County marketer spreads the word on local produce

By Sandy Alexander | Special To The Sun The sight of a wooden table full of plump peaches, shiny red cherries and mounds of ripe blueberries at Harbin's farm stand in Ellicott City on Monday makes Kathy Zimmerman's efforts to turn people on to local produce seem easy. In fact, farmers are reporting increased traffic at farm stands, pick-your-own operations and farmers' markets this season, and organizations across the state are promoting a "Buy Local Challenge" this week to encourage the purchase of fresh, local food. But Zimmerman's role as the Howard County Economic Development Authority's agriculture marketing specialist still holds plenty of challenges as she helps farmers reach customers amid rapidly growing suburbs. "I want to educate the public and to help the farmers here continue to grow and diversify their... [read full story]