In conjunction with the state of Maryland, Calvert County will celebrate the bounty of local agricultural products July 20-28 by highlighting the benefits of buying local products from area farms, farmers markets and farm stands.

The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners will officially proclaim July 20-28 โ€œBuy Local Agriculture Weekโ€ during the commissionersโ€™ meeting on Tuesday, July 23. The proclamation will be accepted by Susan Cox, chairwoman of the Calvert County Agriculture Commission.

As part of the weekโ€™s celebrations, Calvert County residents can shop at a temporary green produce stand on the lawn of the Circuit Court on Main Street in Prince Frederick, 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Residents are also reminded to visit the countyโ€™s farmers markets during this week and throughout the summer:

โ€ขย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Tuesdays, 3 to 7 p.m., Calvert Memorial Hospital parking lot in Prince Frederick;

โ€ขย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., on the Solomons Riverwalk;

โ€ขย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Fridays, 6 to 9 p.m., at 5th and 7th streets and Bay Avenue, North Beach; andย 

โ€ขย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to noon, at the Calvert County Fairgrounds, Prince Frederick.

It is estimated the average fruit or vegetable travels 1,500 miles to get to a consumerโ€™s plate. And, in order to make that long journey and arrive at the supermarket in the perfect condition demanded by shoppers, some produce is picked before it is ripe and then chemically induced to ripen in time for sale.

Local produce is fresh โ€“ usually picked within a few days if not a few hours of being sold โ€“ it is more nutritious and simply tastes better.

The Calvert County Agriculture Commission offers a wealth of information about the countyโ€™s farms, including when and where to buy local produce and meats and the location of local farm stands. For more information, visit www.calvertag.com. ย 

For more information on Marylandโ€™s Buy Local Challenge, visit

www.buy-local-challenge.com.

For more information about the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, our visitor sites and attractions and the services available to assist county businesses, call 410-535-4583, 800-331-9771 or 301-855-1880; send an email to info@ecalvert.com; or visit online at www.ecalvert.com.ย