AROUND THE PARK AGAIN By Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Fishpaws Marketplace
Bustling doesn’t begin to describe the Severna Park Farmer’s Market on a late August Saturday morning. Customers were scattered throughout the market, many carrying canvas totes filled with their purchases.
Having gone from one end of the market to the other, Gina Huth stopped to buy a melon from Pat Hochsmuth of Pat’s Produce and Gourds. She was holding a beautiful bouquet from Joyce’s Flowers. It was the very last of grower Joyce Martinek’s bouquets from a table that been overflowing with flowers and herbs.
Huth and her daughter Hannah were curious about a new crop Hochsmuth added to the produce he grows and sells. The Eastern Shore farmer explained that the green and wine-colored pods were okra – an ingredient traditionally used in Southern recipes like seafood gumbos. It can also be dredged in flour or cornmeal and fried.
Located at the opposite end of the farmer’s market but easily identifiable by its green and white checked tablecloths, Zahradka’s Farm Stand was completely sold out of several fruits and vegetables, creating empty spaces on the tables with an hour still to go.
As usual, sweet corn went fast as did some of the greens and only half the watermelons and blueberries remained. Still, the stand was constantly busy as customers kept on coming.
Several stands down from Zahradka’s, Martinek had now sold every plant, bunch of herbs and bouquets she’d brought with her leaving Joyce’s Flowers with an empty table.
Nevertheless, Martinek, a vendor at the market for more than twenty years, lingered to chat with fellow vendors and several of her regular customers. Having raised flowers and herbs for decades on her acreage in Elmhurst off Quarterfield Road, she noted that 2022 has been a challenging growing season. Fortunately, she managed to outsmart the weather.
Nearby, another popular vendor, Vera’s Original Bakery was nearly out of the biscotti, scones, pastries, breads and empanadas they are renowned for. Nowadays, baker Nicholas Port runs the family business started as Grandma Vera’s restaurant in Severna Park in the 1990’s. Though relocated to Rockville, many of the recipes the bakery uses for its tastiest breads and pastries are one’s created by Nicholas’ grandma Vera years ago.
Next to Vera’s, local beekeepers Frank Sullivan and Susan Giraldi had a small but impressive selection of pure honey from two primary sources. Valentine Creek Honey comes from hives along Valentine Creek in Crownsville and is harvested in the spring.
Chester River Honey comes from a property along the Chester River in Kent County and is harvested in both the spring and fall. The couple belongs to the Maryland State Beekeepers Association.
As crowds ebbed and flowed through the marketplace, they occasionally found the path cleared ahead of them by St. Barnard’s Bella and Riley who, more often than not, led their owners in whatever direction they wished to go at quite a clip.
Bella, who is five, and Riley, who is seven, are both Certified Therapy Dogs with a group called Fidos for Freedom that visits children’s hospitals among other places. According to owner Heather Schimpf, they love people and like being petted and fussed over.
Interestingly, Saturday morning’s Severna Park Farmer’s Market shoppers were treated to an impromptu performance gratis by a group called The Overtones with Jane Storey on banjo, Jan Scopel on guitar and Joanne Murphy on hammer dulcimer.
Opposite the musicians, shoppers could browse an extensive selection of candles from Evie & Park at one end of a double tent or stop for some cotton candy or a cool lemonade at the other end. Evie & Park owner Chris Gibbs said the lemonade concession was entirely the idea of his entrepreneurial 12-year-old son Logan.
“We’d started making candles and selling them at the market a year ago,” Gibbs said. “Meantime, Logan’s grandmother gave him a cotton candy machine for Christmas. He suggested we do cotton candy at the farmer’s market because he thought it would sell well. Then he decided to add lemonade and started a business of his own called Astral Sugar. We’ve done pretty well with it.
Moving back through the market, we happened upon the Chesapeake Fiber Crafters tent where crafters Marseille Bunk and Lori Beard were serenely spinning wool next to tables where colorful skeins of yarn shared space with handcrafted sweaters, socks and throws made from it.
Sheila Carroll from Lyon Rum in St. Michaels, Maryland had smiles for everyone as her products always sell well at the Severna Park Farmer’s Market. Carroll explained that Lyon Rum is the flagship spirit of Windon Distillery founded in 2012 by Jamie Windon. The product is made from Louisiana sugar cane in small pot stills with no additives or or preservatives.
“We’ve won Best Craft Rum Distillery for the past two years,” she said. “You can visit our bottle shop in St. Michaels and sample the products.”
Set up in his usual spot at the far end of the market David Haberkorn of Morris Hill Farm saw a lot of traffic for farm-raised bacons, sausages, ham, varied cuts of pork and fresh eggs. Actually, he sold out of eggs early as could be seen by the sign he’d leaned against one of Martinek’s bouquets.
“We do sell to the public year-round from the farm in Tracey’s Landing and we also sell at the Riva Road Farmers Market,” Haberkorn said.
There was more to see. A wide range of wines from regular vendor Whistlestop Winery, a vineyard in Dunkirk, Maryland were available. Mike Smith of Mike’s Knives kept his grinding/sharpening wheel turning non-stop. Anne Arundel County Master Gardners Karen and Marilyn were packing up after spending several hours answering questions about plants and flowers.
Located at the corner of Ritchie Highway and Jones Station Road, the Severna Park Farmer’s Market is open Saturday mornings from 8 am till noon through October 29th. The vendors will be back on December 10th for the annual Christmas Market which is festive and fun. Follow the market’s schedule at Severna Park Farmer’s Market | Facebook.
“Broadway Bonanza to benefit SPAN” opens at Boone Station Hall September 10th
A reminder that “Broadway Bonanza, A Cabaret Performance To Benefit SPAN” created by and starring Severna Park native Laurette Hankins-O’Connel will be held on September 10th at Boone Station Hall at 7 pm.
The show will be similar in format to Hankins-O-Connell’s 2019 “Broadway Goes to the Movies” performance at the same venue which proved quite popular and raised a sizeable financial donation for SPAN. Once again, Hankins-O’Connell will donate 100% of funds raised to SPAN as a way of giving back to the community she grew up in.
20th Anniversary Open House for Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi Sept. 10th
Originally set to hold a 20th anniversary celebration in the fall of 2020, Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi paused the event due to the pandemic. Now, two years later, they are celebrating the event (actually their 22nd anniversary) on September 10 with an open house that will incorporate a ribbon cutting, Chinese Lion Dance, kung fu & tai chi demos, and a “Charity Challenge.” The event will take place from 12:30-3:00pm and includes giveaways, door prizes, face painting and refreshments.
Jing Ying is also offering a variety of free classes in September to celebrate their anniversary. For more information about Jing Ying’s Anniversary event and free classes, visit www.JingYing.org or call 410-431-5200.
A reminder – Woods Church’s Kick-Off Sunday Picnic is Sunday, September 11th
A reminder that Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church’s annual Kick-Off Sunday Picnic will be held following worship services on Sunday, September 11th from 12 noon till 2 pm. As in previous years, the picnic will be held across the church lawn where tables for various ministries will be set up.
There will be entertainment, games and activities for children, an opportunity to explore Wood’s lovely gardens, and boxed lunches for one and all. She added that, as always, congregation members and their friends and neighbors are welcome to attend. For information on the event, visit Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (woodschurch.org).
Around The Park Again is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. which carries fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods. Tastings for wines, beers and liquors are held almost daily and listed at Event Calendar in Arnold, MD 21012 – Fishpaws Marketplace.
