCO Fresh” to promote and encourage restaurants to purchase from our Howard County Farms • HoCo Farm Academy and additional farm education programs. I encourage you to continue to take advantage of the incredible, fresh products from our farms. Whether you shop at one of our farmers markets or sign up for our award-winning Roving Radish meals program, you will love our quality, locally-grown food. Please visit HoCoFarms.com for more information or find a farm on HoCo Farm Connect. Thank you once again to all Howard County farmers for serving our community and beyond. Sincerely,
Calvin Ball Howard County Executive 6 FARM & FLAVOR
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No Guts No Glory Farm
Farmers Market Schedule
Fine Idea Farm
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Howard County Tourism
Jenny’s Market
Manor Hill Farm
44
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Farm Profiles
Manor Hill Tavern
Recipes from the Farm
SUMMER ISSUE VOL. 4, NO. 4
CONTENTS
FARM & FLAVOR 7
Out of the Gate No Guts No Glory Farm Promotes Horse Racing
BY KAREN GARDENER | PHOTOS BY TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
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No Guts No Glory Farm is where some of Maryland’s finest thoroughbreds take their first halting steps toward the life of a racehorse, making this western Howard County farm part of a resurgence in Maryland’s thoroughbred racing industry. It is here where Gina and John (Jerry) Robb oversee the breeding and first months of many of the racehorses that Jerry will later train and stable at Laurel Park and Delaware Park racetracks. No Guts No Glory is 25 acres of rolling pastureland, barns, a house, and an exerciser for injured horses. Maryland’s incentives for horses bred, sired, and/or foaled in the state, along with owner bonuses for Maryland bred horses, provide extra money on top of purse money that horses win when finishing first, second or third in Maryland races. Much of this program is funded by revenue from the state’s casino industry. “If we continue this program, we’ll see more people come back to breeding horses in Maryland,” Gina says, adding that the money helps preserve farmland for raising thoroughbreds in Maryland, which 10 FARM & FLAVOR
leads the nation in the number of horses per square mile. Gina, 49, grew up around Maryland’s racing industry. Her dad was a jockey and trainer, and Gina spent her young adult years working in his barn at Laurel Park. “I did all the tough things,” she recalls. “Walked and cared for horses, mucked out stalls.” She doesn’t ride, however. Her daughter is the first in the family to ride. Gina and Jerry have been friends and partners since 2008. Five years ago they married and decided to start their own horse breeding farm. “This was a house with a barn and silo,” she says of the farmland surrounding their refurbished house. “We started with four broodmares,” Gina says. They and their foals, however, would need a place to graze, so the couple added fencing and created seven large paddocks, each 2.5 to 3 acres, for grazing. They now have nine broodmares, eight of whom were bred to Maryland sires this year. They also built a new barn with spacious stalls. There, the mares give birth to their foals and use the stalls during the hot days of summer, spending their nights outside with their foals. During winter, mares come in at night and are out during the day. At four to six months old, the foals are weaned. “This is a tough thing,” Gina says. “It takes about
a solid week for the foals to feel comfortable.” Then they settle down and become used to their new lives. They are typically turned out together to allow them to develop herd habits before being sent off to early racehorse training at about 18 months old. Near the barn is a circular Equicizer, used by injured horses to regain strength. In the center of the round structure, Gina raises chickens.
says. “I tell them to win. I tell them they’re a champion.” Most of the broodmares raced for Jerry, she says. “We selected them to breed, and so far, it has worked out.” Bloodlines are also important. Horses are evaluated for breeding success by matching the breeding lines of the sire and mare and looking for successful crosses, a system known as nicks.
Breeding Success
There’s a field above the broodmare paddocks where six yearling colts and two fillies amble about, racing each other, playing games, and learning the skills needed to be in a group of horses. “They get exceptional care,” Gina FARM & FLAVOR 11
a background in working with show horses and working at racetracks, but she wants to learn the ins and outs of a breeding farm. “The most important thing is that you love the horses,” Gina says. “I put a lot of imprinting on them. They are loved immediately, from the first second they’re born. With all that good care, I feel like they give back to us the same way they’re loved.” But care is also important, from foaling to training to mare care. Nearly all the mares that race for the couple return to the farm to become broodmares. The colts are usually gelded and find second careers as riding horses. “It’s a team effort,” Gina says. The mares graze on a fescue-free orchard grass mix that is designed for pregnant mares. “We seed every fall for good grass,” she says. “We haven’t had to fertilize because we have great manure.”
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Foaling stalls are 16 feet by 24 feet, and during foaling season, the bottom is piled deep with straw. Other stalls are 16 feet by 12 feet, large enough to house a mare and foal comfortably. Each paddock is equipped with automatic waterers that keep a steady supply of fresh, cool water for the horses. On a hot day, assistant Patti Garcia brought in the mare Ruby and her foal, known as Blaze. “Blaze likes to be in front on the way in,” she says. In the stall, the mare and foal positioned themselves in front of a fan. “It’s an amazing thing to watch them grow up,” Garcia says. She has
Training Magic
What makes the farm successful, Gina says, is Jerry’s training skills. He has a 40 percent win record this year, and half the horses he trains finish in the top three. Jerry, now 69, retired for a few years, but when Gina sent him a horse to train in 2008, Jerry decided to return to racing. He began hanging around racetracks as a kid growing up in Laurel and would hide in the trunk of his father’s car when his dad went to the races. He started working at tracks as a teen and it wasn’t long before he began training. “I love the competitiveness of it,” he says. “I like to win.” He found he liked to gamble a bit, too. Ponying up $2 for a bet and getting $5 in return turned out to be a lot of fun. “You think you hit the lottery,” he says. At 17, he made a $5 bet that brought a $2,000 payoff. “Nowadays I don’t gamble,” he says. He trains not only the horses he and Gina raise, but also horses
belonging to clients. “Horses are the easy part,” he says. Training starts early at the track. Many of Jerry’s workers arrive by 5 a.m. He’s usually there by 6:30. “I like watching them train,” he says. “Especially with the babies, you have no idea what kind of talent they have. You look forward to having them do in the afternoon what they do in the morning. Not all do.” Horses are like people in that they’re all different, Jerry says. Training requires lots of patience. “Some you’ll train for six months before they even think about running. That’s what you’re waiting for, the light bulb to go off.” He considers a horse’s competitiveness and temperament as much as ability. He tries to place his horses at the level of race where they’ll be most competitive. Most racehorses do not race in graded stakes races, like the Kentucky Derby. There are claiming races, allowance races, and stakes races at most local tracks. “They find their own way,” Jerry says. Most horses race once a month. “I would rather see them race every three weeks.” Horses are more likely to get hurt in morning workouts than in races, but the monthly spacing requires that horses turn in speedy workouts in between, which Jerry says are more likely to cause injuries. Although Jerry has barns in Laurel and Delaware Park, he also trailers to tracks like Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course in New York, FARM & FLAVOR 13
Monmouth in New Jersey, Charles Town Races in West Virginia, and Parx in Philadelphia. When he’s not training, he tries to squeeze in a few rounds of golf.
