by Skye Pinney
Paul Rice of Allegany County has been farming for almost his
entire life. He grew up on his father’s farm, Rice’s Orchards, and took over in
1986. Since then he has been selling his produce to five farmers’ markets in
Allegany County, as well as to local wholesalers and restaurants and at his own
farm. On Fridays he sets up a table at the Frostburg farmers’ market, and on
the Friday of September 28th he received a steady flow of
customers. I waited at least ten minutes for Rice to attend to his customers, and
when the line finally slowed down, he greeted me with a smile and gladly talked
with me about his job and produce.
Rice states that diversity is his favorite part of farming;
the variety of the produce and the different management and production schedules
of each fruit and vegetable keep him busy.
When asked why people should buy their produce locally, he
responded simply and assuredly that the food is much fresher that way. The
fresher the produce, the more nutrients the consumer gets; they are not lost
through lengthy transports and days spent on supermarket shelves.
The produce he sells is treated with EPA-approved fungicides
and pesticides, and none of the seeds he uses are genetically modified.
However, the costs of these pesticides add up quickly, and it is his opinion
that produce genetically modified to enhance the plant’s natural toxin would be
preferable for farming as long as it would be safe for the customer to eat.
If you are interested in purchasing your fruit and
vegetables locally, you can visit the Frostburg farmers’ market on Fridays from
9:30am to 1pm. It is located in City Place at the address 14 S. Water Street,
and will be open until the second or third week of October.
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