Gorman Farm Seems To Have Hit Its Stride; The Share That I Got To Sample Was A Real Gift

Cucumbers sliced and seasoned into kimchi

Gorman Produce Farm seems to have really hit its stride.  Check it out if you want local vegetable adventures.

When I started blogging, I thought that I was going to become entranced by community-supported agriculture.  That's a CSA where you pay a farm's fee at the start of the season, then get a weekly share from the harvest.  In the plan, you get great vegetables, and you get surprises to inspire you.

But I never clicked.  Mostly, it's just that my cooking never got inspired by a box of surprises.  I felt bad when I left something unused, and my mind always ran to menus that required a grocery run to augment the CSA box.  But, in part, I don't think I had the best CSAs.  I did two, both when the farms were new.  Farming is hard.  I got some rough produce and some piles of pedestrian stuff.

Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel changed their model a year or two ago.  They closed their daily farm stand.  Now they just sell through a CSA, and I was lucky enough to sample last month when our friends went away on vacation.  The full share that I picked up in Gorman's barn was an absolute delight.

Spinach, parsley, squash, onions, eggplant, cucumbers, garlic flowers and on and on and on.  I filled two large bags with the full share, and the vegetables blew me away.  They were crisp, fresh and full of flavor.  Mostly, I did simple stuff.  Sauteed the spinach.  Made salad with the lettuce.  But I turned the cucumbers into a Korean kimchi oi-sobagi using Maangchi's cookbook that I need to review in the future.

Monday I steamed Gorman's eggplant that had been in my fridge for at least 10 days.  The eggplant was pristine.  That's amazing for any vegetables.  That tells me that the Gorman folks are able to concentrate on the CSA now -- planning their harvests and caring for the vegetables so that customers get premium supplies.

The Gorman Produce Farm website seems to say you can still sign up for a 2017 share.  I don't know the details.  But definitely check it out, maybe for 2017, maybe for next year.  I don't know that CSAs work for my life right now, but it's not many developed suburbs that have an organic farm sitting right in their midst.

Gorman Produce Farm is right off Rte 29 on Gorman Road.  It's really easy to reach from anywhere in Columbia and for anyone who commutes south towards DC.

How To Make A Young Chef! Lisa's Girls Go From Picky To Primary Producers In The Kitchen

Acorn squash!!

The only thing better than having fun in the kitchen is teaching other folks to have fun there themselves.

Lisa blogs at Lisa B, Mrs. S about a range of life -- usually about Howard County, sometimes about food.  She has a daughter with a love of composting, always close to my heart, and she has great posts about fun that she has had with her kids around here.

This is part of a series of guest posts by Howard County bloggers.  For local food blogs, check out the HocoBlogs food page.

Lisa has a family of good eaters, and they're big on Gorman Farm's CSA and local shopping.  And now she is building an entire house of chefs as well -- with her daughters cooking up dinner on their own:

Greens!!

Roots Market posted picture of parsnips on Facebook, and that’s all it took for me to realize how much my kids have grown to become the foodies they are today.

When they were witty bitty, they were pretty picky. Not extremely picky, just normal picky, but it was a real drag nonetheless. I can’t speak for fathers or even for all mothers, but I do know I’m not alone in having physical pain and distress at the prospect of my child going underfed. So it would make me quite cranky when a five-year-old Prima would crinkle her nose at the dinner I made, and it would push my last button when a three-year-old Seconda gagged at the table.

I’m so glad those days are over.

The turning point, I think, began with parsnips. Jamie Oliver made herby pork chops with parsnips, apples, and onions on a Food Network show. Oh my goodness. As if his adorable accent hadn’t already won me over, the dish looked amazing. I believed I could smell it through the TV. I made it the next night, having never even seen a parsnip before that show.

A few weeks earlier, I had an idea about how to put the nose-crinkling, toddler-gagging, Mama-stressing dinner behavior to an end. You see, I trusted the experts that said young children will, on balance, not over-eat nor under-eat. I trusted that a night without dinner would not cause them harm, but all my angst and lost patience might put us all in a bad place. So, I wondered what would happen if I kept on cooking what I cooked and just served the kids a spoonful of each dish. That’s it, a teaspoonful of each food would be required, then they could have as much of only the things they liked from the table as they wanted. We began with herby pork chops with parsnips.

Hey Mikey! They liked it!