Anna’s Bandit
Anna’s Bandit is the couple’s most successful mare. In her racing days, she earned $806,655 in 39 starts, racing from 2016 to 2021. Anna is a daughter of sire Great Notion and out of the mare Onearmedbandit. Jerry owned Onearmedbandit, and he and Gina were looking to breed her. They selected the Maryland sire Great Notion, who had already sired some stakes winners. They needed a farm where the mare could foal. The foal would already be eligible for Marylandbred stakes, so they decided she could foal in West Virginia, also making it eligible to run as a West Virginia-bred. Anna’s Bandit was born in January, a month early. Jerry described her as well put-together, but small. She grew into herself, however, and showed lots of promise as a 2-year-old, finishing in the money in stakes races at Belmont and Churchill Downs. Then came the bad news. The filly had a broken sesamoid in her front legs. An exam showed her other front leg had an old break at the sesamoid. This could have ended her racing career, 14 FARM & FLAVOR
but she had stem cell treatment on one leg and surgery on the other at Manor Equine Hospital in Monkton. Amazingly, both legs healed. In the fall of 2017, at 3, Anna began racing again. By 2018, she was back racing in stakes races, using her fast-closing style to win two races and hit the board in four more. As a 5-year-old in 2019, Anna had her best year. She won the Timonium Distaff, the Sadie Hawkins, and the Maryland Million Distaff, among others. She won nine of 11 starts that year, tying for the most wins of any horse in North America. She won another stakes race in 2020, and also placed third in the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie, her only graded stakes race. By 2021, however, she was getting tired. Now 7, the couple decided it was time for Anna to become a broodmare. Earlier this year, she was sent to Kentucky to be bred to Tapit, a top stallion. “We’re very excited about it,” Gina says. “We try to stay in Maryland to support Maryland sires.” Tapit’s connections suggested the breeding, however, and Gina and Jerry decided to try it. It’s all chance, just like racing. But Gina and Jerry love the racing business, from farm to track and back. “We lost a mare this year who I owned for 15 years,” she says. “She was 10 months in foal. You have those days, but the good far exceeds the bad.”
Abby Gibbon grew up with horses. But she didn’t just ride. She learned how to feed them, how to wrap their legs, how to manage their feed, how to fix a fencepost. All this came in handy when Gibbon started her own horse boarding farm, Fine Idea Farm, near Mount Airy, seven years ago. “I grew up on a 5-acre farm on the other side of Mount Airy,” she says. “I wasn’t a stranger to hard work.” In the farm’s first two years, she worked every day, including weekends. When she bought the 60-acre farm, it had an old, dilapidated house and barn. “It’s a cool old house,” she says. “I fixed it up enough so I could live there.” She renovated the old barn so it could house four stalls and had a 15-stall barn built. But when it came to most of the grunt work, she did it herself. Gibbon, 37, has two degrees in creative writing, and before she started Fine Idea Farm she worked
as a full-time staff writer for Chronicle of the Horse and Eventing Nation. “Nothing set me up better for this life than growing up on a farm and Pony Club,” she says. As a member of the Howard County Pony Club, she learned the ins and outs of horse care and barn management. Her dad built the barn at her home, but it was up to her to do barn chores and care for the horses. “Horses are not for the faint of heart and farm ownership is not for the faint of heart,” she says. In her early years, she was a working student for a couple of trainers, graduated from Pony Club with a prestigious B rating and showed horses on the A circuit. She trained with noted equestrian coaches, including Colleen Rutledge, Vanessa Swartz, and Jim Wofford. She has 20 years of experience specializing in eventing and dressage.
At Fine Idea Farm, her program is small, which is how she wants it. Her students either board or lease a horse at the 19-stall farm. “This is as many horses as I can handle and do a good job with,” she says. More isn’t better, she adds. She focuses on creating a training program for riders that emphasizes correct equitation and flatwork by incorporating sports psychology, fitness, goal setting, theory, and multimedia feedback. There’s always more to learn. “There’s room for more people in the horse industry,” Gibbon says. “We’re lucky to be in an equestrian area.” She gets frequent calls about lessons and boarding, and has a waiting list of people who would like to board a horse at her farm. Her workload is enough, however. Workdays are generally 12 hours, starting at 7 a.m., and she often teaches until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Summer weekends are generally dominated by prepping for and traveling to horse shows. “With many horses, there’s no off button,” she says. She usually does a late-night horse check and this spring, her thoroughbred mare Tango gave birth, so she was on foal watch for many nights. She has a full-time barn manager, Paige Wasyluk, who is also her best friend, and several part-time workers, although she said many barns are struggling to find workers. She has about a dozen boarders who ride and train at the farm’s indoor or outdoor arena. Some have two or three horses. Gibbon specializes in eventing and dressage training. Eventing encompasses 20 FARM & FLAVOR
dressage, cross country—which involves riding on a trail over obstacles— and stadium jumping. Gibbon teaches and trains the boarders. “The workload and overhead are both so high,” she says. “Unless you really love it, this is not going to appeal to a lot of people.”
Farm Care Running a horse farm with 19 stalls means finding good quality hay and feed. Earlier this year, the price for high quality hay that is suitable for horses rose by a dollar a bale, which is a steep rise. Hay could once be found for less than $5 a bale in Maryland, but prices today can easily be $7 to $8 a bale. In summer, hay costs drop a bit because most horses can graze, but hay gets horses through winter and summer droughts. Shavings to line the stalls are another big expense that has increased recently. Manure is hauled out. “I would love to participate in a composting program, but the research isn’t there yet,” she says. There are cooperative composting programs in Europe that make it more cost effective for horse farms to participate, but more research needs to be done, she says. “That would revolutionize the equine industry if there were something more economically friendly.” When Gibbon bought the farm, the land had been rented for 40 years for crops. To make the land
Living in the farm’s once abandoned house has made her life much easier. Her fiancé, a marine biologist by day, has also been a big help. Her biggest teacher has been her experience. “There’s no way to know it until you’ve done it,” she says.
Land Preservation
suitable for horses, she cleared weeds, brush, and endless vines of poison ivy growing in the fields with the help of a chain saw and weed whacker. When she first opened to boarders, she had fenced and converted two fields to grass suitable for horses. Now, she has a 7-acre field for grazing, three 5-acre pastures that she converted from a cornfield, and a pony paddock. The farm also has a spring-fed pond to ensure a continuous supply of water.
