Thursday, October 4, 2012

Local Produce and Frostburg Farmers' Market

by Skye Pinney

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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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