By Aaliyah Pinkney//
Cyndy Howles sits tucked in the back room of a busy market, staring at the chaos from a tiny window on the old wooden door of her office. Nearby, a mom tries to maintain her composure as she tells her son to stop touching the produce while also trying to soothe her crying baby.
Howles is the manager of Baugher’s Orchard in Westminster and has worked here for 20 years. Her favorite part of the job is working with and bringing joy to the families who come here. “People come here and they’re happy,” Howles says with a smile.
Baugher’s began in the early 1900’s as a simple 60-acre farm with an orchard, owned by Edward and Romaine Baugher. Today, Baugher’s consists of 1,125 acres.
Three stop lights and a right turn away from the orchard market is Baugher’s Restaurant, Fruit Market and Bakery. This was opened in 1948 with the intention of bringing in additional income after the effects of the Great Depression.
Baugher’s transformed from a struggling farm to a business consisting of a restaurant, a fruit market, an orchard market, a bakery and over 1,000 acres of farmland. In the beginning, the growth of the business was very intentional and was simply a means for survival. Today, it’s as if the business has taken on a life of its own.
Though the business has been around for quite some time, its success has seemed to skyrocket in recent years. “It’s actually unbelievable,” Howles says with a laugh. “It went from this quiet farm in the country to Disneyworld.”
A few feet away in the orchard market, the smell of cinnamon and apple cider fills the air. A little girl runs around in circles as her wild hazel hair and blue dress catch in the breeze.
Pumpkin season is only three weeks away – their busiest time of the year.
The orchard offers multiple activities for families such as pick your own fruits, pumpkins and flowers. Their most successful addition to the orchard, however, is the petting zoo, Howles says. “People from the city love it.”
A few hundred feet from the market, a little girl pushes through the black metal gates of the petting zoo, eager to see all of the animals. The petting zoo consists of goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, bunnies, peacocks, turkeys, ducks and emus. The smell of manure lingers in the air and animal feces litters the ground but no one seems to mind.
A couple sits on a bench, watching their granddaughter run from animal to animal. The couple, Magaly and Patrick Keene, came from Baltimore and this is their first time visiting the orchard.
“It gives us time to enjoy nature and see our granddaughter happy,” Magaly Keene says, smiling over at her granddaughter. “It gives us everything.”
Their granddaughter looks at them for reassurance as she carefully pets the black baby goat. They clap and smile at her with genuine admiration.
Behind the couple, a packed wagon passes by. The adults are using their phones to capture the scenery around them and the children are bouncing with excitement. They are going to pick apples.
Though the orchard provides fun activities for the family, its main focus has always been the produce. “People want to know where their food is coming from and I think we do a good job of that,” Howles says.
Howles credits part of the recent success of the orchard to the fact that people seem to be leaning towards healthier eating habits.
All of the fruit and 90% of all the products sold in the market come directly from the farm.
Outside of the office doors, shelves are lined with produce and various pumpkin, apple, peach and blueberry flavored products.
In recent years, the orchard has begun to dive into the world of wholesale. Currently, Baugher’s sells products to farmers markets as well as small grocery stores. “Our truck goes out almost daily,” Howles says.
There are times where Baugher’s even sells produce to competing orchards.
The reason the orchard has been able to reach this level of success is because of the local community. “It’s the heart of our business,” Howles says fondly.
People all around Carroll County grew up going to Baugher’s Orchard and “60% of the county knows someone who works here,” Howles says.
Howles reminisces about bringing her daughter here when she was a child. She’s all grown up now.
According to Howles, the growth of the business is far from finished. The family plans to expand the market and lean farther into the world of “agrotainment,” Howles says. There are plans of adding a bounce pad along with a pavilion area to host parties.
Though Baugher’s refuses to remain stagnant, the focus always has been and always will be on its produce. This is what separates Baugher’s from many of its larger competitors.
Outside of the orchard market, children run around and argue over who gets to drive the playground train. Ten years from now, they may come back and stare at the toy train with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. They won’t be able to contain their smile.
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