Harford Legacy Farm Commemorative Book

Published June 2023 in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Harford County, Maryland

Compiled by Nina Depkin Edited by Kristin Kirkwood and Jennifer Wilson

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FOREWORD

Why is 100 years of family ownership something worth celebrating? The answer is simple. Because it’s hard.

In a period of 100 years a family farm can pass through 3 or 4 generations. With each new generation comes a new vision of what the farm should be or what it should not be. And with every generation comes a new set of struggles. In those transition periods, every farm is at risk of being sold. All too often families find themselves at odds with a sibling or relative fighting over the family farm. These battles are messy and often end in the court system with families torn apart. The families that navigate these transitions unscathed are blessed indeed. Every family in this book has at least one “we almost lost the farm” story. Some of those stories coincide with headline-grabbing events like the Great Depression. Some of those stories circle around a traumatic family issue like a sudden death or life-altering health crisis, and some of those stories are family disputes that no one saw coming. If you dive into the unique history of each farm, you will find those stories, but it is the grit and passion of our farmers that have prevented those “almost lost the farm” stories from becoming a reality. Farm life is hard. People sometimes think farm life is just sweeping landscapes and freedom, with strolls through meadows and rides on horseback to the creek where you sit all day in the shade catching fish. Yes, farm life can offer scenes fit for a Hallmark movie, but it comes with sacrifice and hard work. When the enthusiasm of a new farmer is worn down by the reality of long days, busted fences, broken equipment, leaking barn roofs, and the never-ending concerns about the weather, that’s when the farm is once again at risk. It takes a special person to love the land in those seasons when it doesn’t love you back. It takes a special person to dig deep into their soul and press on against all odds to keep the farm going for the next generation. It’s grit. It’s passion. It’s love. And that’s what we’re really celebrating.

Jennifer Wilson

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FOREWORD Our Farms...The Tapestry of Our Legacy

For centuries man has been weaving tapestries to tell a story of a period or specific time in history. Farmers have woven their tapestry of life through their farms…each thread represents a person and groups of similar threads depict the picture of a culture within the agricultural community. The types of threads may differ in many ways but they all tell the story of a family of farmers. Susan Crowell, a former Farm & Dairy Editor once wrote, “A farmer who – regardless of farm size, philosophy, commodity or location – works harder than anyone outside the farm circle realizes.” The Harford Legacy Farm is a tribute to the social fabric that the farm community continues to weave. The Legacy celebration is special to all of us because it proudly displays our tapestries that have taken generations to create. This isn’t just for the present generation but also for those who came before us. Many of us were never able to meet the earliest weavers of our tapestry, but the many stories of their works have been woven into the fabric of our lives to be handed down to future generations. Our ancestors left an impression on us that has helped to form the image of who we are today. This is a very special way to recognize their sacrifices and dedication to our lands. Words can never be adequate to express our gratitude to these relatives who persevered to help us attain this milestone. There is a special pride in putting our tapestries on display for everyone to see. The threads weave the story of achievements from past generations that have used the land to make it productive and enhance its quality. The latter generations weave the tale of taking this good farmland and learning how to improve their methods to make it more efficient. Generations are nurturing generations through their experiences, careful planning, and experimentation for this legacy to continue. The threads of our tapestry show the hard work of the farmer. Just as making a tapestry is labor intensive, so is farming. Not only does our work display the tending of land, the caring of animals, the upgrading of buildings, and the changing of machinery, but the underlying threads show the dedication that each generation has passed on to the next. This dedication has led to the survival of these Legacy Farms. The individual threads are well-blended to produce a tapestry of which we are extremely proud. Each has its own story that we are happy to share. Displaying our tapestries during the celebration of 250 years of Harford County’s heritage is very special to us. Receiving this recognition is yet another thread to weave for the work and dedication of family members: past, present, and future. Thank you for sharing our 100 years of family ownership. Deborah Wright Trout and Barbara Wright Lowe

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Harford County, 1930, Maryland Geological Survey

