The newest location for the Howard County farmers’ markets just opened at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia on June 4, 2010. Local farmers will provide fresh, locally grown food every Friday in the visitor’s parking lot at the hospital.

On June 2, a farmers’ market opened at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City. With these two new locations, the people of Howard County now have a total of five locations to get fresh food, including fruits, vegetables, and baked goods.

The Howard County Farmers’ Market program is managed by Howard County Economic Development Authority’s Agricultural Marketing Program, whose main goal is to support the local agriculture in Howard County. Each market location is set up on a different day of the week (Wednesday through Sunday) so that no matter where you live in Howard County, a farmers' market is easy to find.

“We’re very happy to have a farmers’ market right on our campus to offer healthy, locally grown farm produce and encourage healthy eating for our employees and the surrounding community,” said Vic Broccolino, the President and CEO of Howard County General Hospital. “This is in line with the other ‘green initiatives’ Howard County General Hospital has been vigorously pursuing and promoting. We’ve signed the nonprofit Health Care without Harm’s ‘Healthy Food Pledge’ and have applied for recognition as a Howard County Healthy Workplace for 2010.”

Linda Brown of TLV Farm in Glenelg is excited about the new locations in Columbia and Ellicott City. “We’re seeing a lot of people that work in the (Columbia) area hospital. They come out during their lunch breaks, which is really nice.” Brown has seen a lot of changes in the demographic of people coming to buy from our farmers' markets, not only due to the recent changes but especially since the first farmers' market opened up in Oakland Mills.

TLV Farm is now participating in a total of three Howard County Farmers’ Market locations, including Oakland Mills, Ellicott City, and Columbia. In Columbia, Brown joins other vendors and Broccolino in providing a healthier lifestyle to more people, which is continually the main goal of both the Howard County General Hospital and the Howard County farmers’ markets.

To find a Howard County farmers' market location near you and to view a vendors list, please click here.