Pick-Up: Some farms sell their products from a small shop on site, while others allow you to pick up your meat, veggies or dairy products at their doorstep. Of course, no one should go knocking on farmers' doors without knowing about their sales practices. However, don't forget about on-farm pick-up, because it's a great way of connecting to local growers and eliminating the costs of middlemen. A few calls will get you the answers you need. Springfield Farm in Sparks, MD, for example -- just around an hour from D.C. and less from Baltimore -- encourages customers to visit the farm and buy products there.
Drop-Off: Other farms deliver, even if there's no formal "CSA" arrangement, particularly if you and your neighbors band together to create one large order. Somtimes, these sales are more formally organized. Certain farmers have set rules about when and if they will deliver to a "Buyer's Club," and there is a regular drop-off day. Others may sell certain items, such as meat, on a more ad hoc basis. Recently, for example, one of our neighbors organized a group purchase of meat from Garden Mountain Farm, of Burke's Garden, Virginia, and the farmer incorporated us into his usual quarterly run to the D.C. region.
Pick-Your Own: Finally, If you're the out-doorsy type, or want to try something new, consider the "pick-your-own" option. Some farms allow you to pick fruits, vegetables and/or flowers. This can be a great way to entertain your family for the afternoon, or it can be a reasonably-priced method of stocking up on your favorite produce. You pick!
Find a Farm: To find more local farms that do on-site sales, ones that may deliver, or farms with you-pick opportunities, check the directories listed on our "Links" page. To use the Rodale Institute's NewFarm "Farm Locator" tool, click here.
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