Fast forward seven years and my children - Prima, Seconda, and Terza - have incredible palates. Recently, they’ve stepped up their game by taking on the cooking duties. Prima, especially, loves to play a version of Chopped on the weekends. Weeknights are full of homework and activities, so we need dinner to be a sure-thing at a sure-time. Last night, Prima and Terza rose to that occasion with a delicious meal of chicken sausage, sautéed greens, and baked acorn squash.

If you’re like us and belong to a local CSA, then you know that this is greens season again. Collards and kale are staples, but the Gorman Farm CSA to which we belong grows other interesting greens, as well. Last night, Prima followed my stand-by greens recipe, but added her own twist. She softened some yellow onions in olive oil over medium heat before adding the chopped pac choi and tat soi from our CSA share. When I noticed the volume of greens was a little low for our family of five, she remembered the sweet potato leaves I cooked up last week. A little chicken broth, a sprinkle of steak rub and a few minutes later we were dining on delicious greens.

Terza used Martha Stewart’s classic Baked Acorn Squash recipe to cook the squash (also from Gorman Farm). I sliced it up, then she took it from there. Butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar, 350-degrees and 15 minutes was all it took. 

You may be wondering where the rest of us were in all this. Seconda was doing homework, I was setting up computers for the kids’ first session of online language classes, and The Man of the House was running Terza back and forth between home and dance. We didn’t sit down to eat as a family, but cooking together, even in the jumbled way we did that night, still made it feel like a Family Dinner, which tastes better than frozen pizza any night.

Gorman Farm Tomatoes Have Arrived; Enjoy Summer As It Arrives On The Local Farms

Tomatoes at Gorman

Come enjoy the summer as it arrives on the farms.

Gorman Farm had their first home-grown tomatoes last weekend, and that's the harbinger of great produce to come at farms from Laurel to Woodbine.  This is your chance to check them out.

Gorman is an easy drive from Columbia.  They sell their own produce, along with fruit and vegetables from as far as Virginia and the Eastern Shore.  It was shore corn that I bought Saturday.  Six ears that were absolutely the best that I have eaten this year.  We grilled them for friends with bacon-burgers made from Laurel Meat Market's house blend.

The first Gorman tomato ended up with leftover grilled corn.  Cut from the cob, mixed with diced tomatoe, then dressed in a spicy vinegar from Secolari at the Columbia Mall.  Used as a salad, then to fill a quesadilla with some of the house-brand intense cheddar cheese that I love at Wegmans.

I've had other people suggest Frank's Produce Stand in Elkridge.  I have barely been there since we lived on Rte 108, but folks highlighted it to me after I wrote about Baugher's Farm Stand in Ellicott City.  They're all places worth checking out -- and eating heavily.

And, of course, the big adventure is picking your own at Larriland Farm in Woodbine.  Last year, we hit the jackpot on tomatoes.  But the fields will overflow with everything from peaches to apples, beets to chard.  Take advantage of the season.  Remember how last winter seemed like it would never end, and get out there to enjoy the fruit of the heat.

Strawberry Season Arrives, And You Can Get CrunchDaddy With Your Fruit At Gorman

Strawberry season has arrived, and you can get all kinds of treats at local farms.

My local spots are Gorman Farm in Laurel and Larriland Farm in Woodbine.  Larriland is the big player and very worth the drive out Rte 70, but Gorman is a stone's throw from Columbia so it's really easy to get into the fields.

Gorman opened last weekend, and they seem to be picking this week -- overcoming last week's hail storm.  Larriland seems to be opening this Saturday.

As a special bonus, you should check out CrunchDaddy popcorn for sale at Gorman.  I love that stuff.  It's made in Howard County, and it's a great match of local businesses to have CrunchDaddy at Gorman.  They're trying to stock eight varieties, including two new ones -- Smokey Cheddar Crunch and Chesapeake Peanut Crunch.

If you want to pick strawberries, definitely check the farms' Web sites because they open and close as they have ripe fruit -- Gorman Farms and Larriland Farms.

I have been out of commission for weeks with travel and illness. I'm trying to start up again, and I'll do a bunch of short posts about news that happened when I was home. This way, people will be able to find the posts if they're looking for a specific restaurant. Check them all out by clicking on Reset May 2014.

Here Comes Spring! Strawberry Sign At Gormans

Here comes spring!  Gorman Farms in Laurel has posted the strawberries signs.

Still just "Coming Soon."  But it's exciting just to know that the fields are ripening.