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PREFACE

This modest history of Harford Legacy Farms has been prepared as a tribute to our agricultural community as we observe Harford County’s sestercentennial. The Farmers & Community Partnership of Harford County and its members, especially the Harford Community College, Harford County Farm Bureau, Harford Soil Conservation District, Harford Land Trust, and Harford County Government, have worked to identify, recognize, and celebrate Harford Legacy Farms in 2022 and early 2023. Farm families were asked to self-nominate their properties as 1) having been continuously owned by the same family for 100 years or more, 2) maintaining at least 10 acres of the original purchase, and 3) continuing to be actively farmed. Each farm will receive a certificate, this commemorative booklet, and a Harford Legacy Farm sign. We proudly announce that 61 of Harford County’s Legacy Farms will be recognized at a celebration on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at the Harford County Equestrian Center. The keynote speaker will be Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. This project has been educational and inspirational as we have gathered and heard the farm stories shared by Harford County’s farmers and farm families. It is obvious that they are very proud of their agricultural heritage and how their family over the generations has adapted to continue farming in Harford County. We ask for readers’ indulgence in errors or omissions. The Partnership did not endeavor to verify submissions. Efforts to include some information were unsuccessful due to time and resource constraints. All information gathered during this project will be retained as part of the permanent record of Harford 250. It has been our pleasure to honor Harford Legacy Farms as part of Harford County’s 250th-anniversary celebration. Dr. Sharon Stowers & Theresa Lilienthal – Harford Community College

Alice Archer – Harford County Farm Bureau Leslie Byrd – Harford Soil Conservation District Kristin Kirkwood & Nina Depkin – Harford Land Trust Jennifer Wilson – Harford County Government

CONTENTS Foreword Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i Foreword Trout and Lowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Harford County's Agricultural History 1600s-1700s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ruffs Chance Farm – 1684 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Flintville Farms – 1721 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Rigdon Farm – 1728 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 3 The Vineyard – 1741 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Seeds, Soil, and Toil* Stowers and Barnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Woodview – 1744 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Broom's Bloom and Mount Adams Farms – 1747 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Eden Manor Farm - Mid-1700s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Swansbury - 1750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Newark Farms – 1761 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Whiteford's Desire – 1769 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Friendship Enlarged Farm – 1783 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Rutledge Brick House Farm – 1785 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Septerra Farm – 1787 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Wright Farm - 1793 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 The Wright Place – 1794 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Natural Water Power That Built Harford County Marsden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Harford County's Agricultural History 1800s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Homelands Farm – 1806 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Sunnyside Farm – 1825 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Barrow Farm – 1828 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Baker-Scarborough Farm – 1839 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Belvedere Farm – 1841 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Shaw Orchard – 1842 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Holloway Brothers – 1850 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Olney Farm – 1855 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Greatest Canning County in America! Stowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 West Wind Farm – 1870 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Wildfell – 1874 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Emory Knoll Farm – 1878 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Harford Creamery Farm – 1879 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Oaklea Farm – 1880 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Fallston Farmers Club Amoss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Trial Run Farm – 1886 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Hillside Farm – 1889 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 My Lady's Manor - the 1890s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Grier Nursery – 1891 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Phillips Family Farm – 1898 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Harford County's Agricultural History 1900s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Markline Farm – 1900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Hilldale Farm - Early 1900s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Sunnyside – 1902 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 The Willows at Lowe Point Farm – 1902 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Andy's Eggs and Poultry – 1904 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Meadow Branch Farm – 1904 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Harkins Hill Farm – 1905 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Stewart Farm – 1905 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Model Farm* – 1906 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Archer Farm – 1907 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 B.G.S. Jourdan and Sons – 1907 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Grimmel Farms – 1908 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Ady Acres – 1909 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Cummings Farm - 1909 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Rising to Today's Challenges Stowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Residence Farm - Barrow Farms - 1909 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Levering Line Farm - before 1910 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Quietness Farm – 1913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Scarborough Farm – 1914 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Woolsey Farm – 1918 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Chestnut Hill Farm – 1919 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Harrison Farm – 1919 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Leaders in Early Sustainable Agricultural Movement Stowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Old Bay Farm* – 1919 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Heaps Family LLC – 1920 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 4-H in Harford County Lilienthal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Little Deer Creek Farm – 1921 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rockey Farm – 1922 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Harford County's History of Land Preservation Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Martha’s Farm Market / Ma & Pa Holsteins – 1923 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Wilmar Farm* – 1923 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 The Halsey Family Farm – 1924 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

*Submission was shortened for this publication.

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Harford County's Agricultural History 1600s - 1700s

Native Americans taught Maryland colonists how to plant corn, beans, and squash and where to find clams and oysters in the Chesapeake. Early 1600s

Mid 1600s Maryland’s first industry was agriculture, and the most important cash crops were tobacco, wheat, and corn.

1690s

African-descended enslaved people replace indentured Mid-1600s servants for agricultural labor.

1773

Harford County was formed from Baltimore County; named for Henry Harford, the last Proprietor of Maryland and illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Lord Baltimore.

Sharon Stowers, Ph.D., RDN, Harford Community College

Ruffs Chance Farm est. 1684 - Bel Air, MD Current Owner: Jonathan Ruff Original Purchaser: Henry Ruff Current Acreage: 200 Current Agricultural Products or Services: grain and beef cow-calf operation Preserved, Centennial Farm (USDA), and Historical Designation

The farm used to be a dairy, but switched to beef in the 1960s. Jonathan Ruff is the 9th generation.

