Calvert Gift Farms keeps it natural.
A certified organic farm in Sparks, the agricultural business was started in 1994 by Jack and Beckie Gurley. The newlyweds left their jobs in a consulting firm to start the farm and their family.
But while the Gurley farm continues to grow today, the farming industry in Maryland continues to shrink.
Across the state, Maryland saw its total number of farms drop 8 percent from 1997 to 2002, according to the latest study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Locally, the counties that have done the best are Anne Arundel and Harford, each seeing its farms drop by only 7 percent. The counties have 432 and 683 farms, respectively. In Baltimore County, there are 781 farms, a decrease of more than 12 percent in the last 10 years, the Maryland Farm Bureau reported.
Size-wise, however, Baltimore County has some of the smallest farms, at an average of 91 acres. The highest in the area was Carroll County, whose farms were an average of 139 acres. The total production value of farming in Maryland is around $1.3 billion, according to the most recent survey by the Department of Agriculture.
At Calvert Gift Farms, the Gurleys have created a niche for themselves to separate their farm from competitors.
“Being organic farmers, we make an effort to be very diverse in not only how we grow but how we sell,” Beckie Gurley said.
Gurley takes produce to farmers markets in Bel Air, Tacoma Park and Catonsville, while the family also is involved in a cooperative-farming effort in Sandy Spring and a local Community Supported Agriculture effort.
Having already sold out their allotment with more than 50 CSA spots for the season, the Gurleys say they are happy with the business the farm is doing but have their work cut out. From April to November, the family, with two daughters aged 9 and 10, will work seven days a week.
“We would welcome our daughters to take over,” Gurley said. “They help us some, and we will see [what happens].”
