Fresh From the Farm

Reviews of Regional Farmers Markets

Archwood Green Barns Farmers Market

Route 245 and I-66 (Exit 31), The Plains, Va.
Contact: Becky Brothers, 540-253-5289
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, April 30-Oct. 29

Just off Exit 31 of Interstate 66 is Archwood Green Barns, a restored horse barn that houses upward of a dozen vendors. It is a producer-only market, so everything here has been home-grown, hand-made or both. Oddly enough, there is not much produce at Archwood, especially early in the season, but there are plenty of other attractions that make it distinctive.

In 2006, Dennis Bennett, of BSE Bonsai, is in his second season at Archwood. He sells bonsais ($25-$50) and offers a 90-minute class on the last Sunday of every month. For $50 Bennett provides instruction on development, care and maintenance of bonsais and furnishes all the necessary supplies, including a ceramic pot and, of course, a tree.

Teresa and Carl Persons own Hidden View Alpaca Farm. They bring alpacas to Archwood, sheer them and explain the process of spinning the wool into yarn. Labels on the skeins of alpaca include a picture identifying the animals that provided the wool. Rosalie Persons, Carl's mother, knits scarves and sweaters from the wool. Hidden View sells egg noodles, sweet breads, and, when the fruit comes in, pies and cobblers.

James and Mary Hill of Van der Woude Hill Farm in Catlett, Va., sell eggs, honey produced in 10 hives and wool shorn from the Cotswold sheep and Nubian goats they raise. Tastes of unpasteurized goat cheese are given away while the Hills do legal battle with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; customers can also buy "shares" in the goat herd.

In an interesting demonstration of niche marketing, Lydia Dall of Tanglewood Farm in Delaplane, Va., offers all-natural soaps and pet treats. "I make the animal treats from human-grade materials and bake them twice, like biscotti, so they don't mold," she explains, then adds, "They are so good that some people eat them before they get home."

If dog biscuits aren't to your liking, try some smoked trout or a BBQ sandwich from Stan Edmister of Midtrees Farm, who also sells steaks from the grass-fed, preservative- and chemical-free Angus beef he raises "in a vain attempt to generate enough funds to pay my property tax."

Other Archwood vendors include Golden Owl Herb Farm, The Orchid Station, the Garden of Eve (herbal teas and lotions), and local bakers.

C. Hess Produce and Orchards vends local fruits and vegetables in season, including corn, heirloom tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peaches, potatoes and melons.

Bowie Farmers Market

15200 Annapolis Rd., Bowie, Md.
Contact: Charlene Dilworth, 410-482-6123
8 a.m.-noon Sundays, May 21-Oct. 29