The horse industry offers a good way to keep large swaths of open land from being developed, Gibbon says. She’s a member of the Howard County Agriculture Preservation Board, which works to keep open spaces in the county. More people are discovering the value of open land as they got outside during the pandemic, she says. “People are reconnecting to the land. Riding and sales of horses are through the roof now. The industry needs to capitalize on that interest and keep it going.” When she bought her farm, half had already been sold as a housing development. She has since put her farm into FARM & FLAVOR 21
agricultural preservation, which will preserve the land from development into perpetuity. “This is why we all have to be good stewards of the land.” She’s hoping to see more roofs covered in solar panels, preventing the need to convert large plots of land into solar fields. One day, she’d like to power her farm largely through solar energy. Gibbon was named Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Howard Soil Conservation District. It was through the SCD that Gibbon was able to design and install a freezeproof watering system in her fields. Before that, she was breaking ice in water troughs to give the horses fresh water on subfreezing days. “There’s no better way to wake up in the mornings,” she says of living on a horse farm. “I love this, I love the land restoration, the caring for it, nurturing it.”
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horses, who can get injured when jumping on frozen ground. The fully enclosed indoor arena features visible framing throughout the roof and walls, which was cheaper to build, but still offers the protection from the elements. The walls feature large, translucent windows which can open to let in fresh air in warmer weather and be kept closed in winter. Light streams into the arena, giving riders an outdoor, airy feel. “We wanted an arena that lets in lots of light, and the feel is more like an outdoor space, but still out of the sun,” Gibbon says. Overhead lights make it easy to use the arena at night as well. The farm hosts clinics, many with upper-level dressage trainers, in the arena. The base of both arenas is stone dust, topped with a recycled mixture of sand and rubber crumb, which gives the arena’s footing a soft, cushioned feel. Gibbon gets the mixture from sporting arenas, where it is used under Astroturf and must be replaced often.
Farm Features When folks choose a place to board their horse, they typically want someplace to ride. At first, Gibbon offered an 80-foot by 160-foot outdoor riding arena, but eventually added a second 100-foot by 200-foot outdoor riding arena and enclosed the original arena. “If you want to train year-round around here, you need an indoor arena,” she says. That’s not only for the comfort of the riders, but for the safety of the
Horse Expertise Gibbon wants her equestrian operation to be a place of continuous learning. The property offers trails for hacking, and boarders can also easily access Iron Bridge Hunt Club and the extensive trail network at Patuxent River State Park. Gibbon’s horse, Tango, is a thoroughbred who many people mistake for a warmblood, she says. Tango is an off-track thoroughbred, and
Gibbon says many ex-racehorses make great eventers and dressage horses. “I do a lot retraining for second careers of racehorses off the track,” she says, maintaining connections with the racing community for show horse prospects. Gibbon had Tango bred to a Dutch warmblood stallion last year, and Tango and her foal graze together on the farm. The foal was born a month overdue this spring, which meant a lot of sleepless nights for Gibbon. “I like doing it at home,” she says. “I want to be part of the whole process.” Her farm has allowed her to do that. Even its location is important to her business. She’s five minutes from Interstate 70 at the Mount Airy exit, 45 minutes from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Nearby are lots of schooling and competitive opportunities. Waredaca in Laytonsville offers cross country horse trials. Loch Moy in Adamstown offers cross country schooling opportunities and competitions. Morven Park near Leesburg, Va., also offers dressage competitions, cross country schooling, and spring and fall international horse trials. Currently, her farm has clients ranging from 10-year-olds and teens in Pony Club and adult amateur riders, all women in their mid-20s to mid-50s. She’s hoping to eventually attract more diverse clients into the sport. Gibbon says neither of her parents were riders, although an aunt and uncle are hunter/jumper trainers. “I just had the horse bug,” she says with a smile. FARM & FLAVOR 23
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Howard County Agriculture Services
Alice’s AgriMaryland 485 Old Annapolis Road Woodbine, MD 21797 Animal Medical Hospital at Glenwood, Inc. 2465 Route 97, Suite 7 Glenwood, MD 21738 Frank’s Garage 11761 Triadelphia Road Ellicott City, MD 21042 Howard County Fair Association, Inc. 2210 Fairgrounds Road West Friendship, MD 21794 Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum 12985 Frederick Road West Friendship, MD 21794
Howard Soil Conservation District 14735 Frederick Road Cooksville, MD 21723
The Rough Country Home Studio 1485 Old Annapolis Road Woodbine, MD 21797
J. David Mullinix & Sons, Inc. 14420 Howard Road Dayton, MD 21036
University of Maryland Extension-Howard 3300 North Ridge Road, Suite 240 Ellicott City, MD 21043
Level Land, Inc. P.O Box 100 Lisbon, MD 21765
Wagner’s Meats LLC 9064 Frederick Road Ellicott City, MD 21043
Level Landscape, LLC 15298 Union Chapel Road Woodbine, MD 21797
Farm and Home Services 7625 Main Street Sykesville, MD 21784
Maryland Tack, Inc. 1457 Fannie Dorsey Road Sykesville, MD 21784
Mid Atlantic Farm Credit 700 Corporate Center Court, Suite L Westminster, MD 21157
FARM & FLAVOR 27
Down a winding road in an upscale area of West Friendship, Howard County, a treasure trail of hand-written white cardboard signs tantalizingly waves in the breeze. Planted every 30 feet or so, they dot the side of the road, guideposts through the ubiquitous roundabouts of suburbia. They’re designed not just to provide directions, but to get your fresh produce juices going. The excitement is building, and maybe you can almost taste the burst of flavor from a fresh, ripe peach and imagine the juices dripping down your chin. And just when you think you’ve missed a turn, there’s the sign that lifts your spirits: “You’re Almost There.” This circuitous route paralleling Md. 32 belies what lies at the end. It’s Jenny’s Market, an oasis surrounded by tony housing developments. Under a canopy of tall, shady trees, the farm market is a respite from the daily grind of navigating work and commuting. 30 FARM & FLAVOR
Here is the farm market equivalent of Cheers, the famous Boston bar, where everybody knows your name. But instead of filling a pint to the brim, owner Linda Heigh and her crew will help fill your hand-held shopping basket with luscious fresh fruits, vegetables and other goodies. Jenny’s Market is a black owned family business with deep roots. The sound business model and accompanying business philosophy that Heigh uses is in her blood and follows in the tradition of her parents, previous
owners of a produce stand in Woodlawn 45 years ago. At 3940 Old Ivory Road in West Friendship, you’ll find Jenny’s Market in front of a cheery yellow house with a shady porch. Children play in the front yard, the family dog gamboling joyfully back and forth between them.
