Shore to Shore: A You-Pick Produce Market For Everyone

CAMBRIDGE, Md. — In the newest edition of Shore to Shore, it was time to get our hands dirty at a you-pick produce market in Cambridge, where strawberries grow straight from the plant.

In the fall of 1998, the Jackson family welcomed their daughter, Emily, into the world. By 1999, they were ready to introduce her to agriculture.

Emily’s Produce owner Kelly Jackson said, “We decided we were going to start a produce operation to draw her into this agricultural concept. Maybe she would become a seventh-generation farmer and learn about the heritage of farming and appreciate hard work.”

With that idea in hand, they created Emily’s Produce, though the market did not always look like it does today.

“We started under a roadside tent with the honor system,” Jackson said. “We had a couple bales of straw and a picnic tent, and she sorted tomatoes with her dad at night.”

But as Emily grew up, so did the market. Now, they partner with locals to create unique products and support other local farms.

“The beer and wine that we have isn’t just any beer and wine,” Jackson said. “It has Emily’s Produce products in it. We grew the strawberries that are in the strawberry wine and the hard seltzer.”

Emily’s Produce puts the family in the family business, with the couple’s son also working as a seventh-generation farmer.

“He is in the field all day long,” Jackson said. “He’s helping Paul and doing those things to continue this legacy.”

Emily remains the inspiration behind the family business, but now the focus is also on teaching people about agriculture and the farmers who help put food on tables. By encouraging visitors to pick their own fruit, the family hopes people gain a greater appreciation for farming.

“It’s very important to make sure families have the opportunity to connect with each other and understand where their food comes from,” Jackson said.

Owner and farmer Paul Jackson said, “On a hot day, you can really smell the strawberries. It’s just neat. It’s something different. I’m the only one in my area who really does it like this.”

Emily’s Produce also will offer blackberry picking next season. The market also features produce, jams, meat and desserts.

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