When I told Tom Farquhar where we lived, he said, “you could walk to the farm!” Well, we could if it weren’t so hot (and we weren’t sure we could find the field back behind Lethbridge Court), so we drove there. But we could indeed have walked overland.
Turn off New Hampshire Avenue, seek behind the strip shopping center, beyond the townhouses, to the cul-de-sac lined with expensive homes, named for the erstwhile 300-acre hay, beef and dairy farm that used to be there, then find the driveway that leads to the old barn still standing (newly restored by Mennonite craftsman), and you will find 10 acres farmed by Tom, Mark Mills of Chocolates and Tomatoes Farm, and rows of dryland rice being raised by Nazirahk Amen of Purple Mountain Organics.
Tom is one of the newest farmers selling his produce at the Olney Farmers and Artists Market, and Mark has been with us for a few years now, so this synergy fetched us out to the hyper-local, organic field enclosed by ½ mile of deer fence. We were greeted by Mark and his dog, Crema (is that a cheffy name for a dog, or what?) He was gathering some eggplant for one of his restaurant customers. He called Tom, who was across the road, and he came driving right over in his big farm pickup truck.
Mark Mills with Crema, Out Standing in his Field
Crema Inside the Deer Fence
Buckwheat and McMansions
Tom in His Truck
Tom has had an interesting life. A music major in college, he went on to become headmaster of several private schools in this country and abroad, including Sidwell Friends School. Of course, locals will recognize the name Farquhar as one of the old original families of Sandy Spring. The oldest public middle school in the county is named after William Farquhar.
When it was the Lethbridge Farm, these 10 acres were conventionally farmed. Most recently, though, it has lain fallow for four years, so when the current effort to turn it back into productive farmland began, Tom and the other partners had a jump on the five-year organic certification process. Still, there’s a lot of work involved to raise organic crops.
When they started farming, the field was overgrown with thistles. They plowed the thistles and sowed buckwheat, which grows fast and shades out weeds. Later, it will be turned under to provide a natural soil amendment. Meanwhile, the white flowers attract bees, butterflies and other insects.
Across the road, a smaller plot is being cultivated. Here, Tom showed us the beetles attacking his beans and the ladybugs he uses for defense against those dark forces. I can vouch for the excellence of his tomatoes, corn and squash.
The Garden Plot Across the Road
Farm Workers
Bad Beetles and Good Ladybugs
High Corn
Tom is proud of his prize collection from the Montgomery County Fair. His vegetables took 5 Firsts, 2 Seconds, and one Fifth Place. Who says organic vegetables aren’t pretty?
He is raising a stand of Golden Cross Bantam, an heirloom variety of corn, by request of the members of the Sandy Spring Friends. They want it to make corn pudding, a specialty from the 18th Century. Somewhere in my house I have a reproduction of the corn grater invented in Sandy Spring for just this purpose, along with the historic recipe.
The last stop on the tour was inside the old barn. Tom said there is documentation that dates it to at least 1810.The landowner is using it to display his collection of old tools and other artifacts he finds locally.
Restored Old Barn
Workbench Inside Barn
Arty Shot of Barn Interior
Another Interior, with Artifacts
Come by the Farmers Market and buy some beautiful, local, organic produce! Sandy Spring Gardens is there every other Sunday. See you there!