Behind the market, more children play noisily with one of Heigh’s adult sons, in a backyard filled with toys and other play equipment. Next door is the house Heigh was raised in. When she married, she moved to her home only feet away. Now, her children live in the house she grew up in. There’s a symmetry
to this that plays beautifully against the open, airy farm market and the legion of kids. The original market began 22 years ago when Heigh’s brother enlisted her daughter, Jenny, to work with him in a produce stand at the top of Md. 32. When her brother left the business, Jenny continued and, over time, the market put her daughter through college. She now is in real estate. The market continues to be a living lab for Heigh’s grandchildren. “All my kids and grandkids have worked here,” Heigh says. “They learn the business, how to speak to people, look them in the eye, how to be polite, positive and helpful. Skills they don’t learn in school.” The crew now comprises Jeremiah, Nathanial, Ethan and Isaiah— FARM & FLAVOR 31
greets her customers with a warm smile and kind words. This isn’t just a day job, this is a way of life, and customers are an extension of the abundance already in her life. That abundance comes from being wrapped in her extended family, including her 10 children, 12 grandchildren, and father and mother, 92 and 87, respectively. Mom and Dad, who now live with Heigh right next to the market, just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this year. Heigh points out her dad on the arm of one of his great-grandsons
Heigh’s four oldest grandchildren, now entering the business. Heigh keeps them busy stocking, assisting customers and helping carry bags and boxes of produce to customer’s cars in the ample parking lot directly across the gravel drive. It’s a steady, but manageable flow of customers this afternoon. Heigh greets everyone by name, enthusiastically asking about their kids, their lives. A regular introduces his new au pair to Linda, and then shows her around the market, since she’ll be doing a lot of the produce shopping. If you find Linda Heigh sitting behind the sales table, it’s only because there has been a slight lull in her very busy stream of customers, and she’s wisely saving her feet. When she 32 FARM & FLAVOR
rises to greet you, you become the focal point of her day. Your needs and wants become her mission. “I love what I do and I love my customers,” Heigh says with enthusiasm. Not just a pat saying, the passion shines in her eyes as she
as he gets in a little walk down the shady lane. Heigh has always surrounded herself with big, boisterous groups of kids. For 26 years, being a fulltime daycare provider allowed her
to stay home with her children and eventually take on working at Jenny’s Market. As she directs her grandson to bring more sweet corn from the cooler and bag the shucked ears, it’s apparent Heigh is all business when it comes to making sure the tables are well stocked with quality product for her customers. “We’re a well-oiled machine,” she says. “The teenagers that help on weekends will go full-time when school is out. They were all in my daycare.” Another example of the extended family Heigh has created.
The Bounty of Jenny’s
When you enter the market, prepare to be assaulted by the heady fragrance of ripe peaches, plums and cherries in quarter pecks and bins of cantaloupes and watermelons. A white awning stretches down, shading the full tables of hand selected fresh produce. Fans keep the air moving. From another large tent, dozens of hanging flowering baskets swing in a welcoming breeze from the tent cross poles, creating a riot of color. Beneath the brilliant flowering begonias, pansies and geraniums, a variety of healthy potted bedding plants line the front of the tent. Georgia peaches line tables. Boxes of Jenny’s label honey, Wildflower, Clover and Buckwheat, are bottled by a local company. Heigh sources early season produce primarily from Florida, Georgia, and FARM & FLAVOR 33
South Carolina. She visits the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, hand picking product from her best vendors. Glistening stacks of collards, kale, spinach, turnip and dandelion greens are fresh picked from a local farm. Gold and red beets with tops, new potatoes, and fresh local eggs are just some of the enticing products on the counters. Heigh makes a point of carrying a full range of fruits and vegetables for her customers. She also stocks a variety of convenience produce at the request of her customers. To keep the market a onestop experience, you’ll find bananas, mangoes, papayas, various citrus, and slow ripened avocadoes. When she gears up for fall around mid-September, Heigh brings in fresh local apples, apple ciders, and pumpkins. She even stocks firewood year-round. Heigh believes so strongly in the freshest produce possible, she receives approximately 85 percent of it from a local farmer down the road, during peak season, beginning in mid-July. “He’ll grow what I ask him to. This year we’re getting black heirloom tomatoes.” During peak season, she stocks tomatoes, pickling cukes, and peaches for her customers who like to can. Heigh is so busy on the weekends that many of her regulars come during the week. “On a typical weekend, we’ll have 25 to 30 new customers. They are in the area and saw our signs, or heard of us through word of mouth,” Heigh explains. 34 FARM & FLAVOR
During the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, the first weekend in May, Jenny’s is a big draw for the attendees. “We have customers from outside the area and they stop by every year during the festival,” says Heigh. The busyness of the market keeps the product turnover high, making it easy to offer the freshest produce possible. Heigh chats with a customer as she places their peaches into two separate bags. “I’m separating these so they don’t bruise,” she explains
to them. Combined with her authentic warmth and graciousness is a business woman of steel. She directs the farm market affairs with a firm and efficient demeanor. “People are grateful for the personal connection as we come out of
COVID,” Heigh says. With upscale Harris-Teeter and Wegmans as the go-to grocery stores for many residents, her customers still prefer to come to Jenny’s. “We focus on product and service. All our product is guaranteed,” Heigh says. “We do our best to bring you the best.”
