In today’s age of instant gratification – frozen dinners, takeout, and personal video recorders – it can be easy to lose sight of the simple pleasure of stopping to smell the flowers. Or, even better than smelling – picking, and even better than flowers – fresh, locally grown produce! Frederick County offers a plethora of nearby options for you to support your local farmers while indulging in delicious fruits and vegetables at the same time — here are some of our faves:
Pryor’s Orchard
Pryor’s beautiful, family-owned and operated orchard that has been in business for over 50 years. You can find them nestled in with the mountains in Thurston, MD (Address: 13841B Pryor Rd.) – tucked away from the busy highways, they’re the perfect idyllic escape. Specializing in apples, blueberries, apricots, pears, peaches, plums and more, you can walk the rows of produce and pick your own between the hours of 7:30AM and 11:00PM. Skip on over to the Pryor’s Orchard website yourself to read all about it and see what’s in season now!
Glade Link Farms
Just off Woodsboro Pike in in Keymar (12270 Woodsboro), you can find the Glade Link family farm. Specializing in pick-you-own since the mid-1900s, Glade Link’s first strawberries were planted and harvested in the ‘66-’67 season by Ken and Shirley Wisner, whose reins have since been passed on to their children who keep up the fine tradition! Glade Link offers a 24/7 telephone message line, and also maintains a continually updated and well-maintained website to keep you informed on their goings-on. Beyond just fruits and vegetables, Glade Link is well-known for fresh cut flowers and full-service floral design. So whether you’re seeking a gift for the missus, or a beautiful centerpiece to make your dinner party a memorable one, you need look no further!
Mayne’s Tree Farm
Mayne’s Tree Farm (as you may be able to guess from the name) are best known for the wide selection of Christmas trees they have available on their property from the Friday after Thanksgiving to December 23 – but you need look only as far as the tag-line on their webpage to realize that there’s more to this Buckeystown farm than just Yuletide timber! With fresh produce ranging from strawberries (available for pick-your-own), pumpkins, tomatoes and asparagus depending on seasonal availability, Mayne’s Tree Farm offers a wide selection for the discerning local shopper. Their fall activities are particularly well-known to the community, with a pumpkin patch open for all of October, and offering a range of activities including hayrides, scarecrow making, face painting, and of course – a corn maze (or is that maize?) Check out the website for address and visiting hours, but make sure you set aside some time for this Frederick mainstay!