Baltimore Late Summer Produce Guide

Grocery stores are a quick and convenient place to pick up your fruits and vegetables, but there is a cost to pay for the convenience. The produce found at large grocery stores tends to contain chemicals to preserve them and make them appear larger and more attractive. For fresher, healthier food, the best eating can be found at your local farmers' market. In addition to the health aspect, buying at a farmers' market supports local farmers and commerce. When you head on down to any of the following locations and buy your healthy food from a local farmer, it's a win for everybody.

Towson Farmers' Market
17 Allegheny Ave.
Baltimore, Md. 21204
(410) 825-1144
www.facebook.com/Towson-Farmers-Market

The Towson Farmers' Market is a large spread that features a strong mix of products and vendors. The late summer months is the peak season, and the market will be bursting with all manner of fruits, vegetables, meats, herbs and more. While practically every fruit imaginable will be available for purchase, the adventurous shopper should try the nectarines and the less well-known, but plump and delicious gooseberries. While there, be sure to check out Gunpowder Farms and its flavorful stock of foods, including watercress, potatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. New this year, the Baltimore Barbecue Company will be selling its tangy and delicious home-made barbecue sauces. A staple of the market is Springfield Farm, which sells its home-fed meats, including poultry, pork and lamb. Finally, enjoy dessert courtesy of the Prigel Family Creamery with its creamy, delicious, hand-made ice-cream.

Boordy Vineyards
12820 Long Green Pike
Hydes, Md. 21082
(410) 592-5015
www.boordy.com

Summer is a fine time for wines, and Boordy Vineyards delivers the goods. Grape harvest season is in September, but the Boordy has saved its best for last. Come down to the market on Thursdays and enjoy a fine pinot grigio or a dry rossi; both at their best in the late summer. Also, Boordy will be offering its first release of the 2012 estate reds this summer, which are a cabernet franc, and aged to perfection. One of the largest and most well-respected vineyards in Maryland, Boordy is listed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture as one of the finest farmers' markets in the Baltimore area.

Reisterstown Farmers' Market
360 Main St.
Reisterstown, Md. 21136
(443) 841-8700
www.facebook.com/ReisterstownFarmersMarket

Reisterstown Farmers' Market is a smaller affair, not as crowded or bustling as some of the larger markets in Maryland. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in variety. During the late summer, come down for the sweet corn and beefy tomatoes, or the baked products and fish. Stop at the meats and egg vendor, and be sure to swing by Everblossom Farm's booth to check out its spectrum of produce, including hearty potatoes and a potent mixture of flavorful herbs. While there, you don't want to miss Bigdean Gheory, the Soup Lady. Making shelves and shelves of various soups, stay and try a bowl at the market to feel the warm, filling appeal of her sample of flavors. If you like it, grab a few jars and take them home. Autumn is on its way, and the soup will welcome in the season with perfect appeal.

Related: Local Markets To Buy Organic Foods In Baltimore

Park Heights Community Farmers' Market
Pimlico Race Track
5201 Park Heights Ave.
Baltimore, Md. 21215
(410) 542-8190
www.phcha.org/farmersmarket.php

Park Heights Community Farmers' Market is composed of the offerings of five to six local growers from small family farms in the Baltimore area. Come down in the peak season on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and enjoy down-home clusters of tomatoes, beans, squash and zucchinis, to name but a few. Or visit the fruit vendor hailing from Gettysburg, who ships in crates of juicy, seasonal apples, peaches, pears and a variety of plums. The Park Heights Market may not be crammed to the gills with farmers' booths, but this allows each of the local farms to expand their booths and really show off the bounty of their hard summer labor. You'll enjoy it, too.

Village of Cross Keys Farmers' Market
5100 Falls Road
Baltimore, Md. 21210
(410) 592-6095
www.local-farmers-markets.com/village-cross-keys-farmers-market

The Village of Cross Keys Farmers' Market looks at the July/August months as its peak season for produce. This summer, it will be featuring all of the pre-fall flavors, which include a strong variety of tomatoes, Silver King sweet corn, cantaloupe, squash, green beans and peaches. If you come in around mid-August, you can also enjoy the giant, flavorful watermelons. The standout stand of this market is the one run by the Burton family of Greenwood Farms. This versatile family of farmers has been serving up the goods for five generations. Specializing in the fruit and vegetable aspect of the fair, the Burtons are farmers outstanding in their field.

Related: Five Vegetables That Grow Really Well In Baltimore

Joel Furches is a freelance writer and researcher for The Examiner and Logos Software, and also manages his own catalog of writing on Hub Pages. Joel is on the board of directors for Ratio Christi. He has a bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Education.