BALTIMORE — Instead of heading to the grocery store for Thanksgiving prep, why not do a little shopping at your local farm.
"You're connecting your family to your local producer. Everything in this box, that's vegetables we grow right here in Edgewood Maryland," said Reese Jones of Jones Family Farm.
This year the state Department of Agriculture launched the "Eat Like a Marylander" Thanksgiving campaign.
Jones is one of three farms participating with Moon Valley in Woodsboro and Emily's Produce in Cambridge.
Here's how it works — harvesters put boxes together of curated and locally sourced produce for holiday pre-order or pickup.
Inside the boxes, there's something for to appease all pallets from stuffing to pies and turkey.
"If you've never had a fresh turkey before, there's nothing like a fresh turkey compared to a frozen turkey," said Allison Thompson at Jones Family Farm. "I give them recipes. In today's times some people go and get what's already made but there's nothing like the smell in the house," said Thompson.
Some boxes even include seafood.
"Jones Family Farm is including crab meat. At the other farms, one of the boxes includes oyster and blue catfish. So you get a little seafood in there plus produce," said Matthew Scales, Seafood Marketing Director for Maryland's Department Of Agriculture.
For Scales and Jones, the initiative is helping to keep local business alive.
When purchasing a box, you can donate a meal to a family in need.
For prices and pickup days, click here.