This farm, known by the original tract name, Ruff's Chance, has been in the direct Ruff family line for over 300 years. Richard Ruff, the original patentee, received 650 acres on April 5, 1684. A document owned by the James H. Ruff family and displayed in their home gives the details of the original land grant. The document, though difficult to read, indicates that the original land grant was made in 1684 by "Charles, Absolute Lord and of the Province of Maryland, Avalon Lord Baron of Baltimore. This document appears to be a confirmatory deed or grant and was issued on September 2, 1714. (Maryland Historical Trust)

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Flintville Farms est. 1721 - Whiteford, MD Current Owners: Stephen T. and Lori A. Cooper Original Purchaser: John Cooper for Land grant, Sydney Cooper and Thomas John Cooper Current Acreage: 755 (150 in Pennsylvania) Current Agricultural Products or Services: beef cattle, corn, soybeans, hay, barley, and timber Preserved There were two land grants, the first was known as Coopers Range. Most of the Coopers Range ended up in Pennsylvania after the Mason-Dixon line was surveyed 40 years later. The second land grant was known as the Deserts of Arabia. It took in the land between the State Line and Broad Creek. Land Grants were in 1720 -1721. Stephen T. Cooper is the 9th generation. Rigdon Farms Inc est. 1728 - Jarrettsville, MD Current Owner: John Rigdon Original Purchaser: Benjamin West Current Acreage: 170 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn, beans, hay, wheat, beef cattle Preserved

Founded in 1728, Rigdon Farms is over 280 years old. The original 1,000 acres now called Rigdon Farms was initially received as a land grant by the Watters/West family, from King George the II of England in 1728. The deed is signed by Lord Calvert the Governor of Maryland.

Over the years, the original tract has been known as "Bear Range" and "Strangers Welcome". Today, Rigdon Farms is a profitable and well-known fixture in Harford County, Maryland. The 11th generation family farm has undergone several changes through the decades. The current owner, John Rigdon's father, and grandfather ran a tomato canning business and the old canning house can still be seen on the premises.

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The Vineyard est. 1741 - Bel Air, MD Current Owner: Susan Gardiner Original Purchaser: James Preston Current Acreage: 187 Current Agricultural Products or Services: grain Preserved, Century Farm (MDA), Governor's Recognition, Historical Designation, National Historic Trust The Vineyard consists of a working grain farm located in the central section of Bel Air, Maryland approximately two miles due north of the county seat, Bel Air. The property consists of several tracts patented by James Preston in the 1740s, and owned without interruption by eight generations of his direct descendants. James Preston, and his descendants and in-laws, may be viewed as personifying these general historical trends. James arrived in these parts "when Harford County was a trackless wilderness," wrote a late Victorian historian, and over the course of generations the family helped transform the county in a region "dotted with smiling farms and quiet villages, traversed by railroads and telegraph wires". He acquired The Vineyard in 1741, Preston's Chance in 1748, Hog Neck in 1753, Mate's Addition in 1756, Robinson's Chance in 1758, and, finally, Plumb Point in 1761. He chose well, too, for his grants, which totaled in aggregate some 1,500 acres. The first James Preston and his son (also named James) cleared the land, planted and harvested crops of wheat and corn, and lived on their lands, all of which came to be known simply and collectively as The Vineyard. Bernard Preston, born in 1756, inherited The Vineyard. He then built the large stone house in 1804. Bernard "represented Harford County in the convention which met in Annapolis in 1776 and formed the first constitution of the State and was also one of Harford's representatives in the Annapolis convention of June 22, 1774, which protested the tax on tea" according to Judge Preston. He was a member of the first grand jury for Harford County. He also continued to harvest bountiful crops of wheat and corn from his acres at The Vineyard; he had these grains ground into flour at the well-known (now demolished) Preston's Mill, which the family established on Deer Creek. (National Register of Historic Places)

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Seeds, Soil, and Toil: The African American Agricultural Legacy in Harford County and Maryland

Sharon Stowers, Ph.D, RDN, Harford Community College Iris Leigh Barnes, Ph.D.

