Support Local Agriculture

Leader
Farm Credit
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Financing Rural America for More Than 90 Years
SELLING YOUR
PRODUCTS LOCALLY
SLOW FOOD
MAKES FAST FRIENDS
Support Local Agriculture
volume 13 | issue 3 | $3.95
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR
YOUNG FARMERS
in this issue
Leader
farm | land
volume 13 | issue 3
4 Broom’s Bloom Dairy
MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA
of Bel Air, MD
6 Leola Produce Auction:
J. Robert Frazee, CEO
4
Selling Fruit to Flowers
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
Board of Directors
Fred R. Moore Jr.
Chairman
8 Chesapeake Fields uses Seed
Gary L. Grossnickle
Vice Chairman
Money for Local Foods
10 From Field to Fork: Please
Paul D. Baumgardner
Kenneth R. Biederman
Feed the Locavores
Deborah A. Benner
Dale R. Hershey
Walter C. Hopkins
home | garden
12 Slow Cook Dinners
14 The Hungry Gardener
M. Wayne Lambertson
6
Howard A. McHenry
Kenneth S. Meck
M. Linda Moore
D. Wheatley Neal
Dale J. Ockels
Ralph L. Robertson
Paul J. Rock
your association
Lingan T. Spicer
Robert N. Stabler
15 Out and About
15 Scholarship Announcements
community
Rodger L. Wagner
Fred N. West
8
16 Properties for Sale
Questions or Ideas
If you have any questions or ideas for the
editorial staff of the Leader, contact Donna
Dawson at 800.333.7950, e-mail her at
[email protected] or write her at MidAtlantic
Farm Credit, 680 Robert Fulton Highway,
Quarryville, PA 17566. This publication is for
you, our reader. We’d love to hear from you!
The Leader is published quarterly
for stockholders, friends and
business associates.
10
2
12
The Farm Credit Administration does not require
the association to distribute its quarterly financial
reports to shareholders. However, copies of its
complete report are available upon request or see
quarterly updates online at mafc.com. The shareholders’ investment in the association is materially
affected by the financial condition and results
of operations of AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
and copies of its quarterly financial report
are available upon request by writing:
Jay Wise, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank
P.O. Box 1499, Columbia, SC 29202-1499
Address changes, questions or requests for the
association’s quarterly financial report should
be directed to: MidAtlantic Farm Credit,
ACA by calling 800.333.7950 or writing:
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
P.O. Box 770, Westminster, MD 21158-0770
message from
the president
who have taken their products and,
driven by both their love of fresh food
and the growing trend of local production, have decided to market their
produce locally. Check out the very cute
store and ice cream shop, Broom’s Bloom
Dairy, located in Bel Air, Maryland. It’s
run by Kate and David Dallam, and it
features lots of locally made items, like
farm-made Creswell cheese, farm-raised
pork, lamb and eggs, and—of course—the
great home-made ice cream. They also
feature Chesapeake Fields artisan breads;
you can read more about this local cooperative on page 8. Finally, if you want to
buy a bunch of fresh local flowers (or a
boat load of pumpkins—fall will be here
before we know it!), read about the Leola
Produce Auction in Leola, Pennsylvania.
They’ve established an interesting business model, based on locally grown
produce and extreme efficiency.
There’s a word for people who love all
this local produce: the press has dubbed
them locavores, or people who eat local
food. Of course, this doesn’t mean that
we refuse to eat strawberries on our
cereal in February—
because I certainly
don’t want to give
that up!! But it
does mean that we
search for local
products when we
get a chance, and
we go out of our way to support our local
growing community.
This trend is racing through the entire
country. For a national perspective on it,
read the article on page 10 about how
large institutions (like schools and hospitals) are trying to source more local food.
It’s obviously a big opportunity, particularly for those of our members farming
on the “urban edge,” and I hope that
many of you will take advantage of it.
I hope many of you will also take
advantage of a great opportunity that we
have with the National Young Farmers
Education Association (NYFEA). Their
annual meeting will be held in Baltimore
this year, and we’re offering a limited
number of scholarships to our members
who would like to attend. We’ll pick up
the cost of your registration, your room,
and even chip in for your travel costs.
Learn more about it at nyfea.org, or
on page 15 of this issue. It’s a great
opportunity for young farmers to gain
valuable information about the economy,
the industry, and ways to become even
more successful.
Speaking of successful, I’d be remiss
if I didn’t mention the huge success of
our StartRight young, beginning, small
and minority program. As this article
goes to press, we have about $14 million
of loans closed and approved. That’s a
lot of support for the YBSM borrowers in
our territory! We’re thrilled with the reception we’ve gotten for this program, and
we’re working diligently to make it even
better. Stay tuned for updates on more
programs, and more great resources.
In the meantime, enjoy the season—
and the seasonal goodies!
events | deadlines
SEPT event
place
1 Labor Day Holiday
MAFC offices closed
5-7 The Laurels at
Landhope
West Grove PA
12-20 Great Frederick Fair
Frederick MD
3-18 All-American
1
Dairy Show
Harrisburg PA
17-19 Solanco Fair
Quarryville PA
18-20 Oley Valley
Community Fair
Oley PA
24-26 West Lampeter
Community Fair
Lampeter PA
27- Keystone International
Oct. 5 Livestock Expo
Harrisburg PA
30 Deadline: sales closing
for wheat & barley
OCT event
place
1 Deadline: spring crop premiums due
7 Wenger’s Feed
Prospect Meeting
New Holland PA
14 Wenger’s Feed
Prospect Meeting Shoemakersville PA
17 Employee In-Service
MAFC offices closed
NOV event
1 Eastern PA
Horse Expo
Bob Frazee
President, MidAtlantic Farm Credit
place
Doylestown PA
2 Daylight Saving Time Ends
15 Deadline: fall acreage & production
7-28 Thanksgiving Holiday
2
MAFC offices closed
For a complete list of fairs and events,
visit our website at mafc.com
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
Before you start reading this issue of the
Leader, I have a suggestion: eat something. Trust me; the stories in these pages
will make your mouth water and your
stomach growl.
I’ve shared with you before my
thoughts on produce this time of year: I
love it all. I have my own small garden
in my backyard, but I’m always ready to
stop and sample the bounty from other
peoples’ gardens (or fields) as well.
This month’s issue focuses on people
3
1
The Dallam
family gathers in front of the
farm market sign
that draws people
in for the local farm
products and ice
cream. Located in
Harford County (MD)
the market is popular
with customers who
want local, organic,
and naturally grown
products. From left:
Josie, Emmy, Belle,
David and Kate.
2
I
1
GETTING THE SCOOP
AT BROOM’S BLOOM DAIRY
story by BECKY BRASHEAR, photo above by DUSTEN WOLFF, all other photos by DONNA DAWSON
If there’s one thing Kate Dallam has the “scoop” on…
it’s the viability and reliability of locally grown foods
and in-house made food products.
For more than 12 years, Kate, in her “previous life,”
helped farmers through the Soil Conservation Service
in Harford County. Today, she’s taken her love and
devotion of helping others to see that good, nutritious,
wholesome foods are available on a local basis.
Kate and her family have trucked meats, cheeses
and other locally grown and produced foods to farmer’s markets for more than four years. In 2004, Kate
and her husband, David, decided to build a market
to entice people to come to them. Their own market
came on top of an already steady stream of daily
hard work after going into the dairy business on their
own in 1997 at Broom’s Bloom Dairy. The farm name
“Broom’s Bloom” is from the original land grant that
has been in David’s family since 1726.