When you visit Jenny’s, make sure to meet Coffee, the market cat. With pink bells around her collar, Coffee greets customers, offering herself for a stroke or two for those interested. An afternoon shopping spree at Jenny’s is like being welcomed into the bosom of a family. On the way out, you’ll see the most important sign— Thanks and hope to see you again. Jenny’s Market is on social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, where you can follow them to keep up to date on what’s available. They update their website with current produce offerings and hours of operation. The market opens the first weekend in May and runs through the last weekend in October, seven days a week, 7a.m.-7:30 p.m. FARM & FLAVOR 35
When most farm breweries open, they have a tap or a tasting room onsite where people come and first learn about them. They create their brand awareness and then start distributing out in the market. Manor Hill Farm and Brewing had a different journey. When the Marriner family bought the 50-plus acre farm, Manor Hill, in 2012 they weren’t exactly sure what direction they wanted to take with the Ellicott City-based property. The family already owned Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia, known for its innovative twists on classic pub fare and
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one of the first restaurants in the area to get craft beers on the menu. The family had been working toward being allowed to sell growlers at the restaurant when the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation to allow farms to operate breweries on their land in 2012. “We thought ‘This could be perfect for us’,” says Rachael Mull, Randy and Mary Marriner’s daughter, who serves as the farm’s chief financial officer. “We had been trying to figure out what we wanted to
do with this land. …With us having Victoria (Gastro Pub) and already having an immediate audience (for craft beer), we went that way first and then started distributing. But then once we started getting popular and people realized that we actually had the brewery on the farm,
we were constantly asked ‘We want to come see. We want to see where the beer is being made.’ It was the consumers’ idea and requests that then made us decide to open.” Now a decade since the farm’s purchase, Manor Hill Brewing is the largest farm brewery in the state and the only one in Howard County. As
of 2021, The Brewers Association estimates nearly 9,000 craft breweries in the country with Maryland home to 125, ranking 24th in the nation. Mull’s husband, Corey, is the farm’s chief marketing officer and manages the brewery. He works with their head brewer to develop new flavors including limited and special releases and seasonal brews as well as putting out beloved favorites. They look at current trends as well as what people are requesting. They utilize different ingredients and use items grown on the farm in their recipes. In early June, they offered a raspberry lemonade hard seltzer because they had a bunch of raspberries left over from last year’s FARM & FLAVOR 39
India Pale Ale known as Manor Hill IPA. One of Mull’s favorites is Grisette, a farmhouse ale based on an old school style of brewing created by farmers in Germany years ago based on their lifestyle. “The hops give it a little bit of a grapefruit taste,” she says. “It is just real light.” The brewery tap room is open year-round Fridays through Sundays on a first-come, first serve indoor seating basis. (Guests may also go outside to spread out more if they desire.) While folks are initially
crop. The farm produces 15 acres of non-GMO corn which is used in a few of their beers. Berries are also a popular crop that manage to make their way into the beer recipes. The farm grew its own hops for four years but found the crop didn’t flourish in the varying Maryland climate that tends to tetter-totter between too wet and too dry during spring and summer months. (They now get their hops from Virginia and the West Coast.) Their farm now focuses on crops that thrive here such as corn, vegetables, berries and fruit. Each new beer is perfected through small test batches so staff can play around with different ingredients and see what works 40 FARM & FLAVOR
before finalizing the recipe. Their beer, in draught or in cans or bottles, is available at the farm or from distributors throughout the state and Washington, D.C. Some of their best sellers include their take on a German Pilsner and an
drawn to the farm for the rotating beer and seltzer on tap, there are many other aspects to enjoy. Pizza is always a winning pairing with beer, so guests often head to their refurbished trolley serving a variety
of Neapolitan style pies made by Victoria Gastro Pub. The trolley’s former life included offering rides from Taylor Village to Ellicott City more than a decade ago. After the service was halted, the trolley sat unused for years. A friend asked the Marriner family if they could do something with it. They spent six months gutting the interior
including pulling out all the seats and installing a custom-built brick oven. Opened in fall 2021, the trolley offers pizzas only found at the farm including a fan favorite with pepperoni and hot honey. “We really try to rotate the rest of the other options almost on a weekly basis just to use fresh ingredients,” FARM & FLAVOR 41
Mull says. “We are really excited as soon as the gardens start producing here a little more to be able to use some things. We use a ton of basil on different pizzas.” Guests also enjoy their farm stand featuring many items grown and produced there. There are jars of honey
collected from one of several hives at the farm as well as beef from the small herd of Angus cattle. Vegetables like tomatoes are also quite popular during the summer months. “There is just nothing like farm fresh tomatoes,” Mull says. “It is just not the same as what you get in the store.” Canned pickles, featuring a special recipe by Mary Marriner, is the 42 FARM & FLAVOR
stand’s number one seller. “When they are in stock, they go really fast.” Mull notes her mother “has the greenest thumb I know.” The farm can also serve as a backdrop for a variety of events. The tap room, featuring 14 beers on tap, is available to be rented out as an event space Mondays through Thursdays while their repurposed, rustic barn serves as a backdrop for weekend events including retirement and birthday parties as well as baby showers. Both locations are air-con-
ditioned and offer larger garage doors for an open-air environment during pleasant weather days. “I think people are just so intuned to buying local and just really
love to be able to come out and support a venture that is making something where they live,” Mull notes. “(Because of) the space that we have, guests can still be able to support a local business but also be able to enjoy beautiful scenery
and see what we are doing on the farm. I think (that) sets us apart. … We love just people being able to learn and see agriculture at work. Just to be able to come out and say, ‘Oh this is something that they are actually making here.’” The farm continues to be a family affair. Mull can work with her parents and sit across from her husband, with the ability to bring her children in when school is closed. Employees also quickly become a part of the farm family as well. “I just love coming to work every day,” she says. “…It is just really fun and to be able to have people come here now and really enjoy themselves, it is very exciting what we are building.” FARM & FLAVOR 43
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Reap the Rewards of Fresh-fromthe-Fields Flavors
Located near the fast pace of two major cities—the nation’s capital and Baltimore— Howard County is also blessed by beautiful rolling farm fields that honor nature and people who are passionate about tilling that land or using it to graze everything from chickens to steers and alpacas. Much of what comes from the local fields can be found at farmers markets and on the menus of area restaurants, but it’s also fun and educational to visit the farms to see exactly what’s involved. You might even get your hands into the process when you make a stop at a pick-your-own farm to select a pumpkin or container of strawberries. It’s also a good time to connect with the farmer and meet the person responsible for all that good food or the wool that was spun into your favorite sweater.
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CLARK’S FARM
10500 Clarksville Pike (Md. 108), Ellicott City 410.730.4049 • www.clarklandfarm.com The Clarks have been farming in Howard County since 1797. Their petting farm is open April 1 through early November. They welcome visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come visit the friendly farm animals, enjoy rides, slides, play areas and a picnic spot. They host educational tours, birthday parties and group events. A roadside produce stand is open in July and August selling their vegetables and other local produce.
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The baby goats are a highlight of your visit to the farm. They are the new home of the Enchanted Forest, Maryland’s Storybook Park. The Sunflower Festival is in September and a Pumpkin Patch is in the fall. You can take a pony ride, a hay wagon ride, a cow train ride and an Enchanted Express Train ride every day they are open.
CLARK’S ELIOAK FARM
10500 Clarksville Pike (Md. 108), Ellicott City 410.730.4049 • www.clarklandfarm.com/produce.html Clark’s Elioak Farm grows fresh vegetables and herbs year-round. Most of the year seasonal vegetables and herbs can be found for sale in Clark’s Elioak Farm’s Castle Store, also the entrance to the petting farm and open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They grow everything from spring greens and roots to summer crops, such as tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers, to fall produce such as squash, sweet potatoes, garlic, and greens. They also grow herbs. During July and August the roadside stand is open. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
Summer cut your own flower garden is located right behind the produce stand. Come and enjoy cutting and arranging your own bouquet. They are a vendor at Clarksville Common Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m from May through October. CSA options, order online.
