OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK APRIL THRU CHRISTMAS EVE
Frank’s PRODUCE AND GREENHOUSES
6686 Old Waterloo Rd • Elkridge, MD 410-799-4566
franksproduceandgreenhouse.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!
FARM & FLAVOR 3
AND PUBLISHER Hagerstown Publishing MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Luse ART DIRECTOR Joseph Silovich PRODUCTION MANAGER Matthew Piersall GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Annie Ellis Matthew Piersall CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Turner Photography Studio HOWARD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Kathy Johnson, Director of Agriculture Business Development Brian Sheavly, Director of Marketing and Communications VISIT HOWARD COUNTY Amanda Hof, Executive Director ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terri Davis tdavis@fredmag.com Linda Dove ldove@fredmag.com Leslie Lillo llillo@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 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 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. 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. Printed on © DIVERSIONS PUBLICATIONS, INC. 2019. All contents of this publication are protected by Recycled copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part for any reason without prior Paper approval of the publisher.
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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, Farming is deeply embedded in the foundation of Howard County. Today, farms remain vitally important to our health, our community, and our way of life. Agriculture plays a crucial role both in terms of our environment and our economy. Our farms provide necessary natural space and they are the fifth largest economic driver in Howard County. They provide locally grown food so that our restaurants and consumers can buy fresh and buy local, saving energy from reduced travel times and minimizing our environmental footprint. I believe that farmland must be protected, in service of our environment, our economy, and our farmers. Howard County is proud of our diverse agriculture industry, today over 330 farms strong. We will continue to look for new and innovative ways to serve our farms and bolster our local agricultural economy. I will continue to work alongside the Agricultural Preservation Board, my Agricultural Subcabinet, and of course, the agricultural community. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the incredible, fresh products from our farms. Whether you shop at one of our farmer’s 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. 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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Farmer in the Dell
Statues Live on at Clark’s Elioak Farm
Agriculture Events
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32
40
Harvesting Your Own Fruits and Vegetables
Gardens of Delight
A Hands-On Operation
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62
Farm Listings
Howard County Attractions
Recipes from the Farms
SUMMER ISSUE VOL. 1, NO. 1
CONTENTS
FARM & FLAVOR 7
Belden David Patrick founded Maple Dell Farm in the 1930s, starting with 20 to 25 dairy cows. Today, his vision continues and has expanded through the third and fourth generation of the Patrick family. The Woodbine-based farm milks 195 Ayrshire and Holstein cows with the herd averaging 77 pounds of milk a day. Including young stock, they have roughly 330 animals. “Growing up on a farm, I guess it really is like a family business,” says Caitlin Patrick. “It is more of a
lifestyle rather than just a job. It is a really big commitment, obviously. It is a 365/24/7 kind of deal. I think it boils down to my grandfather (David), 10 FARM & FLAVOR
my dad (Denny), my brother (Derek) and my uncle (Mike), they are all very passionate about it and I think that is why it has continued. It has changed a lot with the times, but I think the passion behind it really has been the
reason that everyone hasn't found other jobs to do.” As the last remaining dairy farm in Howard County, Patrick notes it’s a
tough industry. “All dairy farmers pretty much in America are really struggling right now because milk prices have been so low,” she says. “At our farm, we try to find other outlets to bring in revenue. A lot of people are breaking even or less and that is around the country. It is hard to sustain a dairy operation unless you are selling excess crops or are looking into other ventures to add to what you are already doing.” The Patricks sell corn and soybeans wholesale to other farmers as they own 450 acres and rent an additional 550 acres with part of the farm in agricultural preservation. Caitlin was also recently awarded a Howard County agriculture innovation grant to pursue cheese making.
“We were looking at different ways to diversify and add something to our farm to make it sustainable,” she says. Initially, they looked at making ice cream, but nixed the idea due to the lengthy and expensive process to create the product. Whereas with the cheese, they would go through a cheese maker. Patrick has been doing research and speaking with farmers in different states that offer cheese. This spring, she was working on what types of cheese the farm would offer. She hopes to get the product up and running in the summer. The cheese will not be sold directly from the
farm, rather her goal is to establish relationships with existing business, restaurants and bars in Howard
County and bring some of the cheeses to their menus. She also hopes to establish the brand at area farmers
“Everyone loves cheese, It is a good way to diversify the products from the farm.”
FARM & FLAVOR 11
“I think there is always something special about working with animals and being outside.” markets or produce stands. “Everyone loves cheese,” she says. “It is a good way to diversify the products from the farm.” As a full-time teacher at an area high school, Patrick works on her family’s farm on a part time basis. “Both (jobs) are pretty stressful in different ways,” she says. “I always say if I am at the farm, the cows can’t talk back to me. ...Growing up on the farm, I was always really passionate about (farming). I don’t do as much work as my dad, my brother and my uncle, but I am inspired by how hard my family works. I try whenever I can to help out, whether it is through milking some evenings during the week or with the cheese venture. I really want to make sure it is successful because I do believe in the product and I know how hard everyone is
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working to keep the farm sustainable, so I want to contribute to that.”