“I was a traveling grocery store—going from
farmer’s market to farmer’s market,” says Kate from
her store adjoining the 220-acre dairy farm in Bel Air,
Maryland. Back then they participated in four farmer’s
markets. Today it’s two. “I knew
then that my thought was to
get people to come to me.”
And they’ve been coming
ever since.
4
the big (local) cheese
It was the cheese that brought Kate and her sister-inlaw, Cindi Umbarger, into this local business. “I knew
farmers from my soil conservation years who sold
cheese and I wanted to look into the same prospects,”
Kate says. “It took eight months of research after I came
up with the idea to be able to sell at my first market.”
Eight percent of the milk from Broom’s Bloom Dairy
goes directly in the various flavors of Creswell cheeses
produced at the farm that runs along MD 543, one of
the busiest roads in Harford County.
“When we first started in the farmer’s market business here at the farm we made all kinds of creative
signs and messages to get people to stop in,” Kate
says. “We’re right on a major feeder road and so our
location is part of the key to our success.”
After the cheeses were introduced to her customers, Kate started looking at the sheep at her parents’
farm, owned by Gene and Louise Umbarger. “I looked
at those sheep at mom and dad’s that we never made
a dime on,” she says, “and I knew from the farmer’s
markets that there was a demand for lamb and so we
started raising, processing
and selling lamb.
Then we expanded
to about 80 range
chickens between
A local mother’s
group visits the
market regularly
for lunch and, of
course, ice cream for
dessert. This group
of children from the
Joppa and Belcamp
(MD) area is enjoying
a few of the many
flavors of ice cream
made at the market.
3
David, along with
Kate’s brother,
Worley Umbarger,
built the market. As
you look from the
porch of the market,
and over the corn
you’ll find the home
farm of David and
Kate. Just like the
dairy operation—the
farm market is open
year ‘round.
4
Creswell cheese
is made at the
farm with milk from
their dairy. From
milk in glass bottles
to spiced meat rubs
and marinades, salad
dressing, relishes,
honey and Artisan
bread – the market
offers a variety of local farm products.
farm | land
2
Cindi and myself and selling the eggs. We always had pigs at
the farm and because David loves pork, we started raising,
processing and selling pork. So there we were…we had eggs,
lamb, cheese and pork.”
Even with all of those local grown and produced products,
Kate knew she still needed a hook to get people to come to them.
“I knew these products were not enough to get people to stop in
and buy from our market and I used to say that I didn’t want to fool
with ice cream,” says the mother of three girls, Josie, 13; Emmy, 11;
and Belle, 8. But two ice cream making schools later, “here I am.”
Kate uses an ice cream mix to make the weekly and sometimes
daily vats of old fashioned ice cream, never carrying fewer than
15 flavors. “Dirt,” a co-mix of deep dark chocolate and hunks of
chocolate is a favorite of those who pass through the store’s doors.
When in season, Kate makes ice cream using local fresh fruits.
we all scream
4
3
hometown heros
“Harford’s (County) always done a nice job with farmer’s markets and promoting them and working with farmers to promote
their products,” says Bruce Yerkes, MidAtlantic Farm Credit,
who oversees about 250 accounts in the Harford and Cecil
County region. Like in most areas, he adds, there’s a push for
local, organic and naturally grown products.
“The timing for this type of a setup is perfect,” Yerkes says.
“Consumers are from all over; there’s a huge push for local food
and decreased miles of getting the product to the table.”
Kate has been able to fold her farming life into what she once
dreamed of becoming, a musician and a potter. Every Saturday,
local musicians take to the stage and twice a year local potters
come to sell their wares. Local pottery is sold at the farm market.
“It’s like having the best of all worlds,” says Kate.
“Locally produced products—it’s nice to be able to control
your own price on your product from beginning to end,” Kate
adds. When you add value and creativity, people are more willing to pay for a knowledge based product.
For more information about the local farm products sold at
Broom’s Bloom and their hours of operation, visit: bbdairy.com n
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
“We go through fifteen 3.5 gallon tubs of ice cream per day,”
says Kate. “On a busy day we’ll go through 100 gallons of ice
cream …we’ve had days when we dipped in excess of 1,000 ice
cream cones.”
Today, Broom’s Bloom Dairy carries all of the products that
they started with. Only now this 50 by 50 foot establishment
carries a lot more.
Once inside the quaint establishment there’s a nice variety
of local products—from milk in glass bottles to spiced meat
rubs and marinades to salad dressings, relishes, honey and
now the newly added line of Artisan breads from Chesapeake
Fields. (See related story on page 8).
But that’s not all! Kate saw a niche to begin offering daily
lunch and dinner menus of simple, yet healthy sandwiches and
soups. It’s not uncommon for people to grab a sandwich, a cup
of soup and a hefty cup or cone of ice cream. By 11 a.m. each
day and through closing, Broom’s Bloom Dairy is filled with
customers with lines out of the door in the evenings.
Open year round, the market
employs 40 parttime staff, a
full-time and a
part-time ice
cream maker.
5
1
Flowers provide a
source of income
for growers before the
early-season produce
comes in. Around
Mother’s Day the auction will get 700-900
skids of flowers two
days a week. It is
common for buyers to
purchase eight to ten
flats on each skid.
2
T
1
LEOLA PRODUCE AUCTION
Selling local produce and flowers to buyers from near and far
story and photos by MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
“There’s nothing like local produce,” says Warren
Nolt, produce grower and chairman of Leola Produce
Auction, Lancaster County. “All shipped produce is picked at an early stage—
pre-ripened, we call it—and it just doesn’t flavor out
that way.”
For example, he says, vine-ripened cantaloupe
have more of a sugar content, and here the tomatoes
are plant-ripened rather than picked green.
Sounds great! But where can buyers go to get
fresh, local produce—and lots of it?
growing the market
6
Twenty-five years ago Lancaster businessman David
Good perceived a need and decided to create a
place to connect local growers and potential buyers.
Consequently, Good started a produce auction at a
leased building in Leola.
After only two years, success of the operation led
to Good’s decision to increase the auction’s scope, and
he brought together 11 other local farmers to become
co-owners of a new building on ground nearby.
That building became what is now the Leola
Produce Auction, a venue that has expanded twice
since that move 23 years ago. The auction includes
25 employees, more than 3,000 registered sellers
and 700 permanent numbers handed out to regular
buyers, who come from as far away as Connecticut,
Virginia, or North Carolina.
The business has the distinction of being not only
the largest produce auction in Pennsylvania, but also
the only one that does not sell flowers or produce
grown outside of the commonwealth.
“Here the buyers really feel comfortable because
they know it’s all local,” says Nolt.
In fact, most of the items consigned at the auction
come from a 35 mile radius, he estimates.
Much of the auction’s produce and flowers go to
wholesale distributors and grocery stores, however
the consignments end up at area roadside stands
or at the Reading Terminal Market, a large farmer’s
market in Philadelphia.
“The way the growers care for their produce and
the pride they take in bringing it to the auction—that
turns into economic value which sustains the agriculture community here,” says buyer Dan Donahue,
Washington, DC. He has been coming to the auction
for 15 years.
According to Donahue, the excellence
in the “taste, texture, and shelf life” of the
consignments is what draws him to
the auction once a week to fill
demand at his produce stand.
spring to fall
The auction’s season
begins in March and runs
until Thanksgiving.
Rachel Horning
from New Holland
(PA) bought several
skids of flowers to
plant at her home.
“I like to come here
a few times a year.