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FREETOWN FARM Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia www.freetownfarm.org
Freetown Farm is a 6.4-acre farm in Columbia, owned by the Community Ecology Institute, a Howard County non-profit focused on cultivating healthier communities through connections with nature. The farm is designed to both produce food and be a place for community education. They demonstrate regenerative agriculture and permaculture design practices in their stewardship of this land.
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The choice of the name Freetown Farm recognizes the important history of the land. They are working to develop programming that tells the story of the land and its historic community. The farm is across the street from the Harriet Tubman School, a segregated high school for African American students established in 1948.
GORMAN FARM
10151 Gorman Road, Laurel 301-908-8063 • www.gormanfarmscsa.com Gorman Farm offers fresh, nutrient-rich, flavorful vegetables grown with organic practices on their farm in eastern Howard County. Produce is available through their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Pick your own strawberries are available to the general public, as well as CSA members in late spring. They use Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) products for fertilization, disease and pest management. They employ Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies and always aim towards sustainability in all that they do.
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They build compost for supplementing a plant’s nutrition and the soil’s overall health. They strategically cover crop the ground to protect from erosion, to feed soils and to maintain and offset fertility requirements. FARM & FLAVOR 47
HEALEY’S GREENWAY FARMS
HENSING’S HILLTOP ACRES
Healeys’ Greenway Farms grows springtime vegetable plants and flowers. With almost one acre under cover, they now grow annuals and vegetable plants for sale direct to homeowners or wholesale to other small businesses. In addition, this family business offers Christmas trees each December. They grow several thousand poinsettias in their greenhouses for churches and direct sale. While they’d love to see you in person, you can also visit Healeys’ Greenway Farms online at www.greenwaytrees.net and www.greenwayfarms.net
Hensing’s Hilltop Acres is a small family farm that recently moved to Woodbine. They have a pasture-based farm where their animals live outdoors on grass. They produce raw milk and related products (sold in Maryland for pet use), 100 percent grass-fed beef, pastured pork (no soy or GMOs), pastured chicken and eggs (no soy or GMOs) and lamb.
14098 Reps Road, Cooksville 15097 Frederick Road, Woodbine 410-442-2388 • www.greenwaytrees.net
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Michael Healey now runs the Christmas tree and greenhouse businesses with help from family, friends and neighbors—some of whom have been working at Greenway Farms for more than 30 years. 48 FARM & FLAVOR
3394 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine 704-293-4126 call or text www.hensingfarm.com
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They sell at two local markets, Clarksville on Saturdays and Ellicott City on Wednesdays. They invite you to check out their website for other locations to find their products.
HERON’S MEADOW FARM
LARRILAND FARM
Heron’s Meadow Farm, located in western Howard County, is Maryland’s first tea farm. Home to BLTeas, LLC and MudPi Studios, the farm is host to many inspirational views, wildlife, flavorful teas and handcrafted stoneware pottery. Visitors to the farm can sample some of their teas, shop for their new favorite mug from the mug tree, view tea fields and walk through herb gardens. Or simply relax on the patio and watch the blue herons, hawks, deer, foxes and other wildlife. Store hours are Fridays from noon-5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., or by appointment.
Their farm is open during the growing season, beginning with the ripening of strawberries in late May or early June, and ending with the apple harvest, in early November. The last day for the season is the first Sunday in November. They strive to grow top quality fruits and vegetables for you to pick your own or purchase in the farm market. They consider the soil and the plant material to be the most valuable resources. To keep the farm healthy and safe they use Integrated Pest Management and Best Management Practices.
1596 Daisy Road, Woodbine 410-934-0148
2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine 410-442-2605 • www.pickyourown.com
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Whether it’s a new tea to try or a new stoneware creation on display in the pottery studio, there’s always something exciting happening at Heron’s Meadow Farm.
Please call or check the website the day you are coming, just before leaving your home, to find out what’s available that day and to avoid disappoint-ment. Call 410-442-2605 or 301-854-6110. The telephone recordings and website are updated throughout the day, and every day, as needed. FARM & FLAVOR 49
MANOR HILL FARM
4411 Manor Lane, Ellicott City 410-997-7771 • www.manorhillbrewing.com Located on a 54-acre working farm in Ellicott City, Manor Hill Farm is home to 14 acres of corn, 2-plus acres of hops, approximately 25 chickens, several honey bee hives, more than 20 free-range angus cattle and multiple herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens. Brewery operations began in June of 2015, making Manor Hill Brewing Howard County’s first and only farm brewery. Their head brewer uses high quality seasonal ingredients to craft hand-made beers from original and unique recipes. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
Their beers are available in cans and bottles and also in kegs, with colorful names such as Farm Fuzz, a Belgian-style witbier, Spotted Whales, a collaboration with a distillery in Ireland and limited release Overalls, a spring lager.
MARY’S LAND FARM
4979 Sheppard Lane, Ellicott City 410-849-4314 • www.maryslandfarm.com Current products sold on the farm seven days a week, include chicken, pork, beef, lamb, duck eggs and chicken eggs. A full-service farm store is part of the operation. Swales and berms are used to keep water on the property and out of Maryland’s overflowing and corroding waterways. This helps plants and livestock and helps save the bay. All the animals are out on pasture and the pigs are in the woodlands. None of the animals are contained during spring, summer and fall; they are much happier out grazing. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
Only organic chemicals are used on the farm. The non-ruminant animals are fed certified organic grains in addition to their grazing. The ruminants are strictly 100 percent grass-fed. If you are like most of us, you probably learn best by seeing it for yourself, so call and visit. 50 FARM & FLAVOR
MERRY ACRES FARM
3807 Walt Ann Drive, Ellicott City 410-531-2360 • www.merryacresfarm.com Merry Acres Farm offers horse boarding and hay sales and is a horse owner’s dream with an outdoor ring, indoor arena and miles of trails. It features a friendly environment and seven-day access to the horses. All disciplines are welcome. Merry Acres Farm began as a dairy operation in 1957 and in 1997 Howie Feaga and his family started boarding horses in a six-stall barn. A year later the focus turned strictly to horse boarding and a larger barn was built, ceasing dairy operations. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
They have recently started a beef operation at the farm. “We’re starting small,” says Feaga, with hopes of building the business. The animals are “pastured and raised on our hay” and finished off with corn, also grown on the farm.
PENN OAKS WINERY
14607 Riggs Meadow Drive, Cooksville www.pennoakswinery@aol.com Their farm of rolling hills and beautiful views was established in 2002. They have nurtured the soil with sustainable, best management practices while establishing and expanding their vineyard over time. In 2011, Penn Oaks Winery was the first to receive Howard County’s farm winery license.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
They are a petite family owned and operated farm and winery. Their hours of operation flex around their farming and vineyard management. they are open from noon-6 p.m. on Sundays for wine tasting and purchase.