Obviously, the pick-your-own will start when the plants are ready.  Last year, it started the first week of May.  Two years ago, my friend picked the last strawberries in early June.

So keep an eye on the sign and let me know!!

Tour Gorman Farms -- Free, Close, Easy

Come tour Gorman Produce Farm -- a free trip to see a working farm just minutes from Rte 29.

The Liker family will open their farm to the public on September 8 in partnership with the Laurel Historical Society.  The society is running a "Tasting Laurel" series, and they'll start where the food starts -- at the farm.  To reserve a spot, call the society at 301-725-7975.

The farm is on Gorman Road just east of Rte 29.  The series will run into November with their fifth "Taste of Laurel" event.

Crabs And Peaches - The Summer's Best Stuff With Short Drives Around Howard County

Crabs from Frank's Seafood

Summer makes for big food, and you can make short drives to get the best stuff.

The '34 Act Gourmet bought crabs to celebrate his birthday, and Frank's Seafood in Jessup steamed a spectacular bushel and a half.  I ate far more than my share.  Most people are such amateurs.  They knock off after two or three crabs.  The pros power through.

Peaches at Gorman

Frank's crabs were heavy and sweet.  Their spice mixture had flavor without being too salty.  I was super-impressed.

To continue on the summer flavors, drive down to Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel for peaches, basil, and vegetables.  Gorman farms most of the produce, and they sell boxes of tomatoes, herbs, onions, potatoes, beets, and more.  They also bring in peaches from Baugher Farm -- along with the first summer apples and other fruit.

WKitchen's summer cocktail

Gorman is a short drive from Columbia -- just east of Rte 29 on Gorman Road.  Like Frank's crabs, the Gorman produce is special and fresh.  You won't get these flavors from your mid-winter fruit.  I'm especially waiting until the tomatoes really arrive and Gorman sells crates of "seconds" to turn into sauce.

What other specialties of summer do you suggest? Any special shopping?  Special dishes at local restaurants?

It's a farther drive, but we went to Woodberry Kitchen that has the most-amazing summer items -- a like peach desserts and a warm cherry tomato salad with pancetta and rocket. But my absolute favorite was a non-alcoholic cocktail made from watermelon, cucumber juice, hot sauce, and sour mix. It alternatively sounds crazy and simple, but it tastes complex and delicious. I need to start experimenting with cocktails made with the blueberries that I preserved with wine.

Farm Stands and "Farm Stands" -- How Does Your Garden Grow? Plus News From Gorman & Jenny's

Vegetables from Gorman Produce Farm

I wish that the hardest thing I had to figure out about vegetables was what to do with the flying-saucer squash that Gorman Produce Farm keeps giving us every week.

I'm a vegetable fan.  Vegetable posts don't get big hits, but they're a big part of my cooking.  I'm a Mark Bittman acolyte.  I'm also a novice canner.

For the second year, RDAdoc split a Gorman membership with us, and we're getting much of our vegetables through the CSA or their farm stand.  I always thought that I'd be that blogger who posted each week about what I get and what I cook.  But it hasn't worked that way.  The vegetables just find their way quietly onto the table.

Instead, I'm the blogger who just thinks about farm stands.


First up, Gorman Farm news:  The Laurel farm has a new phone number 301-908-8063.  They have a new parking lot too, if you haven't visited this year.  The farm -- just east of Rte 29 on Gorman Road -- is an easy drive from anywhere in Columbia.  They sell their own vegetables, and they're delicious and last forever in the fridge.


Second, Jenny's Market in West Friendship.  Jenny's is a family-run business that has been selling produce from their front yard since at least when I first drove out Rte 32 in 2008.  They stock produce from all over.  They line Rte 32 with fun hand-written signs.  AnnieRie posted last week that Jenny's stand had been hit by trees.  She said they were upbeat and had moved to sell a little up the road.  I wanted to give them a shout-out and a wish for a quick recovery.

Finally, farm stands in general.  On the one extreme, you have Gorman where you go to the farm and buy vegetables from the farmer.  I enjoy it.  I enjoy having a farm nearby.  I enjoy meeting the folks and talking about what has ripened and what's coming.

Then you have the middle like Jenny's where they're clearly selling produce from all over -- bananas, peaches, etc. -- but with the normal claims that you'd see in a grocery story.  No one claimed my watermelon from Jenny's was local.  They just rejected the first one that Mrs. HowChow selected and found one that seemed better to them.  (And carted the reject out back and away from the stand.)