The prices are reasonable,” she says. Over
the years the flower
category, mostly annuals, has grown.
3
MAFC loan officer
Richard Smith
(right) enjoys stopping by the auction
and meeting with clients who buy produce
or flowers to fill out
inventory for their
greenhouses or farm
markets. He is joined
by Michael Snyder,
auction manager.
4
Auctioneers sell
strawberries on
skids with 30-48
flats per skid. About
700 permanent buyer
numbers are handed
out to regular buyers
who come from local
areas as well as Connecticut, Virginia, and
North Carolina.
“The number one key to a wholesale market is to have it set up
so that it can be put through quickly,” says Nolt.
The bigger volume of produce gets sold “fast and first” according to Snyder. “Then buyers can start loading and fill in with
small lots later.
“For the buyers’ sakes, we have to bring it in and be prepared
to sell it really fast,” says Snyder.
Because of the necessity of moving lots of product quickly,
two years ago the auction introduced the idea of the bulk bin.
Sellers place their product in bins of, for example, 35 large watermelons per bin. The idea has been helpful in moving a lot of
product quickly, so buyers don’t have stay at the auction all day,
says Snyder. “We sell the bin lots first, and we can sell 500 bins in
two hours.”
Additionally, points out Nolt, the crop is handled less when it’s
packed in a bin. This means less damage for the produce, which
2
specializing in specialties
Producers who are familiar with consigning items at the auction
“are starting to specialize in certain crops,” says Snyder. “It pays
off for them because they’ve made a name for themselves with
their consignments. “
It is not uncommon for buyers to familiarize themselves with
a consignor number and “look for it the following week—they’ll
wait for certain sellers,” says Snyder.
Over the years, for example, the Nolt family has begun to
specialize in growing seedless watermelons and peppers for
the auction.
“As the auction got larger, growers started to specialize in
fewer crops,” says Nolt. Growers can do a better job with a
smaller variety of crops as they learn not only how to properly
grow but also consistently grade and package their produce.
“A grower who produces a fancy, good-quality product, packaged nicely, will get a premium for it,” says Snyder.
A growers’ and buyer’s policy give both parties written
guidelines, however Nolt feels the auction has little trouble
with enforcing auction
3
rules since both groups are
working for the same goal:
quality, fresh produce and
flowers at the peak of maturity ready for the consumer.
“The growers produce a
good crop and want to get
it to consumers fresh,” says
Nolt. On the other hand, “our
buyers are people who put
a lot of pride into displaying
produce, and a big percentage
of them are honest, hardworking people that take
pride in what they do.”
n
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volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
moving it along
is put into a bin from the field, loaded onto a skid, and then into
the buyer’s truck, versus produce stacked in a wagon which
must then be moved into a buyer’s bin.
“Buyers like to come here because they can buy faster with
more volume—however the quality is important too,” says Nolt.
farm | land
“It’s a wholesale market—we want to move quantity—but it’s
an open market so anyone can come as long as you go along
with our rules to buy quantity,” says Michael Snyder, manager,
who has been with the auction for eight years.
Around Mother’s Day the flower market heats up, and the auction will see 700-900 skids of flowers on Tuesday and Thursday,
with buyers purchasing 8-10 flats on each skid, or perhaps a row
of 6-10 hanging baskets at a time.
A little later, strawberries are sold on skids, with 30-48 flats
on a skid. They are followed quickly by a long list of summertime
produce. In the fall, auctioneers sell pumpkins in bins of 100.
As flowers and produce offerings begin to increase, the auction opens its doors more often, starting with two days a week
in March, growing to six days a week in July and August, and
decreasing to two days a week in November.
Growers have learned how to work around hot summer
temperatures.
“If the seller picks a cantaloupe when it’s 68-75 degrees and
puts it in a bin, the temperature hardly changes in that bin,” says
Nolt, “so growers are doing a lot of picking early in the morning.”
According to Snyder, perishable produce is picked early (aided
by lights, producers might be out at 4 a.m.), “and by 8:30 a.m. it’s
on a buyer’s refrigerated truck,” he says.
7
1
Freeman Evans
(right) and
Jim Miller, chairmen, respectively, of
Chesapeake Fields LLC
and Chesapeake Fields
Farmers Cooperative, flank John Hall
(center), Kent County
Extension Director.
The huge grain tanks
in the background and
delivery truck in the
foreground underscore an innovative
approach that extends
beyond growing and
harvesting crops to
processing and direct
marketing consumer
food products.
W
1
FROM SEED MONEY TO LOCAL FOOD:
Chesapeake Fields takes direct aim at consumers
story and photos by GARY HORNBACHER
When most people think about direct local produce
connections, the best examples that come to mind are
roadside stands, farmer’s markets and the “U-pick ‘em”
fields that present a win-win scenario for both local
farmers and consumers happy to buy fresh, wholesome
food at a savings.
It’s a direct farmer-to-consumer connection that
works great for fruits and vegetables and not so well
for local crops here in the Chesapeake Region like
wheat, corn and soybeans. That’s understandable—
processing, manufacturing, marketing and sales add
multiple layers to the process that traditionally has
taken farm products into the consumer marketplace.
Wouldn’t it be great if local farmers could stay
involved over that entire value-added process?
The answer, of course, is “yes”. More significantly,
some already are.
getting started
Maybe you’ve seen the eye-catching Chesapeake Fields
logo on a local product display rack in a “big box”
grocery store or a retail specialty store like Graul’s in
Maryland, featuring selections of Artisan breads, soy
snacks and gourmet popcorn. Or incorporated into side
panel advertising on delivery vans and trucks serving
restaurants and other retail grocery outlets.
Maybe you’ve read about Chesapeake Fields’ “Identity
Preserved” products being shipped to the Orient.
88
However you frame the Chesapeake Fields story—
from seed to store, from local farm to the plate, it’s a
budding success story about an innovative approach
now opening new markets to farmers in the region.
John Hall, Kent County Extension Director, has been
a part of that story since its beginnings. It all dates back
to the late 1990s, says Hall, when shared concerns
about preserving Kent County farmland, the area’s rich
rural heritage and ensuring farm profitability brought
local agribusiness and community leaders together.
Following a multi-faceted needs assessment and
research process, a non-profit organization called
Chesapeake Fields Institute (CFI) was formed in 2000.
A primary focus of CFI was to address the loss of profitability in traditional agricultural markets throughout the
Delmarva Peninsula.
Influenced by an emerging interest in farming and
a growing community supported agriculture movement, one area the group zeroed in on quickly was
niche marketing. Research funded by CFI’s first grant,
which focused on better understanding the field-to-fork
process, concluded that if farmers grew and produced
consumer food products they would garner higher levels
of profit than crops grown for livestock consumption.
But greater share meant involving local farmers in all
aspects of the food creation chain—as growers, processors, and, yes, in marketing and sales.
“We knew this would involve change for the farmers
2
Committed to
growing and
marketing identity
preserved (IP) crops
sold locally, nationally
and internationally,
CFF has leased Indian
Point Farm, LLC, a
large tank storage
facility located near
Crumpton, MD, for
storage of IP grains
and oil seeds.
3
The long,
attractive treelined driveway to
Indian Point Farm,
and seven large
storage tanks are
perhaps the most
visible sign of the
well established track
record and success
Chesapeake Fields
has enjoyed in its
five-year value-added
focus on helping
farmers become more
profitable. From
Indian Point, the raw
seeds are transported
to Greensboro, MD
for cleaning and
conditioning.
