Old Smokey BBQ
Old Smokey BBQ
Cuts of beef , pork , lamb and chicken fill the market ’ s long freezer wall .
They went for it anyway — loans , legal fees , insurance , marketing , social media , hiring and managing employees , purchasing , interfacing with the public , construction of the market , investing in expensive ice cream making machinery , packaging , freezer temperature control and maintenance . You get the picture . It was head spinning ! “ We had a timeline ,” says Samantha . “ We wanted the farm market to be up and open and functioning so that if the boys wanted to come back to work here after college , this would help support them — because crop farming wasn ’ t going to .” Both boys attended the University of Maryland ’ s Institute of Applied Agriculture , and Zack was able to work on a business plan for the market for his marketing class . The timing was perfect as the bank needed to see a business plan for the loan they were hoping to get .
Quality control is key , every step of the way for the meat operation . “ Unlike the cows who are born here , we buy the pigs once they are weaned and we raise them from that point to finish ,” says Rob . Samantha adds , “ We use our 4H connections to buy the animals so we know who raised them . As
Photo : christina hopkins
to lambs , we have a good friend in a joint venture raising them off premises . And the chickens , they come from a farm in Washington County . Our chickens here supply the eggs . That alone is pretty time consuming .”
The ice cream operation has been very successful in its first year and folks naturally want to visit the market and leave cone in hand . That customer interfacing may begin to pull back the curtain on what it takes to bring farm products to market . Rob and his sons also jump into their big farm machinery and head to the fields . They care for their animals every day and Samantha , a former elementary school teacher , handles much of the retail operation . On top of that Rob , a professional agronomist , runs his own Ag consulting firm and still makes time to serve up ice cream and chat with customers along with Zack , Josh and Samantha . It ’ s a big adjustment . And maybe , just maybe , the inspiration and hard work behind the farm and Market at Deere Valley makes for happy customers who appreciate the importance and value of preserving local farms and supporting the intrepid farmers who run them ! Let ’ s hope so .
Are you looking for some award winning BBQ ?
We are bringing our BBQ offerings to local farmers markets – where you can taste the difference in person and bring some home to your own family .
Wed : Bethesda United Methodist Church & St Paul Park , Kensington MD Thur : Potomac United Methodist Church Sat : Kensington & Pike and Rose Farm Markets Sun : Bethesda Central Farm Market
www . oldsmokeybbq . us
Too
Busy to Cook ?
Let us prepare meals for you and for those special folks you care about ! Delicious homemade meals , delivered fresh !
EAT Well be well
We look forward to serving you !
202-438-7876 www . ew-bw . com