At peak right now: Asparagus, Ramps, Radishes. Head to a farmers market or your CSA to find them fresh.
Asparagus shows up at Maryland farm stands sometime in the last week of April, depending on the year and the farm, and for a few weeks it's the thing worth going out of your way for. Spears cut that morning are firm enough to snap when you bend them, and the tips are tight and dry. Leave them a few days and the tips start to loosen and go a little slimy, the stalks soften, and the flavor turns grassy in the wrong direction. The asparagus you find at a chain grocery store was likely harvested in Peru or Mexico, packed, flown or trucked north, and then held in a case for several more days. By the time you get it home it's already halfway to rope. What you're buying at South Mountain Creamery's market stand or from a table at Waverly in Baltimore is a completely different vegetable in terms of texture and sweetness.
The reason asparagus season is short has to do with how the plant works. In late April the crown pushes spears up through the soil and you cut them, but if you cut every spear that emerges, you exhaust the root system. Farmers let some spears go to fern, which builds the carbohydrate reserves that carry the plant through winter and fuel next year's harvest. So the season runs through May, sometimes into early June in a cool year, and then it's over. You're not getting Maryland asparagus in July from anybody growing it honestly.
The perennial nature of the crop is what makes it a serious investment. You plant crowns and then you wait. The first year you don't harvest at all, the second year maybe a light cut for a week or two, and only in the third or fourth year do you take a full harvest. A farmer who put in a new asparagus bed last spring isn't seeing returns until the spring of 2027 at the earliest. Farmers who have been running the same beds for fifteen or twenty years are sitting on something that took patience to build and that they're not going to plow under lightly.
On the question of fat versus thin spears: thickness is a variety trait and a function of crown age and density, not a sign of quality in either direction. Jersey Knight and Jersey Supreme, two varieties common in Maryland, tend to throw thicker spears from mature crowns. A pencil-thin spear from a stressed or young plant is no more tender than a thick one from a well-established bed. When you're cooking them, a fat spear roasted at high heat in a cast iron pan with some olive oil and salt will have a slightly crisp exterior and a tender but not mushy center. A thin spear cooks faster and works better when you want to shave it raw over something. Neither is wrong, they're just doing different things, and the only question worth asking at the market is when they were cut.
A few producers worth knowing about this week.
Produce farmer selling at the following farmers markets: – Howard County Ellicott City – Howard County Glenwood
Red Wiggler Care Farm in Germantown has been growing vegetables and community in Montgomery County for years, built around a model that puts adults with disabilities at the center of the work. Their CSA program connects subscribers directly to that mission, and the farm also welcomes volunteers looking to learn sustainable agriculture or earn service-learning hours. If you want your farm share to mean something beyond the produce itself, Red Wiggler is a good place to look.
East Rivendell Farm in Damascus has joined forces with Love & Grit Farm and Giovanni's Organic Farm to launch the Three Farmers CSA for 2025, pooling the strengths of three Montgomery County operations under one program. Organized around genuine cooperation between Sharon Fraley, Steve Mullinix, and Philip Barrows, the CSA also offers organic eggs and goat milk soap from the Damascus property on Clarksburg Road. If you want a share rooted in actual farm relationships rather than a single operation's constraints, this one is worth a look.
Through the Forest Farm tends about half an acre of fruits, vegetables, and cut flowers in Clarksville, and their CSA program is how most members get to know them. The 2026 season runs a bit longer than last year, with the Spring CSA kicking off March 28 and transitioning to the Summer share on May 23 , earlier on both ends. Signing up now locks in your spot and helps the farm plan seed and supply orders ahead of the growing season.
Ritter Farm in Sykesville raises a notably diverse lineup of pasture-raised, non-GMO meats, including Berkshire pork, Blackbelly lamb, and grass-fed and finished Black Angus beef alongside chicken, duck, quail, turkey, and eggs. The farm sells direct through their online shop, making it straightforward to order cuts like lamb chops, pork shoulders, and beef steaks from a single Howard County source. If you have been looking for heritage and specialty breeds raised close to home, this is a farm worth bookmarking.
Westpointe Crab House has been holding it down for blue crab lovers in Frederick County, offering steamed crabs by the bushel along with shrimp and seafood platters for carryout on West Patrick Street. Hours run Tuesday through Sunday, which means weekend crab pickings are well covered. For inland Maryland, it's a reliable spot to get your seafood fix without heading to the Shore.
Clear Spring Creamery in Washington County raises grass-fed cows and turns that milk into creamline bottles, yogurt, and cheese that have earned a devoted following at DC-area farmers markets, including Arlington and Dupont Circle. Customers describe the milk as unusually rich and creamy, and the chocolate milk in particular draws repeat visits. If you haven't tried creamline milk before, this is a good place to start.
Rocklands Farm Winery in Montgomery County raises grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, pigs, and lamb alongside free-range eggs and organic produce, making their Saturday farm market a genuine one-stop source for pasture-raised food. Buying directly at the farm means you can ask the farmers how the animals are raised and see the land for yourself. If you haven't made the trip out on a Saturday morning yet, it's an easy habit to build.
Visit website →Tucked into the rolling hills of Pylesville in northern Harford County, Fiore Winery brings an Italian family sensibility to Maryland-grown wine. The family-owned operation runs a vineyard, winery, and distillery all on the same property, with a tasting room open seven days a week. Tuesday tastings offer $3 pours and a senior discount for guests 60 and older, making it a low-key, welcoming stop for anyone exploring the back roads of upper Harford.
Boordy Vineyards has been rooted in the Baltimore County countryside since 1945, making it Maryland's oldest family-run winery and one of the more reliable anchors of the state's wine scene. The R.B. Deford family farms 230 acres along Long Green Pike in Hydes, and eight decades of working the same land shows in wines that the International Wine Review has called among the strongest examples of East Coast quality. If you haven't visited the farm itself, it's a worthwhile afternoon.
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