In 2003, partnering with community members to raise a little over
a million dollars, Chesapeake Fields Farmers, LLC, a for-profit
entity, was launched to act upon CFI’s continuing research. Its
goal—to focus on the development, manufacturing and marketing
of Chesapeake Fields consumer food products.
Early on, working with University of Maryland researchers, the
USDA and Maryland economic development offices, CFI moved
quickly to identify products for the retail marketplace and pig-
2
3
co-op venture
Then there’s the third Chesapeake Fields component—Chesapeake Fields Farmers’ Cooperative. CFF Cooperative, which
produces and markets high quality IP specialty grains and oil
seeds for local, national and international customers.
Based on a “closed” community co-op model proven successful in the upper Midwest, CFF Cooperative currently boasts
18 members, all growers farming on Maryland’s Eastern and
Western shores.
Members pay a one-time membership fee, explains Hall, and
have the opportunity to “buy acres” (the minimum buy-in contract is for 50 acres and the maximum is 100) on their own farm
to produce selected IP crops. The co-op determines what will be
grown, establishes protocols for everything from non-GMO seed
planting and harvesting and storage, and tests at every stage.
Farmers can either use their own storage or transfer their
grain to Indian Point Farm—a CFF Cooperative-leased grain
facility near Crumpton in Queen Anne’s County—where there
are seven storage tanks.
Cleaning and conditioning of the raw seeds, notes Hall, is
done in Greensboro, Maryland and then they are bagged and
labeled according to the owner’s specifications.
“On the co-op end,” says Freeman Evans, board chairman,
“the challenge—the learning curve—is in the equity we are
requiring since they have to buy acres,” says Evans. “This [process] means we don’t get our money until the customer pays
but it also means more profit when that takes place.”
“We’re learning all the time,” Hall concludes. “The strength
of our story is local foods.”
For more information about Chesapeake Fields and their
products, visit them online at chesapeakefields.com.
n
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
expanding research
gyback on excess
processing facility
for the production of its product
mix. Working hard
to gain a market
position and develop
its Chesapeake Fields/
IP brand identity, CFF
quickly put research, storage, processing and
distribution components in place.
“We started out in 2004 with soygems, kind of a roasted soybean, and then moved into a soy chip which we had into Sam’s
Club and, for a short time, Costco, then we also got into gourmet popcorn,” says Jim Miller, LLC chairman. “The soy snacks
were processed and shipped to a warehouse in Chestertown.“
”At that same time,” he continues, “we also located a bakery
to use ground flour we would supply to do Artisan breads. So
we ended up getting a freezer in the warehouse and then had a
freezer truck as well to do the bread deliveries.”
Even with its own fleet of trucks, CFF’s ride hasn’t always
been smooth. Today’s high fuel costs, for example, pose a major
challenge in trying to gain and build market share, Hall notes,
adding that the organization is currently considering how best
to meet such challenges.
But one thing is for sure—consumers have voted with their
pocketbooks for Chesapeake Fields’ soy snacks, gourmet popcorn, and Artisan breads.
farm | land
and we wanted to minimize that so we started our focus on grains
and oil seeds,” says Hall, “because that is what our farmers did. One
of our findings was that there was going to be increased consumer
interest in Artisan type breads and several different soy products.
The other thing just starting to surface at that time was food safety
issues and where your food comes from, which we call identity
preservation.”
Identity Preservation (an “IP” seal is incorporated on all
Chesapeake Fields product packaging) means seeds and grains are
grown, harvested, stored and processed under closely managed
conditions and tracked to assure customers they are receiving a
pure, non-genetically modified food product.
“This opens new markets to us in Japan, other Asian countries,
as well as at home, where non-GMO products command a premium,” says Hall.
But how to build a food creation chain that involves farmers over
its entire length? From field-to-fork?
9
Field Fork
FROM
TO
PLEASE FEED THE LOCAVORES
story by SANDY WIEBER
Marketing Director, MidAtlantic Farm Credit
1
When I was a kid, growing up
on a dairy farm in southeastern
Pennsylvania, it was fairly common table talk for us to
laugh about the fact that our city cousins thought that
milk came from the grocery store, not from a cow.
To help fill in that knowledge gap, we made time to
host farm tours for local school and community groups.
The questions asked by the adults on those tours were
often as funny to us as the ones posed by the youngsters. Less funny to us was the fact that, while most
people enjoyed a visit to the farm, petting the calves
and chasing the ducks back onto the pond, they really
didn’t care where their food came from. They were content to just pick it up off the shelf at the grocery store
each week—smelling the fruit to see if it was ripe and
checking the expiration date on the milk before they put
it into their cart—but not really caring beyond a general
concern for freshness. As long as it was good, they
weren’t particularly interested in its origins.
Those kids who came to the farm back in the
1970’s are now grown up, and have kids of their own.
And, unlike the suburban parents of thirty years ago,
they care where their food comes from.
back to the roots
10
“A revolution is taking place in the food industry,”
says Fred Kirschenmann, a North Dakota organic
farmer and Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold
Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University. “For years, the food business served the
premise of fast, convenient and cheap. A second
market is emerging based on memory, romance and
trust. Memory is when a customer eats a product and
says ‘Wow, I want that again.’ Romance is the story
behind the food’s production. Trust means the days
of consumers’ passive acceptance are over. People
wanting to know where food comes from represents
an opportunity to form a relationship between the
consumer and the producer.”
The consumers driving this trend want to know
how, where and by whom food is produced. Why
this new interest? Nutrition and safety are primary
concerns. Freshly picked produce is often perceived
as healthier. Knowing which farm produced the food
is the essence of traceability for the consumer.
Consumer support also relates to the potential to
reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions, while preserving farmland and strengthening
local economies.
“On most college websites, locally sourced food
is viewed as a way to reduce the carbon footprint,”
says Mike Buzalka, executive features editor for Food
Management, a trade publication for the food service
industry. “Colleges, schools, corporations and other
institutions provide large, dependable markets. Their
volume commitment to farmers will be an important
factor in how far the “local food” movement goes.
1
Carnivores like
meat, herbivores
like vegetables, and
locavores like their
food to be local. As
the local food trend
grows, many farmers
find that their current
urban edge location—
once considered a
drawback because of
increased traffic and
close proximity to nonfarming neighbors—is
a huge benefit, rather
than an obstacle. Direct
marketing opportunities are huge for farmers who want to take
advantage of the “fresh
fresh” market.
2
Both large and
niche producers
can market their produce through organized
farmers’ markets, or
they can look to onfarm sales. No store is
required—a few handmade signs, a couple
of recipe cards...and
you’re on your way!
opportunities for you to grow
While those larger companies revamp their
business models to accommodate customer
demand, the gap is being filled by small
niche businesses, some of them within the
city limits of major metropolitan centers.
“Our territory covers big cities, like
Philadelphia and Baltimore,” says Jim Aird,
regional manager for MidAtlantic. “For
years, smaller agricultural producers have
looked at this geography as threatening
farming, with congestion and suburban
sprawl. But today, with the local food movement, these areas have great opportunities,
even for very small players. The demand
at farmer’s markets alone is one marketing
opportunity for people who want to produce
a specialty product and market it directly to
consumers.”
Jim’s right. The growing popularity of farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick operations and community-supported agriculture
subscription programs suggest that locally
sourced food is no passing fad. Restaurants,
grocery stores, schools (both primary and
secondary), and hospitals are all demanding
fresh local produce, pasture-raised meats and
specialty breads and dairy products.
