Maryland Farm & Harvest: Episode 508

The motto of the Cow Comfort Inn Dairy in Carroll County is "where the cows enjoy their stay," but farmers Katie Dotter-Pyle and David Pyle's devotion to their bovine "guests" goes beyond the tongue-in- cheek hotel references. David and Katie monitor their animal's health constantly, in part by using a pedometer to monitor their steps. More steps than average? The cow might need to be bred. Fewer? It's time to call the vet.
Growing sod goes well beyond simply watching the grass grow. The Warpinski family of Central Sod Farms in Queen Anne's County explains what it takes to the cultivate acres of lush green turf that ends up in some of the area's most well-known public spaces. When it's time to harvest, a fleet of Rube Goldberg-esque machinery gets the job done.
For a farmer, buying that first tractor ranks up there with buying a truck—or even a house. We'll follow Calvert County grain and tobacco farmer Charles Cox as he waits for his first tractor to arrive at Spider Hall Farm.
The Local Buy: Al Spoler takes a stroll through Black Rock Orchard in Carroll County where farmer Dave Hochheimer raises about four thousand fruit trees. He learns why it's best to pick pears before they're ripe, before rounding out this "plum" assignment with a taste of dessert baked by Dave's wife, Emily Zaas.
Then & Now: Sod