If you live near Laurel, Columbia or Savage (or commute up Rte 29 into Howard County), then you should buy vegetables at Gorman Produce Farm as soon as you have a free afternoon.
You're interested enough to read a Web site about food? Go buy from people growing food in Howard County at the newly-rejuvinated farm between Rte 29 and U.S. 1.
(UPDATE: My friend went today, and someone at the farm said they're not open for business yet. Definitely call ahead if you're going to drive a long way.)
Lydia and Dave Liker have leased the farm on Gorman Road, and they sell produce just in from the field. This is about a mile south of the Harris Teeter in King's Contrivance. Much of the Liker's produce goes out through their "community supported agriculture" program where people paid $550 for weekly boxes of vegetables from June through October. But you can pick up fresh vegetables by stopping at the farm and buying from the Likers -- or from Dave's father, who helped me buy on Saturday.
I saw a new sign for the Gorman Produce Farm on my way to the Savage library. The sign doesn't really say that you can buy vegetables there, but I drove down a gravel road to the signs that say "park here" and "produce here." Inside a building were plastic tubs and boxes full of vegetables -- squash, basil, cabbage, green beans, eggplants, chard, and on and on. I broke out my "emergency" $20 bill, and I bought carrots, kohlrabi, squash and lettuce. They're beautiful and delicious.
The vegetables are not certified organic, but the Likers say on their Web site that they grow everything according to organic principles. That works for me because I'm skeptical of government "organic" labels -- just like I'm skeptical about the government labels for "local" produce. Why not believe a farm where you can look around yourself?
You can meet the farmers most days until about 6 pm. The CSA pick-up is Thursday, and they say people can pick up until 6 pm. Dave Liker said that the gates on Gorman close when they're closed for the day. His father pointed out that it's a working farm, so there are times when people drive up and the Likers are too busy working to make a sale.
Gorman's prices seem about what you pay at the Howard County farmers markets. Tomatoes should ripen in a week or so. Corn is on the way. The fields are just going to deliver more and more through the end of the summer. read more