A wise local farmer, Ilene Freedman of House in the Woods farm in Adamstown once said something I'd never thought of before. In Maryland, she said, you actually can't harvest the lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad all at the same time. That perfectly describes where we are in the seasonal eating calendar- wiping the last of the strawberries from one's chin in preparation for more and more produce to ripen. As Amanda Cather of Plow and Stars Farm said in their always excellent newsletter "This is the time of year when you can almost see and hear things growing."
The pandemic has changed a lot, an some farms lost a lot of produce during the late frosts in May, but orchards and pick your owns are open. Please note- due to the pandemic, just showing up at farms is not advisable. Many of these farms require appointments or other procedures to keep everyone safe, check social media or websites before you go and although you will likely be outdoors, wear as mask.
Blueberries: Pick -our-Owns are open and this "superfood" freezes very well. A few places to pick (call in advance): Butler's Orchard, Blueberry Gardens, Farm at Home, Homestead Farm.
The Orchards are open! Kingsbury's Orchard is open for the season. This 5th generation orchard is famous for peaches - including one of their own cultivars- Kingsbury's Pride. Lewis Orchard is also open just up both are on Peachtree Road - you can hit both and make the most amazing fruit salad EVER! Homestead and Butlers are linked above.
Local Produce is available all over the county and region. Check out the local food map here.
Our friends at Rock Hill Orchard in Mt. Airy are the only MoCo stop on the Maryland Ice Cream Trail. They have a fascinating and innovative voluntary robotic milking system that you can see.
