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County farm spans nine generations By KENNETH R. FLETCHER For The Capital As the sun sank in the western sky Monday evening, a pink glow hung over the blue waters of the Rhode River in Harwood. Temperatures were plummeting well below the freezing mark and forecast to go down to the single digits in south county. Under the cover of unheated plastic greenhouses, rows of hardy winter crops destined for Anne Arundel County dinner tables were being put to the test. At Ivy Neck Farm, Sara Colhoun is trying something new this winter. She is growing crops throughout the year - even during the coldest months - on her family's farm to supply locals with fresh organic produce that otherwise would only be available to county residents during the warmer seasons. Ms. Colhoun is supplying subscribers to Ivy Brand Community-Supported Agriculture with a weekly box of fresh produce from her farm. Available year-round for the first time, 24 local families are using the service. The subscribers, whose numbers swell to 78 families in the summer, can choose between a three-quarter bushel box for $30 a week or a box a little over a bushel for $45 a week As methods are perfected, Ms. Colhoun also hopes to open the farm to visiting school groups in order to educate local children on agricultural practices. Underneath three greenhouses ranging between 84 and 96 feet long, Ms. Colh oun, along with three part-time employees, cultivates crops that thrive in cold weather - spinach, kale, mixed greens, radishes and turnips. Inside the greenhouses the temperature, though markedly warmer than the bitter air outside, was still cold Monday evening. Plots of lettuce in mixed hues of green and red were nestled underneath knee-high plastic greenhouses within a larger greenhouse, an added barrier against the cold. Rich purple leaves of beets poked above soil still warm from the day's sun. Ms. Colhoun offered a freshly picked leaf of lemon sorrel to taste its citrus flavor. Though she uses only unheated greenhouses to conserve energy, she hopes to add wood stoves next winter to cope with events like this week's cold snap. Monday evening, Ivy Brand employee Ali Sharp was busy covering crops in the greenhouses with clear plastic and Reemay, a spun polyester cloth used to protect plants from freezing temperatures. "In the wintertime things just grow slower, but they still grow," Ms. Sharp said. Ms. Colhoun is the ninth generation in her family to tend the 152-acre farm located on a spit of land jutting into the Rhode River known as Ivy Neck. Her father, John Colhoun, has worked the farm since the early 1960s and still raises cattle on the land. Ivy Neck was a large tobacco farm until 1968, when cattle became the dominant product. "This is really a very special place," Mr. Colhoun said. Ms. Colhoun was introduced to agriculture at an early age. She remembered driving a big tractor when she was just 8 years old. "Once you do that, you feel like you can do anything," she said. At 10, she started learning the business side of farming. Her father let her keep the profits from asparagus she was able to harvest and sell herself. Working after school and on weekends cutting asparagus, Ms. Colhoun was hooked on farming and being her own boss. In 1998, Ms. Colhoun started selling herbs to Fresh Fields and to area restaurants. She has been growing other crops and using greenhouses since 2004, though this is the first winter she has been growing in January and February. Farming, especially in the winter, is "a lot of work," Ms. Colhoun said, because of "all the unexpected things that come up." She lists weather as a primary concern. During cold snaps the crops grow slowly and the boxes subscribers receive are less full. "Not everyone has been satisfied," Ms. Colhoun said, noting that even in the summer, weather is an issue. Last June, heavy rain caused some of her crops to rot. Ms. Colhoun explained that subscribers to her farm are believers in community-supported agriculture. This movement seek s to eliminate the energy used to transport food across the country and to support small farms by promoting fresh, local produce. Those who subscribe to Ivy Brand are investing in the farm to get their share of the harvest. In a bountiful week they get more produce, in a bad week they receive less. "It gives people a connection to the farm," Ms. Colhoun said. "It's nice to have a group of people that believe in the farm and care about what you're doing." |