FINDING fresh fruits, vegetables

FROM AREA GROWERS

written by ROXANN MILLER

Local growers and markets have been experiencing a busy season.

What started as a backyard hobby on an acre and a half of land has blossomed into more than 300 acres devoted to vegetables for local grower Page Houser. This is the 40th year that Houser’s Produce Farm in Sharpsburg has been in operation.

“I always wanted to farm. I grew up dairy farming, but that wasn’t really an option at the time. Small dairy farming was on its way out when I was getting started,” Houser said. “This was something we could start small and pay our bills. We’ve always tried to grow the freshest, best-quality produce – and things just grew from there.”

He attributes his success to a lot of long hours and hard work.

Houser, the president of Houser’s Produce Farm, runs the operation with the help of his children and up to 40 summertime workers.

“We won’t open until the sweet corn is ready – around the first week of July,” he said.

He’ll stay open six days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31.

White corn is the only kind the farm grows.

“We basically have unlimited sales for the white corn that we grow, so we aren’t interested in growing any other kind. We usually pick between 30,000 and 50,000 ears every morning,” said Houser, who supplies produce to grocery stores in Frostburg, Md., Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.

He said his goal is selling the freshest produce to his customers – whether they’re grocery stores or individuals who stop by his market.

“We are strictly growing our products to sell really fresh. We’re focused on harvesting our crop to get it harvested and sold,” he said.

It’s best to eat sweet corn right after buying it, Houser said, adding that it’s highly perishable.

“Sweet corn rapidly converts from sugar to starch. The fresher it is, the better it’s going to taste,” he said.

Some people store it for several days in the refrigerator and are happy with it, though.

“We pick a lot of corn every day, and our goal is to sell today’s corn today,” he said, recommending that buyers keep the husk on until they’re ready to cook it.

Houser said what sets his farm apart is growing a limited product line.

“We’re a little different than a lot of your roadside markets. We’re primarily a grower. Some of your fruit stands are trying to handle a hundred different products, while we’re focused on the eight or nine we grow,” he said.

In addition to sweet corn, Houser grows green zucchini, yellow zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, green bell peppers, eggplant, cantaloupes, sugar baby watermelons and seedless watermelons.

The biggest customer demands in the summer are corn, cantaloupe and watermelon, he said.

“Produce has a very short shelf life. If it’s coming from California to Hagerstown, it’s going to take a minimum of three days, and quite often, it’s a lot longer than that to get here and get to the shelves. Whereas we are putting produce in the stores within 12 to 18 hours from the time it’s harvested,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that most adults eat at least three cups of fruits and vegetables per day, and fresh is best.

Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, low in calories, and contain numerous vitamins and minerals. There are several ways to creatively include fruits and vegetables in your diet, such as chopping and adding them to pasta sauce, grilling veggie skewers on the barbecue or blending them to make a nutritious smoothie, according to the USDA website, usda.gov.

Buying local

Kenrick Martin and his wife, Lynette, have owned Martin’s Farm Market in Hagerstown since 2015.

“In the summertime, the big thing for us is produce. We pull from a couple of different local growers. Our customers like to buy local because it’s fresher, and it supports the local businesses and the local farmers,” Kenrick Martin said.

Otherwise, when produce, such as strawberries, is shipped from a distance, it is picked when almost green and ripens when it arrives. When customers buy it, the produce is hard and crunchy, not vine-ripened fruit, Martin explained.

In addition to fresh, local produce, Martin’s offers bulk foods, a jar goods section, a deli, dairy products, dried fruit, nuts and more.

July and August – when sweet corn and peaches start to ripen, along with a bumper crop of field tomatoes – are the Martins’ busiest time of year.

He said there’s no need to smell or squeeze the produce because everything is fresh, local and ready to eat.

Berries keep the Martins busy in June.

“As far as volume, we sell a lot of strawberries, blueberries and a lot of raspberries. The berries sell really well here,” he said.

It’s best to eat berries right away, he said.

“Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries don’t have a very long shelf life. Once you get them, it’s best to eat them within a couple of days or put them in the refrigerator,” Martin said.

Since he has access to fresh produce, Martin said his wife cans and freezes it so they can enjoy it during the winter months.

Martin said his wife cans pickles, peaches, pears and applesauce, and freezes blueberries, raspberries and strawberries.

“Storing produce is a personal preference. A lot of people choose to can, while others prefer freezing,” he said.

Martin’s Farm Market in Hagerstown offers fresh, locally grown produce.

PHOTO BY LEAH SHIFFLETT

Safe handling tips

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the following tips for safely handling fruits and vegetables:

• When preparing fresh produce, begin with clean hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.

• Remove any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating.

• Wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent or commercial produce wash is not recommended. Produce is porous. Soap and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables, despite thorough rinsing, and can make you sick. Also, the safety of the residues of commercial produce washes is not known and their effectiveness has not been tested.

• Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting it.

• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.

• After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to further reduce bacteria on the surface.