The farm was also part of a $4.1 million stream restoration project — the largest in the county’s history and the first on privately held land. Cattail Creek, which runs through a portion of the farm within the Triadelphia Reservoir, had been experiencing channel instabilities due to timber harvest, watershed development, overgrazing and agriculture. The year-long project wrapped up in the spring and included 6,000 linear feet of stream restoration, selectively harvesting 10 acres of trees to create a new pasture and installing 4,500 linear
Patrick’s grandfather David is 89 years old and still works, including artificially inseminating cattle in the area. When she’s on the farm, Patrick most enjoys being able to work with her family. “I think there is always something special about working with animals and being outside,” she says. “...For us being in Howard County, the location is really interesting because we are close to Baltimore. We are close to Washington, D.C. and especially being the last remaining dairy farm in Howard County that is really important and really special. I think that is why we are all working so hard to maintain our operation while also adding to it.” feet of fencing to keep the dairy herd from the restoration area. The project was part of a state mandate to the county to work on storm water runoff for over 2,000 acres that can’t ingest water which then leads to pollutant-filled runoff going into waterways. The county partnered with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission to fund a 15-acre riparian easement with trees on the farm as well as monitoring water quality there before, during and after construction. The Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bay’s Trust Fund grant and the county’s Watershed Protection and Restoration Fund also helped fund the project. “Everything goes back to environmental stewardship and agriculture sustainability,” Patrick says. Denny, Mike and Derek Patrick are the main laborers on the farm, but
FARM & FLAVOR 13
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O
n an overcast day in mid-spring, mother and daughter Martha Clark and Nora Crist were standing near their goat pen in the petting zoo area of their family’s farm, Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City. A visitor meandered over asking if one of the goats was named Sophia. Clark answered yes and pointed to the one wearing a blue collar standing on top of a goat-friendly wooden playhouse. As Crist made her way to bring it over, the visitor asked if the goat was born on April 9. As it so happened, the visitor was there with her young daughter for her birthday and saw the goat being born. Clark offered to name
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the baby goat Sophia in her honor and the two were now back several weeks later to see how the kid was doing. After multiple pictures were taken, Clark remarked “That’s what it’s all about.” Clark and Crist know that their farm has become a place for many to make memories as well as remember their own
youth. The 540-acre farm, all in designated county and state farmland protection, houses all but one of the nursery rhyme and fairy tale themed statues from the shuttered Enchanted Forrest theme park which drew visitors from 1955 until the early 1990s. Today, visitors will come to the farm to recreate photos they took in their youth such as inside the mouth of Willie the Whale or standing in front of the Three Bears’ house. Clark and Crist are often shown photos dating back decades of the poses along with meeting new generations of their families who will also be included in updated photographs. “It has been wonderful, and it has added so much to our farm,” Crist says. “Sometimes the kids are coming for the first time and they think it is cool but the parents and grandparents are blown away by how awesome it is, so it is really fun for all three generations to have so much fun seeing it and to recreate photos of mom and grandma.” Clark and Crist are the sixth and seventh generation of their family to go into farming, dating back to 1797. Their ancestors started by raising wheat and even ran a fulling mill on nearly 150 acres of leased property in the county. Clark’s grandfather bought the 312 acres they currently work, Elioak Farm, in 1927 to raise Angus cattle and keep his three sons active with a purpose. James Clark Jr., Clark’s father who was a state senator, farmed the land for
more than 60 years including raising Angus and dairy cattle, sheep, hay and grain crops. In 1972, Clark’s brother took over the farm operation. When the dairy herd grew too large, he moved the entire dairy operation to Georgia in 1990. James Clark took the farm back and started a roadside vegetable produce stand, now run by Crist, which still helps feed hungry residents today with sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches and other selections. Clark joined her father around 2000 to help him run the farm and opened the petting zoo in 2002. “We needed a way to make money on the farm,” Clark says. “We figured it was harder to do traditional farming because farms around us were disappearing and so were all the farm
support businesses.” We did the petting farm because “there were a lot of people who lived in close proximity to the farm who would enjoy coming to visit it.” Today, the farm also offers 100 percent grass-fed beef and pasteurized pork products. They sell by the cut which is a unique aspect. “If somebody wants to swing in (to the farm’s castle store) and grab a pound of ground beef for dinner, that’s great,” Crist says. “They don't have to buy a half of a cow or a whole cow.” They do offer some bulk options as well as a meat and vegetable CSAs respectively. “Farming is just so important,” Clark says. “It is in my blood. It is essential to everyone’s life. You’ve got to have food. The petting farm is fun but it’s part of the
educational part of what we do. We do it because we care about our neighbors and we want them to have good food and we want to have good food for ourselves. We care about the farm and we care about the environment.” When Clark’s mother died, the daughter had a stone put in her front yard that said “Never Sell the Land.” “My dad wanted a marker because we were going to bury some of her ashes there and spread some on the farm so the stone has her birth date and death date and now since then his birth date and death date because he is there, too,” she says. The saying is “etched in the bottom on that stone just so that Nora and I and anyone else who comes after us never forgets we are not supposed to sell the land.” She wanted that phase on the stone because her father was one of the architects of the farmland preservation program. “He believed very strongly that anything we can do to help farmers hold on to their land is a good thing,” Clark says. “His philosophy was
you don’t really own the farm. You just hold on to it and hopefully improve it and pass it on to the next generation.” Enchanted Forest
Clark was born just before the Enchanted Forest opened its doors for the first time. She remembers going once with her grandmother when out of town cousins came to visit when she was around four or five years old. “I don’t remember going so much just my family,” she recalls. “It was mostly when we were entertaining people like you take people down to D.C. when they come in from out of town.” Crist was born a few years before the attraction closed its doors. “There are pictures of me there, but I have no memory of it as a kid,” she says. The park was sold to a developer who built the Enchanted Forrest Shopping Center which today houses stores including Safeway and PetCo. Iconic pieces of the amusement park remained behind the center for years crumbling and wasting away. In 2004, the Cinderella pumpkin coach was sold at a local charity auction which created a lot of media attention. The winners of the auction only purchased the item because they wanted the piece to go someplace public for people to enjoy it. Clark knew just the place. The coach became an instant hit with folks traveling far and wide to see it at its new home. Clark decided to ask the owners of the shopping center if she could have more pieces. They agreed, but said she had to take them all which was over 100 pieces made of wood frames with chicken wire, fiber glass and concrete on top.
“Some of the pieces looked OK and we picked them up and they would literally crumble into the frame,” Crist says. “We have had numerous amounts of people help us fix them up because they all have some connection to the Enchanted Forrest.” A man in Virginia, who had named his art studio after the iconic attraction, offered to help. Another, who
maze and in a wooded area. “We love it,” Clark says. “It’s just one more thing for the kids to see.” Crist notes the farm is still progressing because they adapt, change and diversify. “Thanks to Mom and all her brilliant ideas, we are still going,” she says. The petting farm features numerous animals including sheep, pigs, donkeys, emus, horses,
remembered going as a child, now owned a crane business and volunteered to move some pieces. The process took about 10 years to relocate every piece, including the iconic castle entrance and large welcome sign. The only piece that remains at the old site about five miles away is Old King Cole who is on top of the shopping center’s sign. When coming to the farm, visitors can see the pieces spaced throughout the petting area including inside the Enchanted Forest
chickens, ducks and rabbits. After clearing out a portion of the forest, they debuted several fairy houses in May for kids to play in. October is their busiest time with school field trips and families coming to pick out the perfect pumpkin and catch a hay ride. When asked what it’s like to keep their family’s farming tradition alive, Clark says “I would not do anything else.” Adds Crist “I had somebody ask me the other day what would you do if you were not farming? I said I don't know.” FARM & FLAVOR 21
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 County Economic Development Authority 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive Columbia, MD 21046 Howard Soil Conservation District 14735 Frederick Road Cooksville, MD 21723 J. David Mullinix & Sons, Inc. 14420 Howard Road Dayton, MD 21036
Maryland Tack Inc. 1457 Fannie Dorsey Road Sykesville, MD 21784 Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit 700 Corporate Center Court, Suite L Westminster, MD 21157 The Rough Country Home Studio 1485 Old Annapolis Road Woodbine, MD 21797
Level Land, Inc P.O Box 100 Lisbon, MD 21765
University of Maryland Extension-Howard 3300 North Ridge Road, Suite 240 Ellicott City, MD 21043
Level Landscape, LLC 15298 Union Chapel Road Woodbine, MD 21797
Wagner’s Meats LLC 602-604 North Main St Mount Airy, MD 21771 FARM & FLAVOR 23
Going to a pick-your-own farm is like searching for edible treasures. Folks will hunt through bushes and trees to find the perfect fruits and vegetables for their family’s meals. Which strawberries look the ripest? How many blueberries are needed for homemade muffins? Are these enough apples for a pie? During late spring, summer and early fall, these questions and more fill the heads of patrons of Larriland Farm, Howard County’s
only pick-your-own farm. Since 1973, folks have come from all over the region to sample the different varieties of strawberries, tart cherries, blueberries, red, black and thornless blackberries, apples and grapes. There is a “universal desire to have direct contact with your food and to be able to enjoy the pleasure of it and
harvesting is the best part of the whole” process, says Lynn Moore, farm president. “You are outside. You get to enjoy the weather. You see all the colors and textures and, of course, you get to enjoy the flavor. There are just all these wonderful other parts of the experience.”
