Here we are at the tail end of the summer, and you've made it to the farmers' market every Saturday morning since May. You wake up early and ride your bike to the market, taking along your reusable bags and fighting the crowds for the ripest cantaloupe and premium organic sorbet.
Good for you! We slept in and then went to the pool for the day.
However, our consciences are clear, because South Mountain Creamery delivers local dairy products right to our doors.
The Creamery (8305 Bolivar Road, Middletown, Md.) is a Frederick County-based family farm that's been owned and run by Randy and Karen Sowers since 1981.
The farm, which started off delivering milk to 13 customers from the back of a Ford Explorer, now boasts more than 3,000 customers spanning the D-M-V area, plus West Virginia.
They distribute other local farm products as well. Beyond milk and eggs, you can also get prepared meals from a private chef, locally roasted coffees and teas, beautiful cuts of locally raised, pasture-fed meat, and small-batch jams and jellies.
(And if you haven't been getting up early for those farmers' markets, well, it's time to grow up and swap those Lean Cuisines and Diet Cokes for real food already.)
Although the farm isn't certified organic, South Mountain Creamery uses many of the same techniques. They skip growth hormones, unnecessary antibiotics and pesticides. So the butter must be OK to ingest in bulk. It's practically a health food, right?
The Sowers welcome visitors to their farm daily. If you're ever in the mood to bottlefeed a calf (and why wouldn't you be?), head to the barn at 4 p.m. to lend a hand.
You can sign up for home delivery and get more info at their Web site.
Store and Farm Hours:
Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun. 12-6 p.m.
