Abberly Crest Blog

An old farm will once again be the site of local produce soon, in Lexington Park, MD. This is great news for the neighborhoods and communities around South Maryland.

A new farmers market is being constructed at the 108-acre property at Forest Park Road and Route 235 just south of Patuxent River Naval Air Station and it should be open by the Fourth of July.

County government bought the land in September 2006 with the aim of preserving the land and to start a farmers market, five lots were also donated to Patuxent Habitat for Humanity.

The farmers market project is a collaboration between county government and the Home Grown Farm Market, a group of seven local farmers. However, no farmers have signed up yet to actually sell produce at the market; the group is awaiting its opening.

The market will be housed in a 50-by-100-foot barn, and the goal is to eventually keep it open all year instead of just the growing season.

The market will have electricity, but not running water. The project used $428,000 of cigarette lawsuit settlement money, and most of the dollars went to site plan work.

It will be a producer market, meaning that whatever is sold there has to be grown on the seller's own farm. All farmers in Southern Maryland are invited to sell there. There will be room for between 10 and 15 sellers within the barn.

The location of the market is ideal for the workers at Pax River who use Gate 3, which exits onto Forest Park Road.
The market is "an incubator for farmers," and "it's going to take some time to grow and build."

Original article by By Jason Babcock of SoMdnews.com