That spells huge opportunity for farmers (and farmer hopefuls) in MidAtlantic’s
territory. If you would like to take advantage of the demand for local produce, put
a business plan together (you can see how
to do that in the Leader Volume 13, Issue 1,
or look for the article online at mafc.com),
and call your Farm Credit loan officer. We’ll
be happy to talk to you about how you can
get started.
Editor’s Note: Information for this article was
almost exclusively taken from an upcoming
report entitled “Growing Opportunity: A Farm
Credit Council Report” by Gary Matteson and
Robert Heuer. If you are interested in seeing
more of the report, please drop us a note at
[email protected] or call Donna Dawson
at 800.333.7950. n
Local Food: A Growing
Trend Across the Country
Today, there are nearly 13 times
as many farmers’ markets in the
United States than there were
in 1970.
HMO Kaiser Permanente has
launched 30 farmers’ markets
nationwide, as well as a pilot to
source local produce for inpatients at 19 California hospitals.
farm | land
By emphasizing multiple, small, scattered,
limited-volume local suppliers that wreak
havoc on economies of scale, this emerging phenomenon directly conflicts with
modern distribution’s business model.
Despite all the obstacles, it’s astonishing to
see how many onsite operations are willing
to take them on. Perhaps most crucially,
the contract management sector has now
also jumped on the bandwagon, a development that—given the purchasing power and
broad market presence it represents—may
spur more mainline distributors to devote
attention to establishing reliable and efficient local-purchase programs.”
Procuring local foods is a goal of
1118 farm-to-school programs
serving 10,991 elementary and
high schools in 38 states.
Univeristy of Minnesota-Morris
procured no food locally five
years ago, but next year plans to
buy $500,000 in produce from
nearby rural farmers.
Metropolitan New York’s annual unmet demand for locally
sourced farm products is an estimated $860 million.
USDA is projecting a 37 percent
increase in the consumption of
vegetables, nursery and fruit
crops over the next nine years.
Source: “Growing Opportunity: A
Farm Credit Council Report” by Gary
Matteson and Robert Heuer.
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
2
11
Dinners
SLOW FOOD
story by BECKY BRASHEAR
We’ve all become accustomed to the
fast food phenomenon. We want it quick. We want
it cheap. We want it to satisfy our hunger. But is all of that quick,
cheap satisfaction healthy?
We’ve heard and read about the issues surrounding fast food
consumption. From links to obesity to making our busy lives even
busier by not stopping long enough to eat, let alone eat right and
eat healthy.
Ready to change all of that hustle and bustle? Ready to make
some sacrifices for the better? Ready to know where your food comes
from? Ready to get back to food that’s clean, fair and good?
Whether you want to prepare and eat a meal at home, or dine
in a Slow Food savvy restaurant, the key is local, fresh products
with an emphasis on “seasonal.”
It’s the dining philosophy of clean, fair, good food, says Katalin
Gimes who heads up Slow Food DC with Alexandra Greeley. Like
most chapters, Slow Food DC plans monthly events around food.
“The main thing is to bring people back together to talk, to learn,
and have good food interests.”
And it’s also “eating locally—seasonally—it changes the perception of when is a tomato a delicious tomato,” says Kate Evanishyn,
communications manager for Slow Food USA.
“Slow Food focuses on slower times, when people questioned
what they ate and where it came from,” she continues. “Slow Food
links plate to planet. Slow Food is a way of going back to the roots
of life, when you ate what was in season on the farm, or what was
grown and produced on the farm and made available at the local
grocer,” she adds.
12
when in rome
It’s a movement started nearly 20 years ago in Rome when fast food
McDonald’s opened its first restaurant there and endangered the
slower pace and taste of life. Following the pasta protest on the fast
food king, Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini embarked on his new
mission. “Slow Food is the opposite of fast food, a play on words,”
says Katalin. “As the movement, we want to promote that there is a
slower way of life—where you cook a meal, sit down and eat. Fast
foods are not very enjoyable in a paper cup and eating in the car.”
Slow Food USA is not restaurant focused because of the standards requiring heavy policing infrastructure, according to Kate.
But Katalin adds that in this region chefs and restaurants are
becoming more focused.
Area hot spots that focus on slow food include Clyde’s
Restaurant in DC, the Brass Elephant in Baltimore, the Glasbern
Country Inn near Allentown, Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville,
and Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore. “Restaurants and chefs want
a good, healthy food source within a 150 mile radius, and chefs
are conscientiously searching out locally grown seasonal foods,”
says Katalin.
Katalin says that many other restaurants in the region are “Slow
Food friendly.” The chefs get to know the producers and their products and develop a close relationship.” Kate agrees, noting that
national trends are showing more chefs utilizing local seasonal
products. “It’s reflective in the creative plated offerings for their
diners for the more seasonal taste.
“It’s a style of eating and it is a challenge for chefs because what
do you do when it’s turnip season and you have all these turnips?”
adds Kate, “But it entices chefs to cook up inspiring dinners.”
Katalin projects that our region will continue to see more
restaurants and individuals going toward Slow Foods. “The
better chefs will turn to this, especially those who care about
their foods. Seasonal food availability is always a challenge
for chefs.”
slowing down
Regionally Katalin would like to start a Slow Food restaurant
designation that meets certain criteria and gets the “snail” seal
of approval.
She also thinks that education is needed to change the
mindset that you can eat local fruit on a year round basis: they
are a seasonal product. You enjoy and eat the food when it’s
available locally.
Part of the regional chapter’s outreach is working with
youth on garden and food preparation. Slow Food DC supports the National Garden at the Arboretum in Washington,
DC. Their focus is on local low income families, teaching them
about growing foods. “We work with kids like other conviviums to increase awareness in how to properly prepare and
cook foods,” says Katalin.
Slow Food Baltimore is hosting a canning workshop and
demonstration this season for those who have grown their
own products and want to preserve them for use during the
coming winter.
Other chapters provide maps with scenic routes to farms,
and offer wool spinning and cooking schools. Still others, like
Clyde’s Restaurant, invite local farmers to bring their products
to their establishment and prepare them at the table.
home | garden
Making a difference in the Slow Food process can be as
simple as growing tomato plants on your apartment’s fire escape
or herbs in a window. “It’s the act of growing and you make that
connection even though it may be symbolic,” says Kate.
Slow Food National captures its interests in food, planet
and community, she adds.
The movement makes a better connection with food, supports farmer’s markets and Community Supported Agriculture.
Slow Food has a newer and a wider audience, especially
with the explosion of food journalism. Slow Food National
has 170 chapters with 16,000 members and growing. The
regional chapter has 700 participants. Globally, it’s a network
of upwards of 80,000 members in 129 countries and 5,000
food producers.
“Slow Food on college campuses—the explosion
of youth in this food movement—is phenomenal,” adds Kate. “It’s the youth in America
that are coming to Slow Food National.
They are the ones leading the charge of
where their food comes from and who
grows it.
“We look to this involvement as the
new segment of farming for the future,”
she continues. “They have an
interest in the food system and
cultural traditions.” n
Slow Food DC
slowfooddc.org
Slow Food USA
slowfoodusa.org
Slow Food DC organizes dinners, tastings, tours,
lectures, and picnics, exploring the richness of the
area’s culinary heritage as well as food and drink
from other cultures around the world.
Slow Food USA is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating
the food traditions of North America through
programs and activities dedicated to taste education, defending biodiversity and building food
communities.
Slow Food Baltimore
slowfoodbaltimore.com
At the Baltimore Slow Food Convivium people are
enthusiastic about their ongoing, locally oriented
activities and their group’s proactive efforts to
promote the goals of their parent organization here
in their own community. And they have a lot of
FUN together too!