Are You Watching Strawberries For Me?

Gorman Produce Farm says the strawberries are coming -- and they're early.  Please let me know when you see the sign change to "They're Here" or when you hear that Larriland is letting people pick their own.

Promises Of Strawberries At Gorman Farm

Promises, promises:  Pick-your-own strawberries at Gorman Farm

Make your plans for strawberries at Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.  It's just off Rte 29 on Gorman Road -- an easy ride from anywhere in eastern Howard County.  I'm a big fan of their pick-your-own if you're taking around little people.

Honey At Gorman Farm In Laurel

If you're in the market for apples and honey this week, you really should go to the Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.

Gorman grows its own vegetables, and it also hosts bee hives that are harvested into Gorman's own raw honey.  I have been enjoying a bottle since summer time.  They tell me now that the late season honey comes in darker, with a slightly deeper flavor.

You can also pick up apples and pears.  It's a perfect trip if you have some little kid in the house.  You get an easy drive right off Rte 29 on Gorman Road.  They get the exotic experience of a "dirt road to the farm" and walking around the rustic-looking stand.  They have pumpkins too!

Tart Cherry Pie From Lovebirds

Pies impress me when they taste like fruit, and the miniature tart cherry pie from Lovebirds delivers the most-interesting experience: I almost didn't notice the filing.

I noticed the cherries.  They're firm and nicely sweet and tart at the same time.  But I almost didn't notice the jellied filling -- the gelatinous downfall of most pies crammed with more sugar than fruit.

With the Lovebirds pie, the filling is a mild background that tastes like fruit.  Most of the dessert is spearing those firm cherries and slicing up a flakey crust.  The crust is superb.  Supermarket crusts may be as good as the ones that I have made, but Lovebirds gets layers and that dry, but not dried out texture.

I have seen Lovebirds recently at Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel and Roots in Clarksville.   I'd look at David's Natural Market in Columbia, because they sold there last year as well.  Last year, RDAdoc bought us a maple apple, which  also came through like a homemade dessert from a talented friend.

These are a splurge -- $8 for a pie with four small slices at Roots, maybe a few dollars less at Gorman.  But they're worth way more than some giant pies that I have bought and never finished.

Anyone know these Love Birds people?  No contact information on the package, but they say that they're baked in Howard County.

You Say Tornado? I Say Tomato. Learning To Can Tomato Sauce As Irene Blew Into Town

The nut calling Harris Teeter during the state of emergency to ask whether they sell Ball canning jars?  That was me.  So sorry.  I just used the quart ones that I already owned.

Gorman Produce Farm had $25 boxes of tomatoes when I picked up the CSA on Thursday.  Maybe 28-30 pounds of tomatoes.  A second chance at learning to make tomato sauce after Larriland had been picked clean of the regular size on our visit earlier this month.

So I grabbed the box.  Then I panicked Friday night when I realized the storm could leave me with no power and rotting tomatoes.  It was a race to preserve.
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This Girl May Have Picked The Last Strawberries

Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel offered pick-your-own strawberries this spring, and I took advantage Saturday morning to walk around with a friend and his daughter.

Blame the toddler if she picked the last strawberries.

It's amazing to realize that even the beautiful strawberries at a place like Whole Foods don't actually taste like the sweet, delicate berries that you pick from your own plants.  The Gorman strawberries had the small size and the glistening color that says they won't last on a shipping truck.  They didn't need to last around here because my little friend mowed through a bowl with lunch.

By 2 pm on Saturday, the farm was hanging a "sold out" sign at the gate as I drove to the library.  I can't tell from the Web site whether that was the last weekend for strawberries or there is one more week left.

Click here for all the posts about Gorman Produce Farm, which is just east of Rte 29 and just south of Columbia.

Squash And The Last Vegetables At Gorman Farm

Good morning!  Take advantage of the great weather by making a run to Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.

You get all the final vegetables -- tomatoes, lettuces, cilantro and basil.  You get to pick a pumpkin.  And you can check out the wildest selection of squash that I have ever seen.  Cushaws, hubbards, sweet bananas . . .  The Gorman people were pitching the idea that the squash can be decoration now and then eaten later in the fall.

Much of the produce has come from other farms, but it looks great.  I picked up green tomatoes because, for some strange reason, all my tomatoes ripened this year.  I'll fry those up early this week and serve them with a soup.

