Gorman Produce Farm

I hate to be the naysayer when, clearly, so many people love this place. However, my experience has not been so great. The good: the vegetables are fresh, organically grown, and delicious. No issues there. My issue is with the cost vs value. For the money I’m spending, I get to bring home a fairly paltry amount of veggies every week. I have many friends who belong to other CSA’s and whose weekly haul (even if they have a half-​share) is two large paper grocery bags full of vegetables. I bring home 5 or 6 tiny bunches. My husband and I have cut back considerably on our vegetable consumption since we joined this CSA because its just not very much and, with the money we’re spending, we vowed not to buy extra veggies at the grocery store, so we’re stuck with what we get. We’re seven weeks into the season, and I’ve kept track of everything. So far we’ve paid an average of $ 5.00 per item. And very frequently, an «item» is pretty tiny, e.g. a small bunch of scallions or two onions ($ 2.50 per onion… really???). I think the farmer oversold the shares. Our weekly share is eaten up in about 3 or 4 days. I won’t do this again next year.

CSA is nice here.
We like to load up on their raw local honey. Pricey but trustworthy. It’s from their farm.

This review is for the pick-​your-​own strawberries part of the farm. I am always looking for fun activities to do with my toddler, and Gorman’s was our first try at berry picking together. What a great place! Not only is its Laurel location more convenient for urbanites than most farms, but the whole farm is organic. This is REALLY hard to find when it comes to berries, and important if you expect your kids to be eating a berry or two off the plant.
We went at the end of a three-​day weekend, knowing from the farm’s hotline that berry availability was only «fair.» We were surprised by the abundance of berries! My 18-​month-​old wasted no time getting to work in the field. After filling our (free) baskets and buying our berries, we hung out with other kids watching a crate full of chicks and playing on toy tractors. The farm staff were friendly and able to answer kids’ questions about the farm. Oh, and the berries? Delicious. We will definitely head back before the season ends!

I am SO VERY PLEASED with my CSA and have been for 2 years! The food at Gorman is grown according to organic principles and is so lovely. It feels incredibly pastoral to drive down the long dirt driveway to the barn where I pick up my food and say hello to my farmer. There is a real sense of community in this CSA because of the beautiful newsletters the farmers put out each week. The newsletters are chock full of sights into the growing season, progress at the farm, and recipe ideas.
Last year my husband and I had a full share to ourselves and were overwhelmed by the amount of food we got, in spite of switching to a plant-​based diet for the growing season. This year we’re sharing the full share with a friend and her SO, and it is just the right amount of food for the week.
In the early summer there are luscious leafy green! By high summer the share transitions to peppers, tomatoes, and melons. In the fall shares include root vegetables, broccoli/​cauliflower, and leafy greens again. Everything is extremely fresh.
Yes, I am extremely smug over the quality and value of my CSA. So SMUG.
Helpful hint: CSA members get 10% off of extra produce from the farm stand.
BONUS Points: Love birds pies and cookies from the stand are SO GOOD.

I LOVE this farm! As a CSA member I get to pick up beautiful fresh produce weekly. The quality of the produce is always top notch. There is a lot of variety in the CSA and just a half share keeps my family in business for a week.
The farm stand offers the same great produce and other local goodies like pasta, pies, apple cider, honey, and even eggs to name a few.
There are lots of friendly staff who are happy to introduce you to the less familiar produce items and can even offer cooking tips and recipes. Everyone has been knowledgable, helpful and checking out is always fast.
I think with the CSA pricing you are getting a better deal than if you bought the same quantity of similar produce from the grocery. The farm stand pricing is competitive with any organic grocer or local farm market. I look forward to picking up my produce every Wednesday and will be so heartbroken when it stops mid November. Did I mention the quality of the produce is excellent? Until next year…

If you live near Laurel, Columbia or Savage (or commute up Rte 29 into Howard County), then you should buy vegetables at Gorman Produce Farm as soon as you have a free afternoon.
You’re interested enough to read a Web site about food? Go buy from people growing food in Howard County at the newly-​rejuvinated farm between Rte 29 and U.S. 1.
(UPDATE: My friend went today, and someone at the farm said they’re not open for business yet. Definitely call ahead if you’re going to drive a long way.)
Lydia and Dave Liker have leased the farm on Gorman Road, and they sell produce just in from the field. This is about a mile south of the Harris Teeter in King’s Contrivance. Much of the Liker’s produce goes out through their «community supported agriculture» program where people paid $ 550 for weekly boxes of vegetables from June through October. But you can pick up fresh vegetables by stopping at the farm and buying from the Likers — or from Dave’s father, who helped me buy on Saturday.
I saw a new sign for the Gorman Produce Farm on my way to the Savage library. The sign doesn’t really say that you can buy vegetables there, but I drove down a gravel road to the signs that say «park here» and «produce here.» Inside a building were plastic tubs and boxes full of vegetables — squash, basil, cabbage, green beans, eggplants, chard, and on and on. I broke out my «emergency» $ 20 bill, and I bought carrots, kohlrabi, squash and lettuce. They’re beautiful and delicious.
The vegetables are not certified organic, but the Likers say on their Web site that they grow everything according to organic principles. That works for me because I’m skeptical of government «organic» labels — just like I’m skeptical about the government labels for «local» produce. Why not believe a farm where you can look around yourself?
You can meet the farmers most days until about 6 pm. The CSA pick-​up is Thursday, and they say people can pick up until 6 pm. Dave Liker said that the gates on Gorman close when they’re closed for the day. His father pointed out that it’s a working farm, so there are times when people drive up and the Likers are too busy working to make a sale.
Gorman’s prices seem about what you pay at the Howard County farmers markets. Tomatoes should ripen in a week or so. Corn is on the way. The fields are just going to deliver more and more through the end of the summer.