The Moore family, led by Larry and Polly, were initially dairy farmers in Guilford. The name ‘Larriland’ comes from the prefix they used in front of the cows’ names to identify their herd and bloodlines. After selling their dairy cows, they moved to their current Woodbine farm in 1963. The family grew numerous agronomic crops including alfalfa, wheat, soybeans and even turf. Because turf depleted the soil too much, the Moores began to search for another farming option. In 1972, their daughter, Lynn Moore, suggested planting an acre of strawberries. “I think it was being promoted by the Extension Service as
an alternative way to earn farm income,” she says. “Strawberries are just so wonderful to eat so it just sounded like an all-around good idea. Alternative income and something that would be delicious.” A year later, they opened their pickyour-own farming operation and have been expanding ever since. “It was all customer driven,” Lynn Moore says. “People came to the farm and they were picking the strawberries and they would say ‘What else do you have’ and ‘What else can I pick’ and ‘This is really wonderful, but we want other things.’ It was trying to satisfy people to keep them coming to the farm and getting them to enjoy it.” Today, they have around 100 acres dedicated to fruits such as peaches, pears, plums, gooseberries and FARM & FLAVOR 27
currants and 15 to 20 acres of vegetables including spinach, tomatoes, broccoli and beets. Six years ago, the family bought a 35-acre farm a mile north of their current home. Known as the Moore Farm, the family uses the land for crop rotation and pick-your-own pumpkins in the fall. Last year, the farm
expanded again with the purchase of land about a half a mile away used mainly for the expansion of existing crops and crop rotation. Some of their best sellers are strawberries, blueberries, peaches and apples. A successful, high quality harvest is Lynn Moore’s favorite aspect of farming. “I really like growing crops,” she says. “You start with either seeds or small
plants and (are) able to get them to grow and produce and have good flavor and good qualities and consistency. Just eating all (the produce) is so wonderful.” Lynn Moore decided to follow her parents into farming. “I thought about all the things I enjoyed and things I would like to do, and I really
it there, disease free and good quality. Everyone who picked it is happy with what they got, and they keep coming back year after year.” Working with family can be tricky but Jake Moore notes it works because it has always been their way of life. “We always want to keep it going for the next generation to make sure they have some place to come back to,” he says. Jake Moore knew he was coming back to work at the farm after college. “I always liked that it was our business and I’ve always liked living there,” he
enjoyed growing things so it fit the bill,” she says. Her two brothers, Guy and Fenby, serve as vice presidents while her older sister, Nancy, works part time in the farm’s office. While some may shudder at the idea of working so closely with their siblings, Lynn Moore says it’s delightful and they get a lot done together. “We all have been here for a while, so it works well,” she says. The next generation has also started working at the farm. Fenby’s son, Jake, works full time usually around 60 hours a week. “I don't mind putting in long hours,” he says. “I like growing things. You start with a small plant and you get it to full maturity and then each year you can harvest the crop off it. By the time harvest is over, you look back and said, ‘Wow. We got a lot off it this year. We did a good job getting
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enjoyed it particularly more than going to school.” One of his favorite tasks at the farm is mowing. “I like to get on the tractor a lot and just go all day,” he says. “...When I mow, I always want it to look perfect after I get done. It is a very visual thing. You went in there and it looked like a jungle and when
says. “Growing up on a farm, there was lots of room. ...I always came back (during college breaks) and worked on the farm in the summer. It’s hard work for sure, but I always
you leave it looks nice and inviting and professional.” He was raised to have a good work ethic. “You just feel accomplished after a long day of work,” he says. “You are tired as all get out, but you are proud that you have gotten all that work done. At the end of the day, I feel accomplished.”
Much of that acreage is planted in vegetables, fruits and herbs that will be prepared in the restaurant’s kitchen and served on artfully-decorated plates. Business owner and executive chef Daniel Wecker recently urged a visitor to walk and talk with him during a tour of the grounds. The property surrounding the inn is a gardener’s delight, with brick paths separating gardens, some brimming with lettuce and herbs and others full of summer’s bounty, including tomatoes, peppers, string beans, cucumbers, zucchini and much more. These aren’t your typical backyard gardens. Wecker experiments with heirloom varieties. “We grow about 30 different kinds of lettuce,” he said. Oyster mushrooms grow in straw bales. Additional mushroom varieties grow on logs and blackberries, blueberries and golden raspberry canes thrive nearby. Beets and turnips are ready to be pulled from the soil.