Glasbern Country Inn
glasbern.com
Set on 100 acres of verdant Pennsylvania hillside
near Allentown in Fogelsville, Glasbern Country
Inn offers a bed and breakfast experience like no
other hotel.
Woodberry Kitchen
woodberrykitchen.com
Woodberry Kitchen features the seasonal best from
local growers and emphasizes organic meats and
sustainable agriculture. Their goal is to nourish and
delight their guests with cooking grounded in the
traditions and ingredients of the Chesapeake region.
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
For more information about slow cooked and local grown foods,
visit the following sites:
13
Hungry
THE
GARDENER
story by SANDY WIEBER
Had you asked me what a locavore
was when I was growing up, I would have
guessed it was something that we set traps for in the garden…or something that the cats caught and drug up onto the porch to show off.
We didn’t think about eating local. Back then, it was just
called “eating.” I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I didn’t get
excited about eating a fresh tomato with nothing but some salt,
or potatoes that we had just dug up, or strawberries that were
still warm from the sun. I was more excited by anything that we
didn’t grow—a couple boxes of Wheaties a month (the breakfast of
champions and the Moser family), pizza twice a year (my husband
still laughs at the family story that my pappy, seeing a pizza box
in our trash one morning, asked me what it was like and then
declared “I don’t think I like foreign food.”)
One year, my grandmother bought some kiwis at Thanksgiving,
and perched them on top of our fruit salads. You would have
thought that she had boiled a toad and put it on there, for as appetizing as it looked. My brother and I asked questions like junior
botanists. Where did these things come from? What did the plant
look like that they grew on? Who was the first brave caveman who
said “It’s been fun throwing these hairy things around, and batting
at them with a stegosaurus bone, but I wonder how they taste?”
We giggled as we gingerly ate them, holding our lips away so they
wouldn’t touch the bright green fruit.
Eating local was a way of life. We didn’t even think about it.
what makes this a gardening article
14
How far was our field to fork journey? About 100 feet, by my childhood memory. My pappy had a huge garden; it was, ironically,
roughly the size of a super Wal-Mart, but much cleaner and better
organized. Every spring, he’d get out the rototiller and make long
straight rows in the crumbly soil (while the field to fork measurement was small, I’m guessing that the spinning, smoking rototiller—
the loudest piece of equipment on the farm—had a pretty large
carbon footprint all things considered).
Once the ground was worked down, pappy would mark off the
rows with two sticks and a piece of string (and I’m willing to bet that
he used the same piece of string every year). He planted his produce
very carefully too…carrots in a thick row that he then thinned out a
few weeks later; tomatoes tucked in underneath the metal cages so
that they would stand up even when they were heavy with produce;
pumpkins on top of carefully patted-in-place mounds of dirt.
go for the gold
Pappy was a competitive gardener like me (remember the breakfast of champions…we Mosers couldn’t run like Bruce Jenner but
I’m sure we could grow a nicer cucumber). Every Sunday, pappy
compared his yields with the other retired dairymen after church.
If he didn’t beat them this year, he could always refer back to past
glories: he kept a small notebook in the house that listed just a
few items every day: the high temperature of the day, the amount
of rainfall that he measured in the gauge on the dog house, and
his daily takes from the garden: 1 bushel of beans (some rust), 2
quarts ground cherries (I have a Farm Credit pen for anyone out
there who knows what ground cherries are…and a Farm Credit
hat for anyone who will send me a pie made out of them!), 6 ripe
tomatoes. (Note to self: start keeping a notebook; if my roses aren’t
spectacular this year, I can always look back!)
All of this is to say that being a locavore, in addition to being an
obsessive gardener, seems to be in my genes. I think I’m going to stop
by a farmer’s market on my way home from work tonight. I’ll buy some
peaches (there have to be a few late varieties left), some tomatoes and
some corn for my husband. And while I now enjoy the great, justpicked taste, I’ll also feel good about supporting my local farmers.
Before you ask…once the gardens are curled up with frost, it’s
back to the super Wal-Mart for me. I don’t see myself sweating in
a hot kitchen this summer, canning all
this great fresh produce. That’s
one part of my childhood
that I don’t relish (pun
completely intended).
But that’s another
story, for another
month. n
If you’re a young
farmer looking to learn
more, call us today
and ask about a FREE
scholarship to the
National Young Farmer
Education Association
(NYFEA), in Baltimore
on December 11-13.
OUT AND ABOUT
your association
Learning Opportunities
NYFEA
Scholarships
attend free
We have a limited
number of free
scholarships, that
cover transportation,
hotel and all institute
programs. You can
learn more about the
agenda at nyfea.org,
or call Carl Naugle at
800.333.7950. You can
reach him by email at
[email protected].
1
4
3
1
TRAIN THE TRAINER: MAFC’s DelMarVa
Equine Team received some excellent information on the equine industry from trainer,
George Teague of Harrington, DE. Mr. Teague
has trained many horses in the Delaware area
and has just recently completed the construction of a brand new training facility.
2
WATER HORSE: While visiting the Dovington Training Center in Felton, DE, the
equine team on Delmarva viewed many facets
of the facility. Although it may look like the
Loch Ness Monster in this photo, this is indeed a
horse swimming in its very own pool.
3
DelMarVa: 800.573.3028
MidMd: 800.442.7334
Penn:
800.477.9947
mafc.com
COLORFUL GROUP: MidAtlantic Farm Credit
and Maryland Farm Bureau coordinated a
day of farm tours for several Maryland legislative assistants and employees. The group visited
several farms in Harford county, including Ma
& Pa Farms Grain Elevator, Foxborough Nursery,
Bonita Farms and Broom’s Bloom Dairy. The group
poses in front of all the silks worn by the jockeys
of horses from Bonita Farm. From left to right: Juliette Hewlin Brown, Sam Fielder (Harford county
Farm Bureau President), Valerie Connelly (MD
Farm Bureau), Kenny Bounds, Joanna Kille (MD
Dept of Ag), Sallie Taylor (Congressman Roscoe
Bartlett), Billy Boniface, Jobina Brown (Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger), Kurt Fuchs (MD Farm
Bureau), Keith Wills and kneeling, Buddy Hance
(MD Deputy Secretary of Ag). Not present, Val
Twanmoh (Senator Barbara Mikulski).
5
4
WINNING SMILES ALL AROUND: Annually,
MidAtlantic Farm Credit, AgChoice Farm Credit
and PA Farm Bureau sponsor the Pennsylvania
FFA Recordkeeping Contest. PA FFA encompasses
8,000 members of which 1,400 attended the
79th Convention and Activities Week held in
State College. Attending the awards program:
Front row (left to right): Jerry Phillips, MAFC,
Darla Romberger (State winner), Kaydee Gearhart (North Central Region), and Christine Oellig
(Eastern Region). Back row (left to right): Gary
Heckman, AgChoice Farm Credit, Katelyn Byler
(Western Region), Amanda Doggs (South Central
Region) and Mike Evanish, PA Farm Bureau.
5
RECEPTION IN HARRISBURG: Representatives
from MidAtlantic Farm Credit and AgChoice
Farm Credit talk with Senator Robert Casey during a reception held recently in Harrisburg (PA).
From left: Kenny Bounds, VP Government Affairs
for MAFC, Senator Casey, and Allyn Lamb, CEO of
AgChoice.
