At peak right now: Apples, Pumpkins, Winter Squash, Sweet Potato. Head to a farmers market or your CSA to find them fresh.
Every fall, after the corn and soybean harvests wrap up across the Eastern Shore and the Piedmont, a lot of Maryland farmland sits bare through the winter. Rain hits exposed soil, loosens it, and carries nitrogen and phosphorus from leftover fertilizer down through drainage ditches and streams and eventually into the Chesapeake. That nutrient load feeds algae blooms that consume oxygen as they decompose, and the result is hypoxic water where fish and crabs and oysters can't survive. The dead zones in the Bay's main channel have been measured and documented for decades, and agricultural runoff is one of the primary drivers, alongside wastewater and stormwater from development.
The farms working against this are doing a few specific things differently. Cover crops are the most visible change: rye, crimson clover, and hairy vetch planted right after harvest to hold the soil through winter and absorb residual nutrients before they migrate. Maryland has had a cover crop cost-share program for years, and the acreage enrolled has grown steadily, which means there's a lot more green visible from the road in November than there was twenty years ago. Reduced tillage and no-till practices go further by leaving soil structure intact, which improves water infiltration and keeps organic matter from oxidizing into runoff. Riparian buffers, strips of trees and native plants along stream banks, act as a physical filter between fields and waterways, and they also provide habitat that most row-crop land doesn't. None of this is fringe practice. There are farmers across the watershed who have been running these systems for a long time.
When you buy from a farm using these methods, the connection to the Bay is real and direct. A farm in the Gunpowder or Patuxent watershed drains to the same estuary where rockfish spawn and where watermen work the crab pots. The choices made in a field in Queen Anne's County or Frederick County show up downstream, one way or another. Buying from farms that are actively managing their nutrient footprint is as direct a form of Bay stewardship as there is, more direct in some ways than writing a check to a conservation organization, because the money goes straight to the operation making the land management decisions.
If you want to find farms practicing sustainable agriculture in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Agriculture and organizations like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation publish resources and farm directories, though specifics on which farms are currently participating in what programs can shift seasonally, so it's worth checking directly with any farm before assuming. Farmers markets are a reasonable starting point for conversations, and many farmers who use cover crops or no-till will talk about it if you ask. It's not a certification system with a single logo to look for, so the research falls to you. The Bay has been recovering unevenly for thirty years, and the farms treating it like a shared resource are part of whatever progress has been made.
A few producers worth knowing about this week.
Belvedere Farm has been working the same Fallston land since 1823, and since 1996 the family has devoted their hundred acres in Harford County to growing cut flowers. Annuals and perennials change week to week based on what's in season, and you can find their stems at local farmers markets, at their farm stand from July through October, or through direct arrangements with florists and event designers. Tours of the farm are available to book online.
East Rivendell Farm on Clarksburg Road in Damascus has joined forces with Love & Grit Farm and Giovanni's Organic Farm to launch the Three Farmers CSA for 2025, pooling the strengths of three Montgomery County operations into one share program. The farm, run by Sharon Fraley and Steve Mullinix, also sells organic eggs and goat products, including soap, directly from the property. If you have been looking for a CSA with roots in a real farming collaboration rather than a single operation, this one is worth a closer look.
Pleasant Hill Produce is a family farm on Fountain Rock Road in Walkersville that runs a CSA membership alongside an on-farm market stocked with seasonal fruits and vegetables, locally sourced meats, dairy, baked goods, and ferments. The farm uses organic methods and also supplies area restaurants, making it a reliable source for shoppers who want to know where their food comes from. If you're in Frederick County and haven't stopped by the farm store yet, it's a well-rounded spot worth adding to your rotation.
Heyser Farms has been a fixture along New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, running a year-round farm market stocked with fresh produce, local meat and eggs, and baked goods. Their award-winning apple cider, pressed on-site, is a seasonal draw worth planning around. The market is open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 6pm, and the staff recommends calling ahead if you're hunting for something specific.
Seaside Seafood in Glen Burnie has been slinging steamed crabs out of their Crain Highway carryout for locals who know where to go when the craving hits. They carry male and female crabs in sizes ranging from Large up through Colossal, along with jumbo lump crab cakes, Maryland crab soup, cream of crab soup, and steamed shrimp. If you can't make it to Anne Arundel County, they ship anywhere in the country.
H Mart in Ellicott City features a selection of seafood and Korean cuisine, with delivery options available for authentic dishes across the U.S.
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