Lovebirds Pies at Gorman Produce Farm

You can buy sweets to go with the healthy eats at Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.

The farm just south of King's Contrivance has been selling their own produce all summer along with fruit from local orchards.  Now, they're also selling pies from Lovebirds Cookies and Cakes, according to RDAdoc who discovered the pies last week.


The pies come in a variety of flavors and sizes.  RDAdoc grabbed two mini-pies -- a pumpkin for her family and a maple apple for us.  They're good.  The maple flavor came through in the apple pie.  It was a crust that tasted homemade, not as refined as the pastries at Touche Touchet but more like a pie from your good friend the good baker.  

RDAdoc agreed: "The pumpkin pie had a delicious flaky crust and tasted like it was made with only fresh ingredients.  It could have used a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg but overall it was quite tasty and I would recommend it to others."


But she is RDAdoc because she is a nutrition doc.  So she also emailed with Lovebirds Cookies and Cakes and got the full story -- including ingredients -- from the owner Lydia, who said that the next batch of pies will have new labels that list ingredients.  Lydia also confirmed that Lovebirds aims for the flavors that we had found:

We do a whole array of stuff and specialize in "homemade" utilizing the best of ingredients. For example the Maple Apple contains NO white sugar, it is simply sweetened with 100% Maple Syrup. Plus we use a cortland apple (that is naturally sweeter) that are grown locally.

Lovebirds is selling their sweets through David's Natural Market in Columbia, maybe the other organic markets like Roots and Mom's Organic Markets.  Keep an eye on the shelves.


Gorman Farm is operating under fall hours -- open Thursday to Sunday, according to RDAdoc.  Click here for all the posts about Gorman Farm.

Gorman Farm Update: The Vegetables (And Honey) Are Starting To Arrive Despite The Heat

The Gorman Produce Farm's produce stand has started to pick up steam -- even as the steamy weather makes it harder and harder to grow vegetables this summer.

This week, the Gorman Farm was seling corn, fennel, eggplants, beets and squash from their own fields.  They're offering lemon cucumbers and yellow beets, although it's mostly standard -- organically grown -- vegetables.

They're selling melons and tomatoes from the Eastern Shore, and they're saying that their own tomatoes are just a few more days away.  Pole beans after that.  I'm also looking forward to some sweet peppers.  I walked away with a bag off vegetables -- including a dozen ears of "day old" corn that made corn and sausage risotto and still filled half of my grill.

Lydia and Dave Liker are in their second year leasing the farm on Gorman Road -- just a yellow beet's throw from Columbia and Rte 29.  As I have said before, if you read a Howard County food blog, then you should go check out the local vegetables at Gorman.  (Although watch the cost.  My $2 fennel was so small that it chopped into four pieces.  Good flavor, but tiny.)

This is a rough year to grow vegetables.  I know from my own parched patch, along with my CSA, which has been mostly greens and lettuce.  Gorman's strawberries were a fun way to start the year, and I love that they're selling the first batches of honey from their own bee hives for $8 a pound.  I'll keep an eye out for more interesting buys in the weeks ahead.

Gorman Produce Farm

11051 Gorman Road

Laurel, MD 20723

301-957-6884

NEAR: This is on Gorman Road east of Rte 29 and west of U.S. 1. This is south of Rte 32, just minutes south of Columbia and almost walking distance from King's Contrivance.

From Broken Land Parkway, take Broken Land south of Rte 32 until it deadends. Turn left and then right on Murray Hill Road. Take that until it deadends into Gorman Road. Turn right on Gorman. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.

From Rte 29, take the exit for Johns Hopkins Road, which is also marked for Gorman. Turn left at the top of the ramp and go through the next traffic circle. The road changes name to Gorman, and you just drive until you see the farm's sign on the right at a point where the road bends to the left.

From U.S. 1, go west at the light for Gorman Road. You'll pass the Savage library. Gorman Road actually turns right. The "straight ahead" changes name to Skylark Boulevard as you enter a housing development. After you turn right to "stay" on Gorman, the road curves and curves. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.

Pick-Your-Own Strawberries At Gorman Farm

Gorman Farm in Laurel has brought pick-your-own strawberries almost to your doorstep, so you need to step out soon -- especially if you have a toddler in tow.

The champion pick-your-own remains Larriland Farm in Woodbine where you can pick strawberries now and go deep through the summer with berries, apples and pumpkins.  But you can be in Gorman Farm's strawberry fields in minutes from anywhere in Columbia or south of Rte 100.