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The garden grows all year long at Elkridge Furnace Inn, and it’s all grown without artificial or harmful pesticides and fertilizers. In winter, plastic piping filled with warm water snakes through the ground inside greenhouses, which keeps plants from freezing if the greenhouse gets frosty. Romaine lettuce does well in this atmosphere, along with baby fennel. Even in January and February, the restaurant can produce 400 salads in a week. “Every day of the year, something is growing,” he said. Produce grown in the summer is preserved for use all year long. Roasted tomatoes, for instance, garnish plates in January and February. Wecker reached into the warmed soil of late spring and pulled out a golden beet and some Swiss chard. “We’ll do something with this,” he said. “I’m not sure just what.” Shoots of purple asparagus peeked through straw-covered
soil. “We’ll get asparagus in spurts through November,” he said. He passed a bed of red cipollini onions and purple cauliflower. In a barrel, some artichokes were growing. These were just for fun, however, not a menu item. “My wife’s family is from Sicily, and we went there for our 25th anniversary,” he said. “I saw fields and fields of artichokes, and I thought they would be fun patio plants.” The gardens are across the road in front of the inn, and continue past a light-filled dining tent, complete with tables and large windows. The tent houses special events and wedding receptions. Diners are surrounded by the gardens year-round, in climatecontrolled comfort. There’s a wooden footbridge, leading to another garden, bearing more fruits and vegetables. Figs, apricots, pears, persimmons, broccoli, more cauliflower, more lettuce and fresh mint all await the culinary talents of Wecker and his staff. Rhubarb plants sprawl nearby. Wecker’s gardens don’t just provide food for humans. Pollinators abound, with perennials that nurture bees and butterflies. Birdhouses and birdbaths provide shelter and water. Hostas and other decorative plants fill in the spaces, and the perennials change from spring to summer to fall. Trees provide shade, cover for wildlife and fruit for diners at Elkridge Furnace Inn. Plum trees and cherry trees supply fruit for desserts, salads and savory dishes. In the spring, edible blossoms off the redbud trees garnish salads. Another spring favorite growing in the cool shade of tall trees are fiddleheads from ferns. Compost piles feed the gardens at the inn. “We’re doing natural composting,” Wecker said. Plates are not scraped for compost, but
kitchen greens go into a compost system for the gardens. Stock scraps go to local farmers for animal feed. “We are reducing our waste,” Wecker said. One of his longtime customers willed her evening primrose to Wecker, so the flowers provide color to the gardens in summer. Food and Farming at a Young Age
Wecker and his wife, Donna, started Elkridge Furnace Inn in 1988. The couple has been
married for 38 years. Wecker, a native of Lancaster, Pa., began cooking as a child at Scout campouts. He fell in love with gardening when working at his uncle’s farm in Lititz, Pa. He would weed, plant and harvest garden crops, and feed his uncle’s chickens and turkeys. “We learned to hull lima beans,” he said. After high school, Wecker went to Australia as a foreign exchange student, and studied animal husbandry. When he returned home, he began to learn the art of
French cooking, studying classical methods with a French chef. After the Weckers married in 1980, they rented garden plots and preserved their own food. They used the money they saved on food to buy their first house. Eventually, the couple opened a catering company, and then discovered the Elkridge Furnace Inn. The neglected property, owned by the state of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, was in rough shape, and set to be demolished. Working with his brother Steve, Wecker persuaded DNR to allow him to restore the buildings. Wecker opened the restaurant in 1994, during a blizzard. “We are a unique public-private venture,” Wecker said. He pays rent to DNR. Wecker gets his eggs from a chicken farmer about a mile away. Much of his meat comes from Cathy Hudson’s Myrtle Woods Farm, just a few miles away in Elkridge. The beef he serves isn’t local, but the menu, depending on what’s available, includes veal,
duck, chicken, lamb, rabbit and pork, most of which are locally raised. Goat cheese from locally raised goats are also featured and he offers Maryland seafood whenever possible. Inside the three-story restaurant is seating for 52 at cozy tables. The hardwood floors, thick-beamed ceilings and 12 fireplaces are original to the house. The woodwork, mantelpieces and stairway were all formed by
the hands of 18th and 19th century craftsmen. Around the house and tavern grow linden, holly and magnolia trees. The Patapsco River flows nearby. Outside, a Colonial revival porch welcomes customers. The Weckers do a lot of community outreach. Each year, Wecker welcomes local schoolchildren to teach them about growing and eating fresh food. Nearly all Howard County fourth-graders visit the inn’s gardens. “We pick lettuce and make a salad and a vinaigrette to go along with it,” he said. “They experience salad in a different way.” Most adults are surprised to learn the produce they buy in supermarkets is at least a week old, he said. “The feel and the texture of lettuce that is fresh is very different.” Not all the restaurant’s produce comes from the gardens or nearby farms. But about 80 percent of it does. “We’re making an effort,” Wecker said. “I have a diverse menu” that changes each season to reflect what the gardens produce and what Wecker can get locally. He said his gardens enhance his effort to showcase local food. “I have the best of both worlds. I’m able to supplement my cost by growing my own. There’s a labor cost, but we love what we do.” Chef de cuisine Patrick Rodeheaver works with Donna Wecker to plan the gardens, but the entire staff pitches in to keep the gardens planted, weeded and looking good. Greg and Jo Stinner eat at the Elkridge Furnace Inn once a month, and usually return a second time for special occasions that showcase local history, cooking classes and
literature as well as local food. The Stinners enjoy the French cooking adapted for locallyraised food. “It’s always great service, and there are too many good items to pick from,” Greg said. “I drive up from Arnold, so it’s not like it’s next door.” Dan Bobowicz and Sherry March are also frequent customers. “It’s kind of a jewel,” Bobowicz said. “You wouldn’t expect to find little farms just south of Baltimore like this. I can remember when I would ride by this place 30 years ago, and it was a broken-down old house. My wife and I got married there, and her daughter got married there. We just keep going back.” John Rosebrugh and his wife Linda also eat at the inn at least once a month. “We enjoy eating there,” John said. “The food prep is first rate, and the ownership and staff are tremendous. It’s important to eat locally-grown, locallyprovided food often. Plus, it’s amazing how fresh lettuce will change the taste of a salad.”
5745 Furnace Ave., Elk Ridge 410-379-9336 elkridgefurnaceinn.com
FARM & FLAVOR 37
9460 Liberty Rd. Frederick, MD 301.898.1200
700 E. Diamond Ave. Gaithersburg, MD 301.670.9300
1115 Baltimore Blvd. Westminster, MD 410.848.5000
www.rippeonequipment.com
FARM & FLAVOR 39
Long before “eat locally” became a catchphrase, Rose Caulder and her family were eating their own homegrown vegetables and preserving them for winter meals. Rose began gardening in earnest in 1984, when she and her husband Kenny and their two young children moved to their home near the intersection of Old Frederick Road and Md. 32. The garden expanded, and a few years later, daughter Casey sold the extras at the stand she set up in front of their house. The business grew into Breezy Willow Farm, and in 2004, the Caulders started a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, back when CSAs were an anomaly. Today, Breezy Willow sells produce and homemade items at a country store and farmers market in Ellicott City, and through the CSA. Members get eight fruits and vegetables per share each week, and can opt to get eggs and bread. These aren’t just any fruits and vegetables. “They’re big,” Rose says, standing at the edge of one of the enormous gardens. Take broccoli and cauliflower, for instance. “We let
them get bigger, and they’re tender, yet they last several meals,” she says. Commercial produce growers raise crop after crop of vegetables throughout the growing season. At Breezy Willow, the Caulders let each plant mature before harvest, and replant once, if at all. Some of the land at Breezy Willow’s Hopkins Springs Farm, a former horse farm, is certified organic. Even the crops not grown organically are cultivated with organic and natural pest controls, and without chemical pesticides and fertilizers in a system known as integrated pest management. The Caulders, Rose,
Kenny, Casey and son Jason, along with Gene Edwards, their long-time employee, get down on their knees and pull weeds by hand. They also hand-harvest all the vegetables and fruits they sell. Flowers are another crop, something Rose has been growing since she began gardening. She uses
companion planting methods, which pairs plants that benefit each other. This method helps replenish soil with nutrients and keeps pest populations down. Marigolds and tomatoes, for example, make for good garden companions. Locally Grown
For Rose, eating local means eating food grown nearby, not hundreds of miles away. She encourages Howard County residents to buy from farms in Howard County or other nearby communities. She partners with other local farms to supply her members with strawberries, apples
work with local businesses to encourage each other.” Nearby supermarkets once carried produce from Breezy Willow, advertising it as local, but “locally grown” often now includes produce grown 200-300 miles away. Breezy Willow Farm has always worked with other farms to provide more variety for their customers. There’s also another benefit. “If the weather’s bad and you lose a whole crop, somebody will have something you can sell,” Rose says. Rather than competing with other farms, she wants to cultivate a culture of eating and buying locally. and other produce that she doesn’t grow. This helps her customers get a variety of fruits and vegetables.
