Columbia, MD (May 19, 2010) - Strawberry and spinach season kicks off this week at two local Howard County farms, Larriland Farm and Triadelphia Lake View Farm. Enjoy a day at the farms with the family, and pick your own produce.

Offering pick-your-own strawberries and spinach, Larriland Farm is three miles south of I-70, on route 94 in rural Woodbine, Maryland.

Larriland Farm offers people of all ages a chance to begin their summer season by picking their own fresh strawberries and spinach straight from the fields. This year, Larriland is offering a bountiful four varieties of strawberries so that its visitors may pick for approximately four weeks:

- Northeaster - early June
- Cavendish - mid June
- Darselect - early June
- Ovation - mid June

Larriland also offers pick-your-own vegetables all year round. They will offer two different crops for the season, spinach and beets. Spinach will be offered in early June, and again in October. They also seasonally offer cantaloupes, tomatoes, sweet corn, pumpkins, and broccoli.

Triadelphia Lake View Farm, located on Triadelphia Mill Road in Glenelg, is new to offering fresh-from-the-farm strawberries at their farm stand. 2010 will be their second year providing two different types of strawberries:

- Chandler
- All-Star

Both types will be offered starting this Thursday, and lasting for two or three weeks. Triadelphia Lake View Farm also offers fresh produce at the Oakland Mills Farmers’ Market including, strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, and onions.

Because of the unseasonably warm weather, both farms have found that strawberries are ripening sporadically, so they recommend that all visitors call ahead of time or check crop recordings before coming to pick-your-own produce.

In addition to Larriland Farm and Triadelphia Lake View Farm, fresh, locally-grown strawberries and spinach may be found at the five Howard County Farmers’ Markets, offered by the Howard County Economic Development Authority’s Agricultural Marketing Program, as well as, local roadside stands.

Try these mouth-watering strawberry and spinach salads with your local produce. Option 1 and Option 2. Larriland Farm offers a variety of scrumptious strawberry recipe options on their website, as well as, two strawberry and spinach salad options.

About Larriland Farm: Larriland Farm, family-owned and operated by the Moore family since 1973, is a pick-your-own farm. Today, Larriland produces an array of fruit and vegetables: strawberries, tart cherries, sweet cherries, black raspberries, red raspberries, purple raspberries, blueberries, thornless blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apples, spinach, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, and pumpkins. In addition to pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, Larriland has an on-site farm market. For more information about Larriland Farm, please call 410-442-2605 (Baltimore) or 301-854-6110 (Washington), or visit www.pickyourown.com.

About Triadelphia Lake View Farm: Triadelphia Lake View Farm has been family owned and operated since 1896 by the Brown family. Triadelphia Lake View Farm works to provide cut your own Christmas trees and fresh-from-the-farm products. New to Triadelphia Lake View Farm, starting in Summer 2009, are the two varieties of strawberries available from the on-farm stand. Along with cut your own Christmas trees and farm fresh strawberries, Triadelphia Lake View Farm offers acres of pick-your-own pumpkin patches in the fall months. For more information about Triadelphia Lake View Farm, please call 410-489-4460 or visit their website at www.tlvtreefarm.com.

About Howard County’s Agricultural Marketing Program: The Howard County Economic Development Authority’s Agricultural Marketing Program supports the development of a variety of agricultural businesses in the county. Working in partnership with state and local agencies, such as Farmland Preservation, the Authority provides assistance in promoting products, diversifying activities, and expanding markets for agri-business. Seminars in agricultural sales and marketing and farm financial management help producers enhance the economic viability of their farming operations.

The Howard County Economic Development Authority is a public-private partnership whose primary goal is to promote growth and stability by supporting existing businesses, targeting new businesses, and attracting corporate/regional headquarters. The Authority also maintains several programs aimed at the special needs of small, minority-owned, and agricultural business communities. Additionally, the Authority strives to preserve the distinctive quality of life in Howard County. The Authority can be reached on the Web at http://www.hceda.org. 
 

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