It was even faster for me.  I got an email from Hungry Bob Saturday morning and ate Gorman strawberries for lunch.  I admit that I didn't pick them.  Gorman's pricing meant that I could buy two pints for $10 -- the same price it cost to pick two of my own.  With other errands and no toddler, I bought my fruit and left.  But the field was full of people walking around with little kids.  Gorgeous sunlight. Wide rows with small bushes. People were clearly having fun, and I was chuckling at memories of Kevin's post last summer about the child swap meet that he found in the pick-your-own fields.

The berries are delicious.  Some candy sweet.  Most tasting more of strawberry than sugar.  They're red to the core and juicy in a way that surprised me after buying so many supermarket bunches.  The folks at Gorman thought they would have berries for maybe two more weeks.  They also run a CSA and a vegetable stand.

My one disappointment remains that Gorman works best if you don't work in an office.  Strawberry picking is 10-4 Wednesday to Saturday.  I forgot to ask if they're doing any other pick-your-own this summer.  If you want more time in the fields, click here for all the posts about Larriland.

Gorman Produce Farm

10151 Gorman Road

Laurel, MD 20723

301-957-6884

NEAR: This is on Gorman Road east of Rte 29 and west of U.S. 1. This is south of Rte 32, just minutes south of Columbia and almost walking distance from King's Contrivance.  (Update:  I fixed the address above.  Thanks, Cathy!)

Gorman Farm CSA Accepting 2010 Applications

If you want to eat local vegetables all summer, you should submit your application for the Gorman Farm CSA program for 2010.  You can get the form on the Gorman Web site.

I will try to update my 2009 post about community supported agriculture in Howard County to add information about the Shaw Farm CSA.  I love the CSA idea, but I can't make Gorman's rules -- which will require a pickup between 2 and 6 pm on either Thursday or Friday.  They'll assign your day.  Hope that's convenient for you.  Unfortunately, I never get home before 6 pm.  I guess I'm stuck with pesticides.

Thanks to Kiki for the Gorman tip.  If you are flexible enough for Gorman to assign you a day, check out my post about Vegetable Shopping in Howard County or my posts about the local farmers markets.

Gorman Produce Farm Update

I was a little early last month to write about the Gorman Produce Farm, but they're up and organized now.

You need to check out this Laurel farm stand if you're interested in good vegetables. Lydia and Dave Liker have leased the farm on Gorman Road, and they sell produce just in from the field. I stopped by Tuesday and picked up two kinds of squash and some nice sweet peppers. The tomatoes look gorgeous, but my entire crop ripened in the past week so I'm designing every menu around home-grown.

The Gorman Produce Farm sells to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday and Saturdays, according to the woman who helped me Tuesday. They're open until about 5:30 or 6 pm, but be patient because it's a family farm not a supermarket. Just look for the sign on Gorman Road a few miles east of Rte 29. It says "open" or "closed." Right now, they have onions, squash, several tomato varieties, melons, and eggplant. Last weekend, Bets found the lemon cucumbers pictured above and posted a bunch of photos. (Thanks Bets!!) The Gorman fields are filled with an array of produce that should run into the fall -- cauliflower, fennel, lettuces, and more.

Much of the Liker's produce goes out through their "community supported agriculture" program where people paid $550 for weekly boxes of vegetables from June through October. But they sell everything else to the public.

Gorman Produce Farm

11051 Gorman Road

Laurel, MD 20723

301-957-6884

NEAR: This is on Gorman Road east of Rte 29 and west of U.S. 1. This is south of Rte 32, just minutes south of Columbia and almost walking distance from King's Contrivance.

From Broken Land Parkway, take Broken Land south of Rte 32 until it deadends. Turn left and then right on Murray Hill Road. Take that until it deadends into Gorman Road. Turn right on Gorman. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.

From Rte 29, take the exit for Johns Hopkins Road, which is also marked for Gorman. Turn left at the top of the ramp and go through the next traffic circle. The road changes name to Gorman, and you just drive until you see the farm's sign on the right at a point where the road bends to the left.

From U.S. 1, go west at the light for Gorman Road. You'll pass the Savage library. Gorman Road actually turns right. The "straight ahead" changes name to Skylark Boulevard as you enter a housing development. After you turn right to "stay" on Gorman, the road curves and curves. You'll see the farm's sign on the left just before a point where the road bends to the right.