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Maryland Serves the Mid-Atlantic

Wholesalers talk about local trends, retail competition, and consumer choice
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Maryland, the nucleus of the Mid-Atlantic coastal region, is a terrific barometer of the country’s wholesale produce trade. It is, without doubt, one of the nation’s most enticing markets with plenty of locally grown fruits and vegetables and extensive reach up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Nearly a third of the state’s arable land is comprised of verdant fields of tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe, sweet corn, snap beans, and watermelon along the shore of Chesapeake Bay, while the reaches of western Maryland boast rustling apple orchards.

Near Baltimore sits the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market (aka the ‘Jessup Market’) nestled at the center of a hustling, bustling web of fresh produce-driven commerce. Open to the public, the Jessup Market may be one of the most widely known ‘insider secrets’ of the region. Wholesale and retail shoppers agree the vast variety of fruits and vegetables available within the spacious 300-acre site is well worth a visit.

In addition to the Old Line State’s seasonal offerings, the Market’s location invites a never-ending stream of fruits and vegetables from throughout the East Coast, the Southeast, the Midwest, and eastern provinces of Canada. This includes Ohio sweet corn; New Jersey blueberries, apples, and strawberries; tomatoes from Virginia and West Virginia; Delaware potatoes and apples; Pennsylvania mushrooms, herbs, and cabbages; and greenhouse-grown tomatoes from Ontario.

This is just a sampling of the many seasonal favorites, and buyers are always seeking more. For Will Staples, director of sales and marketing at Lancaster Foods, LLC in Columbia, MD, one commodity tops the list: “I wish there was a larger availability of organic grapes during the winter months.”

Demand for a few basic staples, however, may be dropping off a little as more exotic items or organics take their place. Tony Vitrano, of the Tony Vitrano Company, says traditional favorites like potatoes and carrots are still selling, but they’re not enjoying the surging growth of the latest ‘trendy’ items like many greens or berries.

No matter what is sought, buyers—whether retailers, restaurant chefs, or local residents—know the Jessup Market is a one-stop shop recognized for its locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as an increasing variety of ethnic foods in bulk, packaged, or value-added forms.

Improvements: Inside & Out
The Jessup Market, part of the Maryland Food Center and overseen by the Maryland Food Center Authority (MFCA), has upped its game in recent years to not only stay abreast of changes in the fresh produce industry, but to better its operations in an environmentally responsible manner.

Part of this eco-friendly stance includes improvements to the Jessup Market, both inside and out. According to Rose Harrell, deputy director, the MFCA completed the first of a two-phase $500,000 project, which included upgrading stairwell and warehouse emergency lighting, as well as replacing dilapidated manual doors with high-tech energy-efficient automatic doors—which were both necessary and much appreciated by market tenants.

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