“There are so few farms anymore,” she says. “It’s hard to get into farming. It’s so expensive. We want to
The Method
The Caulders have four fields dedicated to vegetables on their 25FARM & FLAVOR 43
acre farm, along with a large garden at their home. During spring, the gardens are producing mesclun and other cool season lettuces, onions, early potatoes and broccoli. A large refrigerated unit, occupying what was once two horse stalls in the former horse barn, holds potatoes and apples in cold storage for the CSA. Another stall has a freezer for beef, pork and chicken raised at nearby farms and sold at Breezy Willow. Early in the season, plastic sheeting warms rows of soil for planting. In summer, these rows are brimming with tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, spicy peppers, potatoes, green beans, cantaloupes, eggplant, cucumbers, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, zucchini and much more. In fall, the fields continue to produce broccoli, beets, Brussels sprouts, winter squash, kale
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chickens that dig through dirt for worms. Sheep and alpaca live in a large, grassy field. Beehives produce honey sold in the farm’s Ellicott City market. Breezy Willow offers CSA shares in medium and full sizes from June to October. There are spring and fall shares, which extend the season from March to December. The Caulders aren’t insulted if customers don’t care for certain vegetables. Trade boxes at pickup locations allow customers to swap fruits and veggies for produce they like. Work shares allow customers to work four to five hours a week to defray share costs. “We’ve had up to 50 people working here; now it’s in the 30s,” Rose says. “It’s a good option for people who want to get away from office jobs, who want to be in a farm atmosphere. Many have kids, who love to come and see the animals and learn about how we grow vegetables and fruits.” Hopkins Springs
and lettuce. High covered tunnels help to extend the growing season. Other gardens bear herbs, including basil, dill, oregano and parsley. Their chicken yard is home to several
The Caulders outgrew their 3-acre home property on Old Frederick Road near Sykesville three years ago. They still live there, but needed room to grow more produce. They bought Hopkins Springs, a 25acre horse farm owned by descendants of Johns Hopkins,
namesake of the Baltimore hospital and university. The additional acreage meant room to grow, and room to experiment with new veggies, fruits and herbs. A restored 18th century farmhouse on the farm is now rented.
There’s more room for the animals, and visitors are greeted by the sheep and alpaca in the front field. Breezy Willow sells cleaned wool ready to be spun into yarn to a North Carolina manufacturer, and Casey uses some of
the wool to make felted items. Some of their wool also returns in the form of socks and scarves, to be sold in winter at the country market. Farm equipment is now stored in a covered riding arena. An outdoor arena became a parking lot and an 18-stall horse barn holds more equipment with plenty of room for sorting through produce. There’s room for the chickens to roam and beehives sit on high ground above the farm pond. French drains help clear flooded fields and drain rainwater into the pond. Beyond one field is a piece of ground destined to become the strawberry patch. Rose wants kids to have something fun to pick in the late spring. The farm grows blackberries and blueberries, which Rose makes into jams to sell. Raised beds are for experimenting with new vegetables and herbs, and a small greenhouse is there when needed.
outdoors working most days, and has to be coaxed to retreat into his cozy cottage on the farm. “It’s a great lifestyle,” he says. “There’s lots of wildlife to see.” Marketing and the Market
Birds chirp noisily around the farm, busy with their own tasks. Gene Edwards takes a break from working in the fields to greet a visitor, kicking thick mud off his rubber boots. He’s
You don’t have to be a part of the CSA to buy Breezy Willow produce and products. Breezy Willow Country Market carries produce and more. The market sells baked goods from local bakeries, made with eggs and butter from nearby farms. Produce is displayed on the market’s front porch. Inside are several rooms, filled with baked goods, jams and the goat’s milk soap Rose makes, which fill several shelves and impart a sweet, mild scent. Bouquets of Rose’s fresh flowers will brighten any room. Keeping the local food movement alive is something that Rose thinks about every day. “It’s not what
people expect,” she says. More farms are being developed, and fewer people want to farm. “It’s gotten harder to find people who want to do work shares,” she says.
But her customers are dedicated, and they continue to subscribe to the CSA. Breezy Willow’s Facebook page is filled with recipes that provide fresh flavors without a lot of preparation. “We focus on simple meals with a lot of flavor,” she says. Supermarkets with bins of colorful produce often feature food that’s traveled hundreds or thousands of miles. “Fruits and vegetables lose nutrition after they’re picked,” she says, and many supermarkets feature produce that is at least a week old. “You have to support our local economy. When it’s not there, that’s when you realize how important it is.”
15307 Frederick Road, Woodbine, MD 410-442-1807 www.breezywillowfarm.com www.facebook.com/ breezywillowfarmcsa/ Farm Market 9090 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, MD Open Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
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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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BREEZY HILL FARM 2820 Woodbine Road, Woodbine 410-489-5802 • breezyhillalpacas@gmail.com Breezy Hill Farm is a family-owned and -operated alpaca farm located in the rolling hills of Woodbine. In addition to our herd of cute (and champion) alpaca, we have a menagerie of exotic chickens, goats, sheep and a sweet donkey named Rosie. Our farm boutique offers hand-spun yarns and roving created from the soft fleece of our animals, as well as beautiful and unique creations from co-owner Heather Lysantri’s fiber studio. In addition to our boutique we offer guided tours of the farm for groups of all sizes, which include interaction with the alpacas, and a free monthly meet-up for fiber crafters of all skill levels.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT You can schedule birthday parties or other special events with us and arrange for spinning or dyeing classes with co-owner Heather Lysantri.