African Americans were essential to the agricultural development of Maryland and Harford County. Approximately 100,000 enslaved Africans arrived in Maryland prior to the Revolutionary War, and many possessed significant agricultural expertise. Historian Jennifer Jensen Wallach was unequivocal about the impact of these agricultural skills: “European colonists relied on concrete skill sets derived from African agricultural traditions,” which included, shifting cultivation and terraced, mixed, and rotational farming. These are farming techniques used by Harford County farmers today to preserve our soil and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

In colonial America through the antebellum years, in addition to planting and harvesting, African Americans demonstrated great skill at making and repairing tools, tending and slaughtering livestock, and much more. Some African Americans became innovators in farming; Henry Blair, a Montgomery County farmer, was even awarded a US patent on a corn seed planter, a precursor to our modern day planters.

Henry Blair’s 1834 Patent Drawing for Seed Planter The transformation of northern Maryland, including Harford County, to a mixed economy based on cereal farming and manufacturing resulted in the use of much freed Black wage labor. who worked to make northern Maryland a center of food production and commerce. Some free Blacks owned farmland, although marginally. Slaveholding families lobbied to prevent Black land ownership, either by state legislation, local ordinances, adverse possession, or community mores. Unlike some legacy farmers, African Americans were not the beneficiaries of land patents in which hundreds, or even thousands, of acres of land, were given to colonists, free of charge.

Tenaciously, a few African Americans became landowners. The formerly enslaved Cupid Paca, for example, purchased 50 acres in Darlington in 1822. This meager parcel of land did not compare to the

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hundreds of acres owned by white enslavers, who passed their land down to their descendants and built generational wealth.

The aftermath of the Civil War brought hope for African Americans, and also more racist laws, further limiting their access to land ownership and independent farming. Blacks’ lack of capital and the new Jim Crow laws forced freedmen into oppressive labor contracts, creating conditions that instituted an oppressive apprenticeship, sharecropper, and tenant farming system in which they were often cheated of fair compensation for their labor and crops. Overcoming many obstacles, some freedmen purchased small tracts of farmland and began anew. In 1880, Albert Berry Sr., a former slave, for example, obtained farmland and built a house for his father, also a former slave, in what became known as the Berry Farm Complex. His son, Albert Berry Jr., was born on the property in 1892 and farmed it until he was at least 87. Berry Jr., The Aegis reported in 1979, was also an expert in crafting highly prized tool handles. But this example of multi-generational land holding was exceptional. According to the US Census Bureau, by 1900 throughout the US, around 75% of Black farm operators were tenant farmers and sharecroppers. In comparison, only 30% of white farm operators were tenant farmers and sharecroppers. The upward trend in Black independent farming was short-lived. Because of the economic crisis of the Great Depression and a poorly conceived New Deal agricultural program that discriminated against tenant farmers, agricultural producers (both Black and White) lost their farms and livelihood at an alarming rate, from some seven million farms in 1935 to just two million in 2019, according to the USDA Agriculture Research Service. African Americans were and continue to be especially vulnerable to this pattern of land and farm loss because of the systemic racism in government institutions (such as the USDA) and banks, which put African Americans at an exceptional disadvantage. The experience of Black farmers in Harford County mirrored the general US trends, but with one, significant local twist. After the U.S. entered World War I, in Harford County, African American and white tenant farmers lost out: they were ordered off the most fertile farmland in the Aberdeen area to make way for the construction of the US Military facility, the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). This huge track of eastern, bayside land was the location of many of the corn and vegetable fields that supplied Harford County’s booming canning industry. Moreover, local discriminatory laws prevented

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Blacks from re-purchasing large tracts of land needed to farm successfully. By the 1970s in Harford County, only a relative few African American farmers managed to scratch out a living. During this time, Herbert Bond Jr. was well known among Harford County residents for selling produce door-to-door and then from his produce truck stand in downtown Bel Air. He served as many as 100 customers a day.

Herbert Bond Jr. The Aegis, n.d. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Harford County

Woodview est. 1744 - Bel Air, MD Current Owners: Springhouse Family (Berthenia, Forest, and Rosa Crocker) Original Purchaser: Caleb Pue Current Acreage: 25 Current Agricultural Products or Services: hay Preserved and Historical Designation

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Current Owners: Margaret Katherine Dallam, William Dallam V, Ariel Dallam, David Dallam, and Kate Umbarger Dallam Original Purchaser: Issac Webster Current Acreage: 240 (the three properties are farmed as one property) Current Agricultural Products or Services: David raises corn, hay, soybeans, wheat, dairy cows, and hogs. In 2021, David and Kate built a milk processing plant on the Broom's Bloom section which produces whole, 2%, and chocolate milk; various cheeses; and ice cream mix. Broom's Bloom Dairy Store is a restaurant on the property; it sells products from other local farmers, in addition to our own dairy offerings. In addition, Broom's Bloom hosts many school and adult tours and contributes goods to numerous civic organizations. Preserved and Historical Designation Broom's Bloom and Mount Adams Farm est. 1747 - Bel Air, MD We are extremely proud that our children are the 9th generation of our family to have been born and raised on this land. Four live here full-time; one is here part-time but is employed in agriculture. All of them, whether employed full-time by Broom's Bloom or in other occupations, value their agricultural heritage and were members of 4-H when they were growing up. Obviously, in the almost 300 years Dallams and Websters have inhabited this section of Harford County, numerous family events have occurred here - some joyous, some sad.

