Happy 30th Birthday, Riva Road Farmers Market

The Anne Arundel County Farmers Market on Riva Road is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and organizers thanked the community for its support with special market activities on Saturday.

The festivities included live music, raffle prizes, and free balloons, lemonade, pony rides, and a children’s plant-potting activity.

The market debuted in 1981 in the parking lot of the Board of Education on Riva Road. As the farmers’ offerings and the number of customers expanded, it moved to its current spot, the corner of Riva Road and Harry S Truman Parkway. First one, and eventually a second pavilion, were constructed to house the market.

A number of vendors at the market grow their offerings in south county.

The past five years have seen further improvements: overhead lighting, shade screens, wind breakers and a joining of the two separate pavilions. Now vendors and buyers enjoy a comfortable space filled with a variety and quantity of goods for sale.

While the heart of the market is farm-fresh produce and flowers grown in Anne Arundel County, jewelry, candles, honey, soaps, flavored nuts, baked goods, and more also are featured.

On Saturday, 91-year-old Melvin Chow was at his usual selling spot—behind a table covered by items he makes himself: canned preserves from the fruits of his small garden and home-baked cookies in plastic bags.

“I started with the market about 30 years ago,” the World War II veteran said. “I started the first or second year it was open.”

A couple of small children approached his table, their smiles wide with the anticipation of their usual cookie purchase. Chow greeted one child with, “I like that smile you have.” He pointed to them and said, “That is the reason I make things.”

The market’s founder Martin Zehner was at this weekend's celebration. When asked about his role in establishing the market he smiled wryly and said, “I had a little something to do with founding it.”

He said his inspiration behind founding the market was “being engaged in agriculture all my life. Tobacco was on its way out, and we had to have something else. It’s done very well, with the cooperation of the county, of course.

"It has expanded. It started with five or six people. Now we have 42 regular vendors, and part-time spring and Christmas vendors are approaching 100.”

Another founder of the market, Gordon Wirth, was working his usual table on Saturday, accompanied by his wife, daughter Nancy Wirth-Hare and son Gary Wirth. Gordon began raising poultry in Pasadena in 1962, and he and his family started growing produce in the '70s.

He recalled his role in locating the market’s current site—he kept his mind on location, location, location.

“Oh, they took me to look at this place, at that place," Gordon Wirth said. "I said, ‘No, no, no. This is what I want.’ We couldn’t find a better place than this. I did it right. I said, ‘I want a roof over my head.’ We got the best thing that could have happened.”

Gordon Wirth also had a hand in developing other farmers’ markets in Severna Park and Baltimore.

“We started Annapolis in ’81," he said. "I’m 86 now—that’s my last market.”

County Executive John Leopold was on hand, and he honored several baked good vendors with awards after a tasting event in which he decided what he liked best. Margaret Howard, who has been selling at the market for 19 years, won for her Mississippi mudcake, despite being better known for her pies.

“I’m known as the pie lady,” she said. “I make more pies than the rest of the bakers. I have 12-15 varieties of cakes and about 12-15 varieties of pies.”

Her cakes also come in mini loaves, and she offers cookies on a stick.

The Anne Arundel County Farmers’ Market is held on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon April 2 through Dec. 24. Tuesday’s market takes place from 7 a.m. to noon from June 7 to Oct. 25.