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
And if you are a
student, looking to
further your education? Then make sure
you call your Farm
Credit office after
September 30, and
ask them for information on our 2009
scholarship program.
Check your November
statement stuffer for
more information, as
well as the next issue
of the Leader.
2
15
PROPERTIES FOR
Boonsboro, Maryland
SALE
Freeland, Maryland
This is your chance to own a piece of local
history. A 22 acre gentlemen’s farm with
over $1 million in established trees, reputable landscaping business, 30x60 Morton
building, Christmas shop, all equipment
and two homes with unbelievable views
on beautiful South Mountain. $2,800,000.
145 acres of natural beauty! Fantastic
Southern Living Cape Cod with Butler
stone wrap-around porch overlooking
entire property including two-acre pond,
tenant house and gently sloping pastures
and farmland. A truly unique and one-ofa-kind property! $2,150,000.
Contact Kemper Kefauver, Kelley Real
Estate Professionals, 240.674.4783.
Contact Patti Taylor, Riley & Associates,
410.790.0737.
Westminster, Maryland
Harford County, Maryland
36 acre gentlemen’s horse farm.
Architectural masterpiece, eight wood
burning fireplaces, coffered ceilings, granite
kitchen, two master
suites and many cozy
nooks. Heated pool
and cabana. Nine stall aisle barn has
everything for the horseman, loafing shed,
automatic waterers, stocked pond and
more! $1,750,000.
Contact Frank Durkee, O’Conor & Mooney
Realtors, 410.935.4260.
Upperco, Maryland
Enchanting and
authentic 9.5 acre
farm, right out of
early American life!
Handmade built-ins
and cabinetry, cherry
and maple floors and beautiful private setting. Three bedrooms, two full baths, barn,
workshop, large pole barn and three bay
garage. Fenced paddocks. $899,000.
Worton, Maryland
Contact Gwen Probst, Riley and
Associates, 443.996.5500 or 410.329.2100.
16+ acre horse lover’s farm. Offers an
updated home with four bedrooms, two
full baths and large eat-in kitchen. The
farm offers pond, fenced pastures, and
huge bank barn with stables, lots of sheds,
run-ins, tractor shed, workshop and much,
much more! $475,000.
Beautiful five acre farmette with three stall
center aisle barn (tack room, wash stall,
workshop, run-in shed, lighted outdoor
riding arena). Bright, open ranch home
with hardwood floors, vaulted ceiling,
sunroom with tile floor, three bedrooms,
two baths. Four paddock areas. $449,900.
52 acre farm with three bedroom, 1.5 bath
farmhouse. Barns, garages, sheds. Also
two bedroom mobile home. 35 acres are
tillable. $472,300.
Contact Ali Haghgoo Re/Max Advantage
Realty, 443.858.3667.
Contact Richard Budden, Lacaze Meredith
Real Estate, 410.810.8970.
Contact Mary Libick, Wright Real Estate,
443.786.6585.
Dickerson, Maryland
Eastern Frederick County. A rare chance
to own a 25 acre farm lot at the base of
Sugarloaf Mountain. Improved by a 36x72
pole barn, three board fencing, a well and
electric in barn. Perc approved for five bedroom home. $1,000,000.
Contact T.I. McGrath, Mackintosh Realtors,
800.282.3547.
Federalsburg, Maryland
Chestertown, Maryland
Waterfront farm on the Chester River with marvelous hunting off the marsh and on two
ponds, pier. House has four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, plenty of closet space, new open addition
with hot tub and sauna. Three car garage with large guest room, full bath, sink and refrigerator. 65 acres with pasture, buildings and woods. $2,900,000.
MLS KE6606019. Contact William David Leager, Sassafras River Realty, Ltd, 410.778.0238.
Need financing for any of these properties? Call your local Farm Credit office.
16
MidAtlantic Farm Credit is not responsible for content or typographical errors. For more information on any of the properties listed on these pages, please call the Realtor listed.
At this time, we can only accept listings from licensed real estate agents.
community
Gettysburg Pennsylvania
New Windsor, Maryland
Just two miles from Sachs Covered Bridge, you’ll find this 14 acre horse farm with a 20 stall
barn, indoor arena, three board fencing, heated observation and much more. The almost
new home includes many upgrades and offers a two bedroom apartment with separate
entrance. $775,000.
Contact Marvine Jenkins, Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., 410.596.4756.
Two beautiful country lots for sale. 1.55
and 1.76 acres. Ten minutes to Hagerstown.
Perc approved. Call for details. $85,000
and $89,900.
Beautiful 16 acre horse property. Several fenced paddocks,
six stall barn, two run-ins and
fenced outdoor arena. Plus lovely
three bedroom ranch style home.
$796,500.
Contact Rose Greenawalt, Long & Foster
Real Estate, Inc., 301.393.8326.
Contact Nancy Bowlus, RE/MAX
100, 240.446.6818.
Hagerstown, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Custom built home on 11.9 acres. First floor
master suite, 4.5 bathrooms, kitchen with
granite countertops and maple cabinets,
two gas fireplaces, central vac, in-ground
pool, oversized four car garage and so much
more. Property can be used for equestrian
purposes. $1,299,000.
98.8 beautiful wooded acres.
Cheapest farm on the market.
Lots of potential. Great for hunting. Surrounded by 1,000 acres
of adjacent woods. Listing agent
is related to seller. $495,000.
Contact Michael Yingling, RE/MAX Delta
Group, Inc, 717.652.8200.
Contact Jamie Masten, Masten
Realty, LLC, 302.422.1850.
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Freeland, Maryland
RE
DU
CE
Contact Humberto Benitez, Real
Estate Teams LLC, 301.695.3020 or
301.748.1635 or visit
betosellshomes.com
Harrington, Delaware
D
21+ acre equestrian facility of wonderful
quality designed by a grand prix rider.
Indoor arena with end mirrors and full
kickboards, regulation outdoor, modern
seven stall center aisle barn, bank barn
with six stalls, paddocks with automatic
water and four board fence. Beautiful preCivil War home. Subdivision possibility.
Close to DC and Baltimore. $950,000.
Annville, Pennsylvania
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
27.4 acre farm located in Northampton
County, close to major highways and
shopping. Features a 1996 conversion of
a barn into four apartments with a seven
car garage. In horse country with views
of the Delaware Valley. Owner retiring.
$755,900.
Stunning historic estate on 11.95 acres.
Main house was designed by Thomas
Jefferson! Includes five bedrooms, 3.5 baths,
four fireplaces, modern old world kitchen.
Also included – 2 ½ story flour mill. The
second floor contains a spacious modern
apartment. Great property for equestrians.
$1,450,000.
Contact Joseph J. Miller, MAC Marketing
Group LLC, 610.984.3013.
Contact Michael Yingling, RE/MAX Delta
Group, Inc, 717.652.8200.
6.8 acre farmette, three bedroom
2.5 bath colonial. Huge kitchen
with fireplace, living, dining and
family rooms. Bathroom new in
2008. 48x34 Amish built barn
with water and electric. Seven
OPPORTUNITY
12x12 stalls, lighted 44x66 arena,
three fenced pastures, 32x22
REALTOR
run-in shed and two streams.
$479,900.
EQUAL HOUSING
®
Contact Karen Langford,
Riley & Associates Realtors,
443.244.0877.
volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
Lower Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
REALTOR
®
17
PROPERTIES FOR
SALE
Woodsboro, Maryland
Beautiful country! 165+/- acres. Amenities
include 1890 farmhouse with three
bedrooms and two baths. Other buildings
include barn and several agricultural outbuildings for dairy use. Farm is going into
Ag Preservation. 27.228 +/- acres under
long-term lease. $900,000.