Mount Adams bank barn

David and Kate Dallam

While John Adams Webster is the only nationally prominent owner, all of our ancestors, male, and female, were solid citizens of Harford County whose numerous contributions on and off these 240 acres bettered their community in ways large and small. We have striven to continue their civic engagement, maintain our property, and build on their agricultural legacy so that farming will always be part of Harford County.

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Eden Manor Farm est. mid-1700s - Forest Hill, MD Current Owners: Henry Benjamin Rigdon Original Purchaser: Watters/Risteau Family, then Mary E.W. Risteau Current Acreage: 223 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn, soybeans, wheat, timber Preserved

Eden Manor Farm served as a militia training site for the Revolutionary War. Later, it became the home of Mary E.W. Risteau - the first woman in the Maryland House of Delegates, the first woman Senator in Maryland, and the first woman on the Board of Education. The east side of the farm (where the original store and homestead are situated) was platted in the late 1700s to be a town, with a store, blacksmith shop, livery stable, and homes. It was to be called Edentown but never materialized.

Swansbury est. 1750 - Aberdeen, MD Current Owner: Martha Barchowsky Original Purchaser: Martha Garrettson Smith Current Acreage: 86 Current Agricultural Products or Services: hay Preserved and Historical Designation

Built before the Revolutionary War, the farm was a "stopover" for many dignitaries as evidenced by the original pieces of furniture at Swansbury that were necessary to entertain such visionaries. The War of 1812 left a British cannonball as a family souvenir for its participation. The list of changes and challenges parallels the history of The United States of America. The farm's original footprint was much larger than it is now, reaching out to Rt. 7, one of the country's colonial main thoroughfares, and towards present-day Aberdeen. To take advantage of seeing who was traveling the main road, a unique architectural feature, the enclosed windowed room over the front porch, was added. Most people familiar with a "widow's walk/watch" know it was a topmost perch added to homes along waterways so that people could observe the comings and going of ships. The windowed observatory at Swansbury is the land version of the "widow's walk/watch."

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Newark Farms est. 1761 - White Hall, MD

Current Owners: Dennis and Jean Kirkwood Original Purchaser: Robert Kirkwood Current Acreage: 143 Current Agricultural Products or Services: beef, pork, hay, straw, and grain Preserved, Bicentennial Farm (USDA), Bicentennial Farm (MDA)

Norma Kirkwood on the farm's first tractor - circa 1948

Newark Farms began in 1763 when Robert Kirkwood I (1728-1810) received a land grant from Lord Baltimore. The name is presumed to have reflected his early years being raised by an uncle in Newark, Delaware. Throughout the history of this property, it has functioned as a multi-purpose enterprise focusing on dairy, other livestock, and typical field crops. In 1965 a barn fire put us out of full-time farming but the family continued to maintain the farm with a small beef herd. The current owner is the seventh generation and maintains a beef herd and seasonal hog operation along with hay production. The farm supports a healthy wildlife population and woodland environment and is bisected by Cabin Branch which feeds into Little Deer Creek. In 1998 three acres of wetlands were created for further wildlife benefit. The next generation stands ready to continue the legacy of stewardship and production into the future.

Nathaniel Calvin Kirkwood Sr. and Nathaniel Calvin "Jack" Kirkwood Jr. advertisement for threshing machine - circa 1948

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Whiteford's Desire est. 1769 - Whiteford, MD Current Owner: Leslie Whiteford Original Purchaser: Hugh Whiteford Current Acreage: 72 Current Agricultural Products or Services: cattle, pigs, corn, grain Preserved In 1769, the farm was patented to Hugh Whiteford while part of Baltimore County, a few years before Harford County was founded. A stone/log home was on the farm and also remnants of a tannery and gristmill stones were found. The barn was built in 1926 by William Turner Whiteford. The farm has raised cattle, pigs, corn, and grains over the more recent years. Friendship Enlarged Farm est. 1791 - Jarrettsville, MD Current Owner: John Cairnes Original Purchaser: Richard Hope Current Acreage: 276 Current Agricultural Products or Services: wheat, soybeans, corn, beef cattle Century Farm (MDA), Governor's Recognition

Friendship Enlarged has been actively and continuously farmed for over 200 years. My father, George Wilson Cairnes, farmed the acreage until 1988 when the property was leased to an adjoining property owner, Edwin Grimmel, who still actively cultivates the acreage. Between the two parcels, there are about 170 acres of tillable land, 60 acres of pasture, and 30 acres of woodland. The balance of the acreage surrounds includes the improvements.