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PORCH VIEW FARM, LLC
RITTER FARM
On Porch View Farm, LLC, Keith Ohlinger raises heritage breeds of beef cattle, sheep, pigs, geese and rabbits as well as bees on 22.3 acres. He uses what the land offers, managing it, along with his animals, to create the optimal scenario without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. He has installed a system of swales and berms to affect drainage patterns on the terrain to capture and infiltrate as much rainfall as possible, minimizing runoff. Intensive rotational grazing is used for the livestock and hundreds of fruit and nut trees and shrubs were planted, the fallen fruit and nuts supplementing the animals’ diets.
This is a first-generation, family farm built from the ground up by the Ritter family. Started in 2015, Ritter Farm is devoted to creating the highest quality and exceptionally flavored food for their family and community. The farm is located just outside of historic Sykesville and borders the Patapsco Valley State Park. It is an idyllic environment for raising heritage breeds of livestock the way nature intended. Their non-GMO, pasture-raised meats are crafted with time, tradition and passion. Their artisanal approach to raising animals creates the finest flavor for the breed. They invite you to discover the food they eat and grow. Visit the website for a full selection of premium cuts of pork, lamb, chicken and beef.
2790 Florence Road, Woodbine www.porchviewfarmllc.com
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Keith Ohlinger is an expert on compost and uses it as the only fertilizer on the farm. “Soil health is really the key to everything. If I have healthy soil, then the plants will be healthy and animals that eat the plants will be healthy. If the plants and animals are healthy, then the people who eat them will be healthy.” 52 FARM & FLAVOR
565 River Road, Sykesville 443-598-6696 www.ritterfamilyfarm.com
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Improving the soil one animal at a time. Ritter Farm practices regenerative agriculture with rotational and intensive grazing to build healthy and biodiverse soil and pastures.
SHARP’S AT WATERFORD FARM 4003 Jennings Chapel Road, Brookeville 410-489-2572 • www.sharpfarm.com
Visit Sharp’s at Waterford Farm, a 550-acre working farm located in the western part of Howard County, family-owned and operated since 1903. Alan and Julia Sharp offer outdoor educational field trips for children during spring, summer and fall. In the spring their greenhouses are full of hundreds of plants with a great variety of herbs, vegetable plants and colorful flowers. Other spring and summer activities include parties, open house events, encountering farm animals and hayrides. The fall offers campfires, hayrides, pick-your-own pumpkins, a corn maze, scarecrow making and a country store. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
You might have a backyard garden, or you might have a few pots on your porch. No matter, the staff is always ready to assist you. If you have never tried to plant your own garden, they will make suggestions steering you to success.
SHO NUF TURKEY FARM 11788 Scaggsville Road, Fulton www.shonufturkeys.com
At Sho Nuf Turkeys, Chris and Tanya Bohrer are continuing the tradition of Tanya’s grandparents, Ellsworth and Mary Elizabeth Iager, of raising and selling turkeys at the farm in Fulton. With the farm being sold in 2019 for future development, it provided Chris and Tanya the opportunity to brand the turkeys “Sho Nuf” as a tribute to Ellsworth and his branding from the 1940s. They continue to provide the same high quality turkeys and turkey products for those who have been coming to the farm for years.
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The farm offers whole turkeys, bone-in breasts, smoked breasts, turkey bacon, ground turkey, wing packs and drumsticks.
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SINGH SUGAR MAPLE FARM
1200 Sugar Maple Drive, Marriottsville 443-413-2252 • singh.sugarmaplefarm@gmail.com Singh Sugar Maple farm got its start five years ago at the owner’s first location in West Virginia. This is the first year they will be growing and selling at their newest convenient location in Howard County, right off Interstate-70. Their produce includes five kinds of heirloom tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupe, watermelon, ghost peppers, okra, peaches, plums, raspberries, turnips, eggplants, apples and more! They also have 50 different types of flowers for you to cut yourself. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
The farm is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sundays. Support your small local farm and get your fresh produce straight from the source. Call to book the farm for barbeques, bonfires and other festivities.
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TLV TREE FARM
15155 Triadelphia Mill Road, Glenelg 410-489-4460 • www.tlvtreefarm.com The farm has been in their family for over 100 years. That is why they provide high-quality products at reasonable prices. At TLV (Triadelphia Lake View Farm) they believe in treating our patrons like one of the family. At Triadelphia Lake View Farm the customer always comes first. In 2018 the Browns started their most recent project—turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They also provide ground turkey and turkey parts at the farmers’ markets and farm store. TLV is committed to producing the highest quality proteins at an affordable price. FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT
Farmer Brown Camp is an ongoing adventure for making friends and creating lifetime memories in a safe, beautiful natural environment. Camp provides time to “unplug” from electronic devices, TV, and get out into nature. At camp, there’s the opportunity to learn more about plants, animals, outdoor skills and develop deep friendships.
Showcasing Beer y a s d a n week e v e s
By Gina Gallucci-White Photos by Turner Photography Studio
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On the main wall of the Marriner family’s Manor Hill Tavern, guests will see a large mural created by a local artist. The painting depicts a scene from Manor Hill Farm, also owned by the family, featuring matriarch Mary Marriner planting with her then-threeyear-old grandson alongside a couple of chickens and cows. 58 FARM & FLAVOR
The backdrop scenery includes the farm’s brewery and taproom for Manor Hill Brewing. The mural is one of several links between the Ellicott City-based tavern and the farm and brewery which all promote sustainable practices and using locally made and grown ingredients. With the brewery only open Fridays through Sundays, the Marriners wanted a location that could showcase their beers seven days a week. “We have always loved old Ellicott City so when the opportunity came up, we thought this could be a really good partnership,” says Rachael Mull, daughter of Randy and Mary Marriner who serves as the farm’s chief financial officer.