Contact Tony Checchia, Frederick Land
Company, 301.662.9222.
Bangor, Pennsylvania
Sudlersville, Maryland
30+ acres just outside of Sudlersville with
an existing four bedroom, two bath doublewide that has almost 2,000 sq. ft. of living
space. Two additional perc sites have been
recorded. $349,900.
Contact Jonathan Olsavsky, Century
21 Rosendale Realty, 410.758.0333 or
410.490.0369.
Mini farmette at an extremely affordable price. Horse stalls, paddocks, feed
and tack rooms, spring supplies water
for horses, riding ring, restored spring
house, spacious deck, cute four bedroom
farmhouse, fireplace, romantic third
floor master bedroom, two car garage.
$248,950.
Contact Cindy Stys, Cindy Stys Equestrian
& Country Properties, Ltd, 610.849.1790.
Conowingo, Maryland
Bangor, Pennsylvania
23 acre farm in historic Cecil County, located at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The lovely setting includes an Olde Style three bedroom farmhouse with all the charm that comes with older
farmhouses. Large wrap-around porch overlooking pond. Several outbuildings: barn, garage,
shed and springhouse. Last year planted in corn, but could also be very horse friendly. $489,900.
Contact Charlie Roosa, Key Realty, Inc., 410.287.7241.
Chestertown, Maryland
Three bedroom ranch with stone fireplace
on 55 acres of open farmland. Located in
scenic rural area. $669,000.
Contact Cindy Stys, Cindy Stys Equestrian
& Country Properties, Ltd, 610.849.1790.
Westminster, Maryland
Britland Farm, 530+ acre country estate
boasting 6,800 ft. water frontage on the
Chester River & Hamilton Creek. Beautiful
Georgian brick home, guest cottage, barn,
pool, dock and attached garage. $10,150,000.
Contact Cliff Meredith, Lacaze Meredith Real
Estate, 410.810.8970.
Hagerstown, Maryland
Great opportunity awaits! Fantastic two
bedroom, two bath brick rancher on quiet
street in Greenberry Hills. Convenient to
shops, restaurants and interstates. Beautiful
hardwood floors, built-in bookcases, large
eat-in kitchen, full basement with bathroom
and washer/dryer hookups. $157,900.
Bring your horses! Farmette on 5.74 acres
awaits your arrival. 3-4 bedrooms, two
bath rancher with huge updated country
kitchen. Sunken family room with wood
floors, formal living room with fireplace,
master bedroom with bath, finished lower
level with rec room and bonus room.
Great in-law potential. Two barns and
three car garage. $509,900.
Contact Kari Shank, Long & Foster Real
Estate, Inc., 240.291.2059.
Contact Ali Haghgoo, RE/MAX Advantage
Realty, 443.858.3667.
Need financing for any of these properties? Call your local Farm Credit office.
18
MidAtlantic Farm Credit is not responsible for content or typographical errors. For more information on any of the properties listed on these pages, please call the Realtor listed.
At this time, we can only accept listings from licensed real estate agents.
New Ringgold, Pennsylvania
Barnesville, Maryland
This beautiful two year old home on
just over 2.5 +/- acres of land boasts
privacy in a country setting. Seller has
just installed a tank-less hot water
heater, new top-of-the-line stainless steel
kitchen appliances, gas fireplace, quality front-load washer and dryer, crown
molding and freshly painted. $469,900.
Well planned five acre equestrian property. Long private tree-lined drive leads
to modern two story colonial with four
bedrooms, brick fireplace, sunroom with
hot tub, two car garage, excellent four
stall horse barn, and two large fenced
pastures in a beautiful scenic location. 35
minutes from Allentown, PA. $399,900.
Contact Chris Rosendale, Century 21
Rosendale Realty, 410.758.0333 or
410.490.0460.
Contact Gary L. Coles or Jonathan D.
Coles, New Pennsylvania Realty, Inc,
570.386.5000.
Western Montgomery County.
Working 19 acre horse farm at
Sugarloaf Mountain in an ag
preserve. Improved by an all
brick five bedroom, three full
bath home with a stunning view
of the mountain from every
window. Two stables totaling 18
stalls, indoor arena, round pen,
RV garage. Dirt roads to ride and
drive on. Boarding business will
convey. $1,650,000.
Thurmont, Maryland
community
Centreville, Maryland
Contact T.I. McGrath, Mackintosh
Realtors, 800.292.3547.
New Ringgold, Pennsylvania
Fairplay, Maryland
141.87 +/- acre farm with loads of potential. Property is level with an active stream.
Amenities include original farmhouse,
bank barn, Morton building and several
other outbuildings. Three potential lots.
$2,000,000.
Contact Tony Checchia, Frederick Land
Company, 301.662.9222.
This fine 28 acre equine breeding facility is
situated close to other equine facilities and
numerous race tracks. The farm features
a 13 stall block barn, 1,200 sq. ft living
quarters, and an indoor arena. Is ideal for
a Pennsylvania satellite breeding facility or
build your new house amid the beautiful
views. $475,000.
This is pure
EQUAL HOUSING
country! OPPORTUNITY
All brick
home has
new high
efficiency
furnace, central air and roof. Full
walk-out basement. 25x30 build- OPPORTUNITY
ing with heat, air conditioning,
and phone. Had been used for
REALTOR
detailing business. Great opportunity. $294,900.
Contact Gary L. Coles or Jonathan D.
Coles, New Pennsylvania Realty, Inc,
570.386.5000.
Contact Rose Greenawalt,
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.,
301.393.8326.
EQUAL HOUSING
®
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REALTOR
®
Realtors:
REALTOR
We do too! Keep these guidelines in mind
and you’ll be on your way to seeing your
listings published, FREE!
EQUAL HOUSING
• Properties need to be in MAFC’s territory. This includes centralOPPORTUNITY
Maryland, Delaware, Delmarva region, southeastern Pennsylvania
and Accomack and Northampton counties in Virginia.
• Listings must be properties that are eligible for financing by Farm
Credit. This includes farms, agricultural tracts of land, as well as
moderately priced rural homes.
EQUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
DelMarVa: 800.573.3028
MidMd: 800.442.7334
Penn: OPPORTUNITY
800.477.9947
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mafc.com
• We do not accept “For Sale by Owner” listings at this time.
For more information contact the local Farm Credit office in
your area or email Donna Dawson at [email protected].
EQUAL HOUSING
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volume 13 | issue 3 | mafc.com
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19
MidAtlantic Farm Credit
P.O. Box 770
Westminster MD 21158-0770
FINANCING
FROM FIELD
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PRSRT STD
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BALTIMORE MD
PERMIT NO. 7175
There’s nothing more fresh than
eating produce that was picked
at the height of ripeness.
Nothing, that is, except having
a lender who understands what
you want to do—whether your
goal is feeding the world or
feeding your local community.
For more than 90 years, Farm
Credit has been that lender.
We understand your love of the
farm, and your commitment to
local agriculture. That’s why
we’re committed to helping
local farmers succeed. We have
flexible, innovative credit
programs, whether you’re just
starting out or expanding your
current operation. We have
great rates and unbelievable
customer service. And we have
something no one else has—an
innovative patronage program
that allows us to share our
profits with our borrowers.
Does it get any fresher than
that? Call us today, and see
how we can help you.
DelMarVa: 800.573.3028
MidMd: 800.442.7334
Penn:
800.477.9947
mafc.com