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Current Owners: Wiley, Walter, David Rutledge, and Family Original Purchaser: Joshua Rutledge Current Acreage: 300 Current Agricultural Products or Services: dairy, grain, and forages Preserved Rutledge Brick House Farm est. 1785 - Jarrettsville, MD

Current Owners: Jim and Barbara Richardson Original Purchaser: Samuel Richardson Current Acreage: 215 Current Agricultural Products or Services: grain Preserved, Centennial Farm (USDA) Septerra Farm est. 1787 - Pylesville, MD

Eight generations of Richardsons have owned the property; very rare that it has passed to sons in each generation. I have a sheepskin deed showing a previous owner in 1787. The farm was a dairy operation up to 1983.

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The Wright Farm est. 1793 - Pylesville, MD Current Owners: Deborah Wright Trout, John Wright Trout, and Jaclyn Ann Trout Smithson Original Purchaser: Daniel Smithson Current Acreage: 112 Current Agricultural Products or Services: beef, corn, soybeans Preserved In early Maryland history, there were tracts of land called Reserved Land which were not available for direct in-fee ownership but kept as part of the royal trust for speculation by the Lords Baltimore. It was generally wild territory. After the Revolutionary War, British properties and other "vacant" lands were declared public. In 1793, Daniel Smithson purchased acreage and set up housekeeping, and ran a farm.

Although the farm was an original parcel of many more acres, our family still lives and farms the parcel of the original track where Daniel and Susannah settled, built a log cabin, and are buried. Family members were buried on the farm in the family cemetery before establishing Church cemeteries. The congregation of St. Paul Church met in the family barn prior to erecting the church building on the corner of the farm in 1887. The Wright Farm - you can see the church building on the corner of the farm

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The Wright Place est. 1794 - White Hall, MD Current Owners: Barbara Lowe and Benjamin Lowe Original Purchaser: Thomas Poteet Current Acreage: 120 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn, hay, wheat/straw, soybeans, gourds Preserved, Century Farm (MDA), Bicentennial Farm (MDA)

On December 4, 1794, Thomas Poteet acquired approximately 448 acres via a grant from the Western Shore Land Office of the State of Maryland. He called it Poteet's Field. Thomas willed the land to his three sons. Thomas, Jr. acquired a 155.33-acre parcel, part of which is presently called The Wright Place. Family folklore has it that there is a graveyard on the property. We cannot validate the fact but we were told never to farm that spot. Ben and I have created a memorial there to the original family, Thomas's wife Elizabeth's tombstone along with two of their son's tombstones, and a stone of a grandchild has been placed in this area. Also, a plaque has been erected that tells the history of the early farm.

Graveyard and farm

Bill Wright and Billy Kurtz getting in hay bales

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The Natural Water Power That Built Harford County

Frank Marsden

Historically, Harford County was an ideal place to settle due to its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River for transporting goods by water to larger markets. It also was a favorable trade location due to several large bodies of water: Deer Creek, Winters Run, Broad Creek, Bush River, Gunpowder River, and all their tributaries. Bodies of water provide a steady and reliable source of power: water. It would, for almost two centuries, be used to power what has been estimated to be 100 to 400 mills located on the waterways of Harford County.

Eden Mill, 1933 - Eden Mill has stood since approximately 1798

Generally, we think of Grist Mills, a mill for grinding various grains into food, when the term “mill” appears. However, there were many other types of mills in Harford County, including but not limited to sawmills to turn logs into lumber; mills to press seeds into oil; mills to grind bones into fertilizer; mills that would drive the bellows to pump air into the iron furnaces; flint mills that would crush stone to extract the flint; woolen mills to process wool; and bark mills to extract the tannin for tanning raw hides. Water-powered mills were the backbone of industry in Harford County; instrumental in the development and growth of Harford County farms and businesses. At the turn of the century, some of the old mills had an opportunity to support Harford County farmers. Some were adapted to use their water power to produce electricity that could support local canning houses with electricity for operating their equipment and machinery. This afforded local farmers additional resources, enabling them to increase their farm production. Eden Mill is one of the few mills that are still fully intact and where you can see all the original milling equipment as well as the hydroelectric turbines and generating equipment. It was financially supported in converting to electric generation by selling stocks in the Fawn Grove Power and Electric Company. It supplied all the electricity to the canning operations in Fawn Grove and New Park, Pennsylvania in addition to numerous Harford County Farms. To learn more about the Mills of Harford County, check out “Mills: Grist, Saw, Bone, Flint, Full-ing...and More” by Jack Shagena, Henry Peden, and John McGrain. We thank them for their work.