After 20 years of running their own advertising firm and retiring in the mid-2000s, the Marriners opened Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia. Their daughter, Victoria ‘Tori’ Buscher had graduated from culinary school and worked in the restaurant/hospitality industry for several years. She is known as the family’s chief experience officer. Offering innovative versions of classic pub fare in a Euro-style setting, the venue marks 15 years of service to the community. Hitting that milestone is especially meaningful to the family after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and restrictions hurt the restaurant industry badly over the past two
years. “Being in the restaurant industry during COVID was not an easy gig,” Mull says. “Just really feeling like you want to protect employees and be able to stay open and still provide a service to the community. It is a big feat (to have stayed open) especially a non-chain that survived during that time. You feel like you can conquer the world now that the customers are back.” Victoria Gastro Pub was one of the first restaurants in the area to promote craft beer and later began selling and promoting their own beer under the Manor Hill Brewing brand. With the success of the farm brewery, they decided to add Manor Hill Tavern to their portfolio. The Marriners chose a mid-19th century building formerly used in
the livery trade in the Taylor’s Row neighborhood of Old Ellicott City. They purchased the historic structure in July 2016 just weeks before a severe thunderstorm dumped six inches of rain in two hours on the area. Two people were killed and damages to downtown Ellicott City homes, businesses and infrastructure totaled millions of dollars. Located on Old Columbia Pike, the building was not damaged as severely as some on Main Street. “We knew we were going to have to do a good amount of work to that building just to get it ready to open but then the flood came and we had to do a lot more,” Mull says. The building is a series of adjoining row homes that were opened up to become one space making it not as structurally sound as it was originally intended. “The water just came down the hill behind it and just filled underneath inside,” Mull says. “The building was leaning out into the road. We had to jack the whole thing up about 8 inches on these hydronic lifts and put the building back up. That wasn’t all just because of the 2016 flood. That was more years and years and the flood just put it over the edge and it was at the time that we were about to do work on it anyway. It opened our eyes to a lot of things that needed to be fixed.” Manor Hill Tavern was able to open in February 2017 and features FARM & FLAVOR 59
several original architectural elements including exposed stone walls, barn doors and beams. The structure faired better during the May 2018 flood when eight inches of rain fell in two hours in the same area. “The building did fine,” she says. “We just got a little bit of water inside the dining rooms. Nothing significant. All the work that we did with the first flood really, really protected it.” While Victoria welcomes a more special occasion and business crowd thanks to its large entree menu, the tavern offers a casual menu for locals and tourists who want to chow down on pizzas, burgers and salads. Best sellers include appetizers like duck fat fries and poutine. Some of the must try entrees include Tuscan stuffed salmon, lemon rosemary pork 60 FARM & FLAVOR
tenderloin and pan seared spiced chicken. The tavern’s best seller is Bird’s the Word, a fried chicken sandwich featuring house pimento cheese, chipotle slaw, pickles and a spicy honey drizzle. Manor Hill Farm provides numerous fresh out-of-the-ground ingredients they have grown onsite. Though it depends on the season, herbs are one of the biggest items they provide. “The amount of basil that we send to Manor Hill Tavern for margarita pizza is a ton,” Mull says. “Even in the bar, we try to send a lot of herbs over for different unique drinks that they make at both restaurants.” Fresh tomatoes are also another produce item that makes its way to the restaurants. “We do all kinds of specials with those,” she says.
In the past, they have done a squash blossom special at Victoria for a couple of months during the summer. “We have a lot of different squash on the farm and even the blossoms from all of our pumpkin plants can be picked and then we stuff them with an herb goat cheese and then a real light tempura fry and it is just so delicious,” she says. “All of our customers get really excited for those couple months of the year when those are available.” Their custom-built brick pizza oven is a focal point of the tavern. Guests can sit in the dining area and watch staff create the Neapolitan pies. “It just gives a really fun vibe,” Mull says.
The oven at the tavern is the same style as the one built inside a rehabilitated trolley at Manor Hill Farm. The bar features around a dozen of Manor Hill beers like Mild Manor’d Amber (red ale), Farm Fuzz (wheat beer) and Manor Helles (lager). They also provide a space for guest draughts, cans and bottles. Most of their draught beers are available in 32 ounce crowlers. The tavern hosts several events including going for a beer run on Tuesday nights. Folks can meet at the tavern before starting their running on the 3.7 mile Trolley Trail.
Participants may run in the group or solo. Once completed, runners can get a free beer and mingle with fellow athletes. “We just love doing things like (the weekly run) that just connects people and wants them to keep coming back and seeing each other too,” Mull says. They also offer Thoughtful Thursdays where they chose three different charities each month to highlight. When guests come to the tavern on Thursdays, they are all given a wooden token and asked to drop it in the box of their preferred charity. At the end of the month,
tavern staff count all the tokens with the top vote getter receiving a $150 donation. The second and third place charities receive $100 and $50 donations respectively. “We really enjoyed connecting with the community and being able to highlight different charities and then have our guests get really excited about what we are doing.,” she says. When visiting the tavern, Mull hopes guests understand their commitment to hospitality. “We want them to feel almost like they are part of the family coming in,” she says.
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Full of Farm Flavor Favorite Recipes are Shared
Sour Cream Apple Pie Filling Ingredients 2 Tbs. flour 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg, unbeaten 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 2 cups apples, diced 1 9-inch pie crust
Directions • Preheat oven to 350-degrees. • Stir together the flour, salt and sugar. • Add egg, sour cream, vanilla and nutmeg. • Combine into a thin batter. • Stir in apples and pour mixture into crust. • Bake for 30 minutes. • Remove from oven and sprinkle on the following topping:
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Topping Ingredients 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup butter
Directions • Mix ingredients until a course concoction is formed. • Return the pie to the oven that has been heated to 400 degrees. • Bake for 10 minutes or until the topping has browned.
Marinated Carrots Ingredients
6-8 carrots, scraped 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. sugar 6 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. tarragon vinegar 1/4 tsp. dry mustard 2 Tbs. mixed herbs (thyme, chives and chervil) 1 small clove garlic, pressed White pepper to tastes Juice of one lemon
Fried Green Tomatoes Ingredients
3 or 4 medium-size green tomatoes 1/2 cup flour 1 Tbs. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3-4 Tbs. bacon drippings or butter
Directions • Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. • Mix flour, sugar and seasonings and coat tomato slices with the mixture. • Heat fat to medium high in a large frying pan and fry slices, turning once, until brown and tender, about 20 minutes. • If frying more than one batch, add more fat to the pan, keeping the first batch warm.
Directions • Slice carrots into sticks. • Cook in boiling salted water until barely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. • Drain and cool. • Combine oil, vinegar and seasonings, mix with carrots and marinate overnight. • Just before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice. • Serve cold. • Makes enough for 4. May be doubled.
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Zucchini Mock Crab Cake Ingredients
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini 2 eggs 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs or crackers 1/4 cup minced onion 2 Tbs. melted butter 2 Tbs. chopped parsley Old Bay seasoning to taste 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup oil for frying
Directions • Mix together everything but the flour. • Form mixture into patties and dredge in flour. • Heat oil over medium heat in a medium size skillet. • Fry patties until golden brown on both sides.
Summer Salad Ingredients
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled 1 small cucumber 1 small onion, peeled 1 small green pepper Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup of vinegar 3 tsp. sugar 1/4 cup ice water
Directions • Slice or cube tomatoes. Thinly slice other vege• • • •
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tables. Place in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a measuring cup mix vinegar, sugar and ice water. Pour over vegetables, add 4 or 5 ice cubes and toss lightly. Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour to crisp the veggies and allow the marinate to penetrate. Serve on a bed of lettuce. Serves 4.