CLARK'S FARM 10500 Clarksville Pike (Md. 108), Ellicott City 410.730.4049 www.clarklandfarm.com For seven generations, the Clark family has been raising cattle in Howard County. Today we raise and sell 100 percent grass-fed beef, pastured pork and allnatural vegetables. We sell our meats and vegetables throughout the year at our farm market (which is also the Castle Store entrance to our petting farm, Clark’s Elioak Farm) and during the summer at our roadside farm stand. During the spring and fall you can stop at our farm market at Clark's Elioak Farm Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the summer, through Labor Day, our roadside farm stand is open daily with lots of delicious vegetables, fruits and meats. Check our website for winter store hours.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT In addition to buying at our farm year-round, you can also join one of our meat and/or vegetable CSAs. All our meats are antibiotic, hormone and steroid free. Our bacon and ham are cured without nitrates or sugar, and we have a variety of sugar free sausages. 50 FARM & FLAVOR
CLARK'S ELIOAK FARM 10500 Clarksville Pike (Md. 108), Ellicott City 410.730.4049 www.clarklandfarm.com The Clarks have been farming in Howard County since 1797. The petting farm is open April 1 through early November. We welcome visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Come visit our friendly farm animals, enjoy our rides and our slides, play areas and picnic area. We host educational group tours, birthday parties and group events.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT Our baby goats are a highlight of your visit to our farm. We are the new home of the Enchanted Forest, Maryland Storybook Park. Our pumpkin patch is great fun in the fall. Enjoy our new Fairy Forest. You can take a pony ride, a hay wagon ride, a cow train ride and an Enchanted Express Train ride every day that we are open.
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 our farm in eastern Howard County. Our produce is available through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Pick your own strawberries are available to the general public, as well as CSA members in late spring. We use Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) products for fertilization, disease and pest management. We employ Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies and always aim towards sustainability in all that we do.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT We build compost for supplementing our plant’s nutrition and the soil’s overall health. We strategically cover crop our ground to protect from erosion, to feed our soils and to maintain and offset fertility requirements. FARM & FLAVOR 51
GREENWAY FARMS
HERON’S MEADOW FARM
14098 Reps Road, Cooksville 15097 Frederick Road, Woodbine 410-442-2388 • www.greenwaytrees.net
1596 Daisy Road, Woodbine 410-934-0148
With locations in Cooksville and Woodbine, the Healeys open their fields each Christmas season to those looking for a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Greenhouses filled with hundreds of poinsettias grown right there in Cooksville are also available. A trip to Greenway Farms has become a Christmas tradition, complete with hot cocoa. In the springtime, the greenhouses are filled with flowers and vegetable plants for delivery to surrounding garden centers and school sales. The greenhouses in Cooksville are open for retail sales, enabling gardeners to walk through and pick out their plants.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT 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. 52 FARM & FLAVOR
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 our teas, shop for their new favorite mug from the mug tree, view our 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.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT 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.
LARRILAND FARM
MARY’S LAND FARM
2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine 410-442-2605 www.pickyourown.com
4979 Sheppard Lane, Ellicott City 410-849-4314 www.maryslandfarm.com
Our 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. Our last day for the season is the first Sunday in November. We strive to grow top quality fruits and vegetables for you to pick your own or purchase in our farm market. We consider the soil and the plant material to be our most valuable resources. To keep the farm healthy and safe we use Integrated Pest Management and Best Management Practices.
Our current products sold on the farm seven days a week, include chicken, pork, beef, lamb, duck eggs and chicken eggs. As our perennial plants develop, we intend to provide nuts, berries, grapes, vegetables and fruit to the local market. Swales and berms are used to keep water on our property and out of Maryland’s overflowing and corroding waterways. This helps our 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 Please call or check our website the day you are coming, just before leaving your home, to find out what’s available that day and to avoid disappointment. 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 HIGHLIGHT Only organic chemicals are used on the farm. The nonruminant 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. FARM & FLAVOR 53
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.
PORCH VIEW FARM, LLC 2790 Florence Road, Woodbine www.porchviewfarmllc.com 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.
FARM & FLAVOR HIGHLIGHT 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.” 54 FARM & FLAVOR
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 our 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, our 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.
TLV TREE FARM 15155 Triadelphia Mill Road, Glenelg 410-489-4460 www.tlvtreefarm.com Our farm has been in our family for over 100 years. That is why we provide highquality products at reasonable prices. At TLV (Triadelphia Lake View Farm) we 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. FARM & FLAVOR 55