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Harford County's Agricultural History 1800's

1800s Commercial ice cut from the Susquehanna River was used in the ice box refrigerator, invented in 1802 by Thomas Moore, a Maryland farmer.

The horse-drawn mowing machine replaced the centuries-old scythe in Harford County. 1870s

1884 Fallston Farmers Club began on February 25, 1884.

Sharon Stowers, Ph.D., RDN, Harford Community College

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Homelands Farm est. 1806 - Churchville, MD Current Owners: David Dallam and Kate Dallam Original Purchaser: John Herbert Current Acreage: 149 Current Agricultural Products or Services: dairy cows, turkeys, chickens, corn, and soybeans Preserved and Historical Designation The property at the intersection of modern Routes 22 and 136 was bought by John Herbert in 1806 and is still owned by his direct descendants. The area was known as Herbert's Crossroads during his time, later as Lower Crossroads, and now as Churchville. Indeed, many of the current businesses and properties in Churchville sits on land originally owned by Herbert. The house and many of the outbuildings date to the early decades of the 19th Century; some barns and sheds are from the mid to late 20th Century. (The Maryland Historical Trust, Document HA-139)

Paul Beatty Harlan

The property passed from John Herbert to his son James Herbert to B. Herbert to John Herbert's daughter Margaret Herbert. She married Dr. David Harlan, the Medical Director of the US Navy, who became nationally known because of his service in the Mexican and Civil Wars. Upon her death, the property was left to her son William Beatty Harlan, who left it to his son Paul Beatty Harlan. One of Paul Beatty Harlan's heirs is Louise Harlan Umbarger, who gave her portion to her daughter, Kate Umbarger-Dallam.

Therefore, the current owners and operators are both the seventh generation of the same family to farm Homelands. The property is an anchor of the Churchville hamlet; though portions have been sold over the years (Rolling Green) or donated (Trinity Episcopal Church), the central acreage and the house has been continuously farmed, maintained, and resided in by the family. Though no ancestor was well known beyond Harford County for his medical contributions, Homelands is the most representative of Harford County's agricultural heritage of continuity and adaptation of new farming directions since David Harlan Dallam continues Homelands' dairy tradition and his daughter Emmy Dallam Beavers (the 9th generation) has begun to raise and butcher turkeys and chickens there. Lucas Beavers and Emmy Dallam Beavers

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Sunnyside Farm est. 1825 - White Hall, MD Current Owners: Allen McElwain and Benjamin McElwain Original Purchaser: John McElwain Current Acreage: 165 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, and straw Preserved

Barrow Farm est. 1828 - Forest Hill, MD Current Owners: J. Michele Barrow-Widman Original Purchaser: John Barrow and Elizabeth Forwood Barrow Current Acreage: 196 Current Agricultural Products or Services: row crops (leased), raises meat: goats, sheep, grass-fed cattle, and poultry Preserved 19

Baker-Scarborough Farm est. 1839 - Aberdeen, MD

Current Owners: The Scarborough Family Original Purchaser: Nicholas Baker Current Acreage: 150 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn and soybeans

As pioneers in the Harford County canning industry, the Baker Family raised crops and canned tomatoes in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In the late 1800s, the homestead was rotated 180 degrees to face the west. In the mid-20th century, the canning house on the farm was converted to a housing unit. A dairy operation existed in the early to mid-20th century.

Belvedere Farm est. 1841 - Fallston, MD Current Owners: William Amoss Harlan Original Purchaser: David Atkinson Current Acreage: 103 Current Agricultural Products or Services: cut flowers Preserved The farm was part of a Land Grant entitled Brook's Cross in the 1700s. David Atkinson, the great, great

grandfather of the present owner began farming the land in 1823. The farm was originally 141 acres. The current owner's parents sold a portion of the farm that bordered the Little Gunpowder Falls to the state park system in the 1960s. During the Civil War, Bill Harlan's grandfather heard explosions from the Battle of Gettysburg from inside the old barn. Many people will remember the preschool field trips led by Judy Harlan at the farm and also the pumpkin patch that was open for several fall seasons. John Maurice Harlan, the current owner's father, was noted for his herd of Jersey milk cows and also for raising tomatoes, cabbage, and rutabaga.

Left: Previous generations used a reaper to cut, bind, and bundle grain that then was later put into a thrashing machine where the grain was separated from the straw. Right: Dairy cows, barn, and house.

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Shaw Orchards est. 1842 - White Hall, MD Current Owners: Barron Shaw and Jana Shaw Original Purchaser: Charles Yost Current Acreage: 200 Current Agricultural Products or Services: fruit and berries Preserved

The original farmhouse sat across the street in Maryland. In 1861, my great-great-great-grandfather built the current house in Pennsylvania, reportedly to have a shorter distance to travel to vote. They could hear the guns from Gettysburg from the front porch of the new home. The family has lived there ever since. The original deed from 1801 hangs in the house. Technically an indenture, two copies were made on the same sheet of parchment which was then torn in two so that only an original copy would match its exact copy.

The farm began shipping fruit in 1909 and utilized the Stewartstown railroad which stopped in Wiley's Corner.

The Shaw Farm circa 1890

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Holloway Brothers est. 1850 - Darlington, MD

Current Owners: Holloway Family Original Purchaser: Brothers William R. and Albert and Samuel Holloway Current Acreage: 410 Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle, hay, straw, and custom

harvesting Preserved

Clifford Holloway was one of the first, if not the first, to install contour strips to farmland in this area. The Holloway family was also one of the first farmers to use no-till. The Holloway family has and continues to, include new technologies and farming practices. Clifford Holloway was the last farmer to drive cattle across the old Conowingo bridge en route to the Lancaster Stockyards to market. Then, he was the first to drive cattle across the Conowingo Dam to market. At one point he had teams of horses, oxen, and a brand new Farmall M Tractor all working in the fields simultaneously. Through all generations, The Holloway Families have been community minded and served Harford County and Maryland Agriculture in various capacities and on multiple boards in leadership positions (Maryland Farm Bureau, Soil Conservation, Farm Service Agency, Harford Agriculture Preservation, Maryland State Fair, Maryland 4-H Foundation).

Henry and Richard Holloway were inducted into the Maryland Dept. of Agriculture Hall of Fame.

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Olney Farm est. 1855 - Joppa, MD Current Owners: Amabel Howard Original Purchaser: Shriver-Howard Family Current Acreage: 250 Current Agricultural Products or Services: equine Preserved and Historical Designation

The name of the farm was originally "Prospect", and was changed to "Olney" by a family member (an admirer of Cowper, the writer, born in Olney England). The original stone 3-story house built in the 1700s was built over a spring and is still occupied. The bricks were made on the farm by "Redemptionists". The 3-story main house was finished in 1805. Olney Farm and the Shriver-Howard family joined together in 1855. Since then, the farm has remained in the same family. In 1920, a pony breeding business was started by the youngest, a daughter, in the family. Boarding, lessons, breeding, and training have gone on continuously since then. The fourth, fifth, and sixth generations of the family live on the farm. The farm has always been managed by a member of the family. The farm is basically a family farm, sharing the love of kids, ponies, dogs, cats, and farm animals, welcoming adult and junior riders and their families to share the pleasure of our almost 200 acres of fields and woods. Our instructors have grown up on the farm, taking their first lessons on an Olney poney, leaving only temporarily to raise their own families or to gain experience in the "outside" horse world. We are an eventing-oriented facility; running a recognized and an unrecognized event on the farm and clinics during the year with top event and dressage riders and coaches. We have an indoor lighted ring, an outdoor lighted dressage ring, and a large jumping ring. There are four complete cross country courses, elementary, beginner novice, novice, and training; with many preliminary levels jumps for schooling. There are trails through the woods and on an adjoining farm whose owner kindly lets us ride on his property - places for conditioning as well as pleasure rides. (www.olneyfarm.com)

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The Greatest Canning County in America!

Sharon Stowers, Ph.D., RDN, Harford Community College

It all began in George Baker's Aberdeen kitchen in the 1860s and grew to approximately 700 canneries between 1880 - 1959. While the tin canning of food dates back to the early 1800s in England, in the U.S., food canning became critical during and after the Civil War, feeding soldiers and expanding the urban population with little access to garden plots.

Harford County became famous for its canned tomatoes and corn, which were often processed right on the farm. Thomas W. Spencer owned Chrome Valley Farm, a farm and canning operation in Jarrettsville. His granddaughter, Jane Burgess, became "a tomato snob" due to her childhood memories of fresh tomatoes canned on their property.

Right: Workers picking crops for canning at Mooreland Farm, 1920s Below: Image courtesy of The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc.

The county's canning industry began to decline with the development of Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1917, which displaced many farms and canneries. After World World II, the expansion of rapid transportation and refrigeration hastened the decline in the local canning industry. In 1999, the last can of tomatoes was shipped from Harford County.

Images courtesy of Harford County Government