The Secretary of the MDA Visits
In May of 2023, Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary, Kevin Atticks visited Garrett and Allegany Counties to tour local farms.
Below are some photos of his visit. Some of the farms and farm businesses included in his tour were: ALL Produce, Garrett Growers, Harding Ginseng Farm Inc., Firefly Cheese Farm and Market, Grandma’s Jam House, Leaning Pine Farm, Ten Cows Creamery, and Charis Wine & Distillery.
Click each photo to see an enlarged version.
Garrett County
The Bender Dairy Farm
Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary, Kevin Atticks, Deputy Secretary Steve Connelly, and MDA staff pose with agricultural representatives of Garrett County, Maryland, and the Benders.
In addition to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, included are representatives of the Farm Bureau, Garrett County Extension Office, Garrett County Government Ag, and Farm Credit Bueareu.
The Bender Dairy Farm is a generational farm located in Accident, Maryland. The farm has now been purchased by their son, Kenton Bender, but in 2019, Carl and Martha Bender, pictured, were inducted into the Maryland Dairy Shrine.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
ALL Produce and Garrett Growers
The group also visited ALL Produce farm, one of the larger suppliers of fresh produce in Garrett County, Maryland. ALL produce grows a wide variety and sells both locally and regionally.
The farm, which is located in Oakland, Maryland, is owned by Levi Lantz.
ALL Produce is one of the farms that grows for Garrett Growers. Garrett Growers is a Farmer’s Co-op that distributes fresh produce and value-added products from local farms to restaurants and grocery stores locally, and in central West Virginia. Numerous farms throughout Garrett County sell their products through Garrett Growers.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
Representing the Garrett Growers Board, Staff, and Volunteers in the photo are: Charles Deberry (Garrett Growers Board President), Joey Burns (Garrett Growers Board Vice President), Willie Lantz (Extension Agent and Garrett Growers volunteer), Hannah Frazee (Garrett Growers Coordinator), Jeannie Frazee (Garrett Growers Coordinator), and Melissa Bolyard (Garrett County Government Ag Specialist and Garrett Growers Volunteer).
Grandma's Jam House
They also toured Grandma’s Jam House, in Grantsville, Maryland.
Grandma’s Jam House is a family run business that began in 1995, in the basement of “Grandma Mattie’s” home. Today, Grandma’s Jam House operates out of a factory on the family farm and ships jams and jellies world-wide.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
Firefly Farms Market and Firefly Farms Cheese Factory
For lunch the first day of the tour, the group ate at Firefly Farms Market in Accident, Maryland.
The market offers many value-added items for sale, including Firefly’s famous goat cheese. And it also houses a small restaurant, featuring delicious gourmet meals made with local products.
Of course, the group got to tour the Firefly Cheese Factory as well. Firefly Farms makes goat cheese from milk sourced from local goats. Their products have won many awards world-wide.
In the photo, the group poses with the owners of the Market, Mike and Pablo.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
Harding Ginseng Farm, Inc.
Another stop on the tour was the Harding Ginseng Farm Inc., owned by Larry Harding. The farm, which is located in Friendsville, Maryland, offers a wide variety of Ginseng products.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
Commissioner's Dinner at Ace's Run
Copyright Limelight Photography. All rights reserved.
At the end of the day, Secretary Atticks, Deputy Secretary Connelly, and the MDA team attended a dinner with a number of agricultural producers in Garrett County. The dinner was sponsored by the Garrett County Commissioners, who were also in attendance, along with Delegate Jim Hinebaugh, Jr. and former Senator George Edwards.
The location of the dinner was at Ace’s Run in McHenry, Maryland, and it wasn’t just because of the great food, always prepared exquisitely. Ace’s and the other Brenda’s Restaurant Group businesses, including Brenda’s Pizzeria, Firewater Grill, and Traders Coffee House are strong supporters of local agriculture and regularly purchase and serve large quantities of produce grown on local farms through the Garrett Growers Co-op.
The dinner highlighted local produce, with mouth-watering renditions of favorites such as a vegetable medley, stuffed mushrooms, and fresh garden salad. Some of the farms whose produce was included in the dinner were: ALL Produce, Backbone Food Farm, Fair Sweep Farm, and Yoder’s Tomatoes.
Secretary Atticks spoke about agriculture in Maryland, and then opened the floor, encouraging those in attendance to ask questions and to share their needs and successes. Many local producers and farm businesses joined in the discussion.
Allegany County
The second day of the tour, the group traveled to farms in Allegany County. In Allegany County, the Garrett and Allegany Soil Conservation Districts and the Maryland Department of Resources Forestry Service attended the tour and met with Secretary Atticks, Deputy Secretary Connelly, and the MDA staff for a round-table to discuss agriculture and soil conservation in the area.
10 Cows Creamery
At 10 Cows Creamery, located in Allegany County, Maryland, the group listened to owner Ed Crossland talk about running the only dairy farm in the county, which has been in operation since 1928.
Today 10 Cows Creamery makes cheese from the milk of their Guernsey cows, which is available at their Coffee shop, along with tasty gourmet sandwiches.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
Certainly an expressive group, the ten cows at 10 Cow Creamery were quite anxious to tell their farming story as well.
Leaning Pine Farm
Another Allegany stop for the tour was Leaning Pine Farm.
Leaning Pine Farm specializes in grass fed beef and organic vegetable production. They have pick-your-own raspberries from late June into July each year.
The farm is located in Mt. Savage, Maryland.
Copyright Maryland Department of Agriculture. All rights reserved.