Howard County Farms Airview Farm
Carroll Farm-To-Table
Down on the Farm
1878 Woodbine Road, Woodbine
Manor Lane and Frederick Road, Ellicott City
465 Morgan Station Road, Woodbine
AlpacaJoy of Maryland
6854 S. Maria Ave., Highland
Evergreen Stables Farm LLC Chanceland Farm
8250 Old Columbia Road, Fulton
1975 McKendree Road, West Friendship Annodale Farm
3274 Jones Road, Woodbine
Falcon Ridge Farm Chapel View Farm
4496 Jennings Chapel Road, Brookville
2640 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine Bonafide Stables
2751 McKendree Road, Glenwood
First Choice Farm Circle D Farm
2698 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine
15535 Carrs Mill Road, Woodbine Bowling Green Farm, Inc.
1465 Underwood Road, Sykesville
Forever Spring Farm Clark’s Elioak/Clark’s Farm
6800 White Rock Road, Sykesville
10500 Md. 108, Ellicott City Breezy Hill Farm-Alpacas
Frank’s Produce
2820 Woodbine Road Woodbine
Dawn Acres Angus
Breezy Willow Farm at Hopkins Spring
Day View Acres
6686 Old Waterloo Road, Elkridge
13155 Frederick Road, West Friendship Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue
Gorman Farm
15307 Frederick Road, Woodbine Days End Farm Horse Rescue Brendel Farms, Inc
15298 Union Chapel Road, Woodbine
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925 Lady Anne Court, Mount Airy
1950 Mount View Road, Marriottsville 1372 Woodbine Road, Woodbine
10151 Gorman Road, Laurel
Greenway Farm
Maple Dell Farm
Spring Meadow Farm
14098 Reps Road, Cooksville 5097 Frederick Road, Woodbine
1960 Daisy Road, Woodbine
2125 Md. 97, Cooksville
Maple Lawn Farms
Spring Mill Farm
11788 Md. 216, Fulton
14120 Rover Mill Road, West Friendship
Mary’s Land Farm
Stewart Farms
4979 Sheppard Lane, Ellicott City
3400 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine
Maura Cahill & Jan Luigard
Stonebrook Farm
14607 Riggs Meadow Drive, Cooksville
6300 Guilford Road, Clarksville
Merry Acres Farm
Summer Hill Farm
3807 Walt Ann Drive, Ellicott City
14195 Md. 144, West Friendship
Misty Meadows Farm
Sun Nurseries
2031 Millers Mill Road, Cooksville
14790 Bushy Park Road, Woodbine
Papa’s Produce at Restoration Acres
Tara Equestrian Center
1815 Woodbine Road, Woodbine
2640 Jennings Chapel Road, Woodbine
Pizza Harvest Farm
Therapeutic & Recreational Riding Center
Hensing’s Hilltop Acres
14204 Triadelphia Mill Road, Dayton Heritage Hill Farm
2790 Florence Road, Woodbine Hickory Ridge Farm
13032 Highland Road, Highland Jumping Ahead Acres
5171 Talbots Landing, Ellicott City Just This Side of Paradise Farm
15240 Frederick Road, Woodbine Kimberthy Turf Farm
3425 Hipsley Mill Road, Woodbine Knott-E-Knuff Farm
4979 Sheppard Lane, Ellicott City
3750 Shady Lane, Glenwood
1485 Old Annapolis Road, Woodbine Pleasant Prospect Farm L-Meadow Farm
4389 Jennings Chapel Road, Brookeville
Timber Falls Tree & Beef Farm
17794 Old Frederick Road, Mount Airy
1521 St. Michaels Road, Woodbine Rhine Landscaping Larriland Farm
12885 Old Frederick Road, Sykesville
Triadelphia Lake View Farm
15155 Triadelphia Mill Road, Glenelg
2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine Run of the Mill Farm Limestone Valley Farm, Inc.
6901 Eden Mill Road, Woodbine
Walnut Springs Nursery
14812 Burntwoods Road, Glenwood
5450 Sheppard Lane, Clarksville Rural Rhythm Farm Love Dove Farm
13817 Howard Road, Dayton
Wayback Farm
Tin Lizzie Wineworks at Wayback Farm
14834 Old Frederick Road, Woodbine Shadow Mere Farm Majestic Meadows Farm
1841 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville
13240 Greenberry Lane, Clarksville
2405 Pfefferkorn Road, West Friendship
Sharp’s at Waterford Farm
Woodcamp Farm
4003 Jennings Chapel Road, Brookeville
17403 Hardy Road, Mount Airy
Manor Hill Farm & Brewing
4411 Manor Lane, Ellicott City
Slade Farm
13200 Greenberry Lane, Clarksville
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‘The Green In Between’ Howard County Bridges Both Rural and Urban Offerings
Located in central Maryland, Howard County is a perfect combination of farms and beautiful scenery while offering opportunities in the arts and culture, historic sites, entertainment and recreation. The folks at Visit Howard County are full of suggestions on how to spend your time in the county. Visit their website at www.visithowardcounty.com for more ideas.
The African Art Museum of Maryland
Founded in 1980 as the first museum in the planned community of Columbia, it is one of only three museums of its kind in the nation devoted exclusively to the art of Africa. Of those three, it is the only one founded by an African American. Among other supports, it has been recognized as “one of the state’s most respected cultural institutions,” and in 2013 was cited as “one of the top 10 places to visit in Howard County.” 11711 E. Monlet Place, Fulton.
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Alpha Ridge Park
Exclusive to this 72-acre park in Marriotsville is a target archery range and a regulation-size hockey rink with bleachers. There are two tennis courts, three ball diamonds, two multipurpose fields, two playgrounds and two identical 60-person capacity picnic pavilions. 11685 OldFrederick Road.
sculpture, ceramics, fine woodworking and prints by local artists.
Atholton Park
Artists’ Gallery
Located at 8197 Main St., Ellicott City, this is an artist-owned and operated fine art gallery featuring paintings, drawings,
This 9-acre park is located behind Atholton Elementary School at 6875 Greenleigh Drive, Columbia. It has tennis courts, playgrounds, handball and racquetball courts. A short, paved pathway provides access to an area reforested for resource conservation and protection suitable for bird watching.
Breakout Games
Autobahn Indoor Speedway
European style indoor kart racing at speeds up to 50 mph. The state-of-theart facility at 8251 Preston Court, Jessup, is completely indoors for perfect racing conditions every day on two Grand Prix style tracks. Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum
The “oldest railroad station in America" showcases and tells stories of the people who built and operated America's first railroad. It’s located at 2711 Maryland Ave., Ellicott City.
Breakout is for those who would rather solve the mysteries than watch someone else have all the fun. With curious different rooms that follow unique storylines, you and your friends will have 60 minutes to escape at your adventure of choice by cracking codes, solving puzzles and following clues. Located at 8661 Robert Fulton Drive, Columbia. Carrollton Hall
Built in 1832 as a summer estate by founding father Charles Carroll, Carrollton Hall, 12300 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, is an architectural masterpiece dedicated to history, culture and citizenship. Tours available by appointment. 410-531-1400 x101
2.6-mile paved pathway that encircles the lake or the 7.3 miles of interconnecting paved pathway that includes links to surrounding neighborhoods. Columbia Art Center
Columbia Art Center, 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, offers a wide variety of art classes and workshops for all ages and skill levels, plus exhibitions in the galleries showcasing the talents of local and regional artists, community events and a gift shop.
Blossoms of Hope
This group plants cherry trees and shrubbery to beautify public property in parks and local communities in Howard County. Holds annual events to celebrate the blossoming season and raise money to help those affected by cancer. 443-538-0858.
Columbia Ice Rink
Enjoy ice skating with public sessions, lessons, hockey, figure skating and more. Located at 5876 Thunder Hill Road, Columbia. Centennial Park
Located at 10000 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, Centennial Park has won awards for its natural design and sensitivity to nature. The 337-acre park features a 54-acre man-made lake, stocked by the State Department of Fisheries, and is home to a variety of wildlife. You can walk, run or bike the
The Ellicott City Colored School, Restored
Opened in 1880, 11 years before Patapsco Female Institute’s closure, the Ellicott City Colored School, 8683 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, fulfilled an 1879 Maryland State law requiring that counties provide educational facilities for African American children. The
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Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods/Merriweather Post Pavilion
school—the first to be built with county funds—operated until 1953, before the landmark Supreme Court Case Brown vs. Board of Education called for the integration of public schools. The
Friendship Hot Air Balloon Co.
Enjoy the thrill of a hot air balloon ride from this company at 12465 Barnard Way, West Friendship.
Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is a 51-acre arts and culture park located in the heart of downtown Columbia. The park hosts many free community concerts. A free children's series runs through the summer as well as ticketed performances of all kinds. The biggest names in contemporary entertainment can be viewed at the amphitheater that is part of the park as the Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Historic Savage Mill
A historic cotton mill, which has been turned into a complex of specialty shops and restaurants at 8600 Foundry St., Savage. Howard County Living Farm Heritage Museum
building now serves as a genealogical resource center and a museum highlighting the history of African Americans in Howard County.
Preserving the agricultural way of life through hands-on programs and displays at 12985 Frederick Road, West Friendship.
Ellicott City Firehouse Museum
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
Located in the heart of historic Main Street, the Firehouse Museum explores the unique challenges of fighting fire in late 19th and early 20th century Ellicott City. In 1889 a group of volunteers constructed the firehouse at a cost of $500. Conveniently situated on a small, triangular lot, the original building was simply designed to house the handdrawn—later horse-drawn—fire equipment. It operated until 1924 and served as municipal office and a meeting hall from 1906-1935.
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More sheep and wool than you can imagine--always the first full weekend in May. Discover the beauty of sheep, the warmth of wool and the delicious taste of lamb during a funfilled weekend celebrating all things sheep. Held in Glenwood.
Patapsco Valley State Park
Located at 8020 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City. The park extends along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, encompassing 16,043 acres. Recreational opportunities include hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, horseback and mountain bike trails, as well as picnicking for individuals or large groups in the park’s many popular pavilions. The park is nationally known for its trail opportunities and scenery.
Patapsco Female Institute
Perched at Ellicott City’s highest point, the Patapsco Female Institute offered a revolutionary curriculum to young women from 1837-1891. Since the school’s closure at the end of the 19th century, the site has hosted a hotel, a summer theater, and, briefly, a nursing home. The ruins of this grand example of Greek-revival architecture were stabilized and restored in 1993. Explore a slice of the Victorian Era in Howard County by taking a tour, attending a special event, or attending an educational program. 3655 Church Road, Ellicott City.
artists in its commitment to bringing richly diverse work to audiences. Rep Stage has a proud history of Helen Hayes Award-winning productions and nominations.
Shadowland Laser Adventures
Strap on a high-tech light-weight suit, enter the huge multi-level carpeted arena and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime at 9179 Red Branch Road, Columbia. Eerie fog, specialty lights, sounds, and music combine for a sensory experience like no other. Fun for individuals, families, youth groups, sports teams and office team building outings. Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Located at 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. Award winning Broadway and original musicals with a buffet-style dinner are featured.
Robinson Nature Center
The multi-award-winning nature education facility, 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia, is situated on 18 acres adjacent to the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. Features include nature trails, an outdoor "Nature Place" discovery zone, a children's garden, an arboretum, access to the Middle Patuxent River and historical ruins of the Simpsonville Mill. Schooley Mill Park Rep Stage
The professional regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College, is celebrating its 25th season. Rep Stage produces contemporary American classics and new works and is dedicated to collaborating with regional
Schooley Mill Park, 12975 Hall Shop Road, Highland, offers a wide variety of habitats including wetlands, woodlands and meadows. Wildlife thrive in these meadows that are maintained in a natural state to provide food, cover and nest sites. This hidden gem is a peaceful place to relax and enjoy nature.
Turf Valley Resort
Located at 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, this is a premier destination for business and leisure and offers championship golf, full-service hotel, European-style spa and more.
FARM & FLAVOR 61
Full of Farm Flavor Favorite Recipes are Shared
Howard County producers and growers not only fill your market baskets, they also enjoy providing recipes for how to prepare the fruits of their labors. Here are just a few of their favorites:
Peach Cobbler Flip
Although Larriland Farm has multiple recipes on its website, www.pickyourown.com, Lynn Moore notes Peach Cobbler Flip is one of their more famous ones. “It is dead easy, very quick and absolutely fabulous,” she says.
Apple Peanut Spinach Salad Ingedients
Ingedients
1 1/2 to 2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup milk
Directions:
• Spread melted butter in a 9-inchround pan. • Combine dry ingredients. • Add milk to dry ingredients and stir. • Pour batter over butter. • Add sliced peaches. • Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes. Dough will rise and cover peaches while baking. Serve warm with whipped cream or cold milk.
wing The foclloome from recipsees Caulder of Ro Breezy arm. Willow F
1 pound of fresh spinach 1 apple, chopped 1/4 cup raisins 2 Tbs. chopped peanuts 2 Tbs. olive oil 1 Tbs. sugar 1 Tbs. cider vinegar 1 Tbs. chutney 3/4 tsp. curry powder 1/4 tsp. salt
Directions: • In a large bowl, combine the spinach, apple, raisins and peanuts. • In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients; shake well. • Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.
Chocolate Beet Brownies Honey Roasted Squash Rings Ingedients
1/4 cup of honey 2 Tbs. soy sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 large acorn, carnival or butternut squash
Ingedients
1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce) 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 4 eggs 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 1 cup applesauce 1 tsp. vanilla 1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup cooked beets, pureed 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds 1/2 cup wheat germ
Directions:
Directions:
• Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. • Cut each squash in half crosswise, peel and scoop out seeds. • Cut into 1-inch thick rings and toss in the honey mixture until well coated. • Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. • Arrange squash rings on a greased, foil lined, rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with honey mixture. • Bake in preheated 350F oven, turning once and basting with liquid, until tender and golden—about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool. • In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy. • Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed. • Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets. Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in wheat germ and almonds. Turn into greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares. FARM & FLAVOR 63
Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale and Goat Cheese Ingedients
1 pound of gluten-free pizza dough 2 cups beet pesto (recipe follows) 2 cups kale leaves thinly sliced 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated 1 ounce goat cheese
Directions: • Prepare the beet pesto and the pizza dough. • Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. • Dust gluten-free flour (or cornmeal) on a baking sheet and press or roll the dough to desired thickness. • Bake the dough for 5 to 7 minutes with no toppings. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the beet pesto over it. • Add the kale leaves, followed by the goat cheese and mozzarella. Note: the kale will cook down in the oven. • Bake pizza for 20 to 25 minutes or to desired crisp. • Allow pizza to cool 5 minutes before serving.
64 FARM & FLAVOR
Beet Pesto
Thi courstrecipe i online esy of s si Roas The te, ted R oot
Ingedients
1 cup red beets chopped and roasted (about 1 medium beet) 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped ½ cup walnuts roasted ½ cup parmesan cheese grated ½ cup olive oil 2 Tbs. lemon juice Salt to taste
Directions: • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. • Wash and scrub the beet and pat it dry. Peel and chop it into ½-inch cubes and place the pieces on a large sheet of foil. • Wrap the chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet. • Place the packet on a baking sheet. • Roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until beets are soft and juices are seeping out. • Allow beets to cool completely. • Add all ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached.