Since 2010, Goucher College has served as a drop-off site for One Straw Farm community-supported agriculture (CSA) produce and for Sunnyside Farm CSA chicken and eggs. CSA participants provide funding for the farmer in advance of the growing season in exchange for produce when it is ready.
One Straw Farm is the largest certified organic vegetable farm in Maryland. Participants sign up and pay in the spring to receive eight items a week from the beginning of June through mid-November. Items vary according to the season—beets, lettuce, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, watermelons—whatever is ripe for picking. Go to One Straw Farm's website at www.onestrawfarm.com to view a harvest chart listing seasonal availability and approximate quantity. Full shares are $600 if paid by March 7 ($650 after March 7). Half shares are $300 in advance ($325 after March 7). The pick-up site at Goucher is the Alumnae/i House front porch on Tuesdays between noon and 2 p.m. Ten full shares are needed to keep this program at Goucher.
The Sunnyside Farm CSA offers chicken and eggs from their farm located between York and Harrisburg in southern Pennsylvania.
Participants sign up for a full or half share of either whole chickens, eggs, or both. In addition to being raised according to organic standards, Sunnyside Farm's heritage-breed laying hens are moved every day to fresh grass. A full share picks up weekly, and a half share picks up every other week. A whole chicken, guaranteed weekly and averaging four pounds, is $395 for the 22-week season and $200 for a half share. The eggs, available for 22 weeks, are $110 for a full share and $55 for a half share. Ten full or half shares are needed to keep this program at Goucher.
The Towson Farmers Market runs every Thursday from June 9 through November 17. The market is open from 10:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Allegheny Avenue between Washington Avenue and York Road. The market offers fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and shrubs, breads and pastries, coffee, Baltimore County wines, soaps, clothing and accessories, kettle corn, roasted nuts, and organic cheeses and meats. For more information, visit www.towsonchamber.com.
The 32nd Street Farmers Market is located in Baltimore City at the parking lot at the intersection of East 32nd and Barclay streets. The market is open every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. year round. The market is a nonprofit organization offering baked goods, produce, prepared foods, flowers, and other items. The market now offers a debit card ATM (for a small fee) and accepts Independence cards for those in the SNAP program. For more details about the market, visit www.32ndstreetmarket.org.
The Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar is open every Sunday from April 1 through December 23. It runs from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. underneath the Jones Falls Expressway at Holliday and Saratoga streets. Free parking is available at the parking lot adjacent to the market at the corner of Guilford Avenue and Pleasant Street. The market is Maryland’s largest producers-only market offering a wide array of produce, meat, dairy, and organic products. The market also boasts a variety of food vendors selling multicultural cuisine. The bazaar offers unique crafts and collectibles ranging from jewelry and handbags to rugs and pottery. More information.
The market runs every Saturday May 12 through November 12. The market will open at 7:30 a.m. until noon at the foot of Broadway Square between South Broadway and Thames streets. It features fresh local produce, fruits, vegetables, homemade jams, honey, herbs, and baked goods. For more information, visit www.fellspointfarmersmarket.com.