How do I place an order?

Create a wholesale account at RootedFarmers.com Browse our inventory and add items to your cart. Select Pickup or Delivery Complete your order. Pay only upon inspection of your flowers.

Where can I see your products?

We update every Tuesday prior to opening for orders at 10 a.m.on Tuesdays. Our availability list is dynamic, and growers add items throughout the week.

Can I place an order at anytime?

Seasonally, orders open every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. ET, and close at noon on Monday.

How do I get my order?

Our growers will harvest Tuesday, and your order will be fresh and ready for pick-up and delivery each Wednesday. Pick-up Wednesdays at Historic Savage Mill. Add a note to your order what time you can pick up. Delivery is also available between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesdays for a fee of $15 within ten miles of Historic Savage Mill and $35 within 50 miles. Alternative delivery days can often be arranged. Contact us if Wednesday doesn’t suit your needs.

Where is Savage Mill?

istoric Savage Mill is centrally located in Howard County, Maryland. Our address is: 8600 Foundry Street Cotton Shed Building Savage, MD 20763 DIRECTIONS TO HISTORIC SAVAGE MILL From Baltimore and Points North South on I-95, or MD 295 (B/W Parkway) to MD 32 If on I-95, exit onto MD 32 East If on MD 295, exit onto MD 32 West (directions continue below) From Washington, DC and Points South North on I-95, or MD 295 to MD 32 If on I-95, exit onto MD 32 East If on MD 295, exit onto MD 32 West (directions continue below) From Frederick and Points West East on I-70 to MD 32 Exit onto MD 32 South (becomes “East” in Clarksville) (directions continue below) From Annapolis and Points East Take US 50 to I-97 North Exit onto MD 32 West (directions continue below) Exit onto US 1 South Right onto Howard Street Bear Left onto Baltimore Street (Howard Street ends) Left onto Foundry Street At traffic circle, take first exit into Savage Mill complex As you enter, our building is on the Left, and parking is on the right (terraced surface parking lot) We are in the “Cotton Shed Building,” which is to the left of the main building as you are facing it. Our entrance is on the Right (South) side of the Cotton Shed Building. If coming to pick up an order, you may park right next to the entrance to load.

I want to know more about your collective!

To keep you informed, our member growers will take turns writing blog posts to give you the inside scoop on what’s in our fields, our stories, and our commitment to ensuring you the product you want to wow your customers. Check out our blog !

For the Love of Soil: Understanding its Importance and Protecting its Health

Soil is our earth’s living, breathing skin

and it is important we keep it healthy

Soil is our earth’s living, breathing skin and its important that we keep it healthy!

Hey there, fellow soil enthusiasts! I have to admit something – I’m a soil nerd, and I’m proud of it. Back in college, I was on the soil judging team, and I absolutely loved every minute of it. There’s just something so fascinating about the way soil is composed of minerals of different sizes, and how the combination of those minerals determines the soil texture. When classifying a soil into a taxonomic group, soil judges take into account many factors, such as the parent material (the geology or rock that formed the soil layers) and where the soil is located on the landscape. It’s like a puzzle, and I loved putting all the pieces together!

Given its vital importance, I’m ecstatic to see that soil is finally getting the world spotlight it deserves — as a critical living ecosystem.

Soil health is essential for sustaining life on Earth, serving as the primary medium for plant growth, which, in turn, supports food production and provides habitat for countless species. Healthy soil is rich in organic matter, nutrients, and beneficial microorganisms, which promote plant growth and resilience. It also has good structure, allowing for adequate air and water circulation, which is essential for plant roots to absorb nutrients and water efficiently.

Unfortunately, soil health is facing significant challenges, including erosion, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in modern agricultural practices, and soil degradation due to urbanization.

But there are ways to nurture and protect this vital resource for current and future generations. For example, implementing conservation agriculture practices, such as no-till or reduced tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation, can help reduce erosion, increase organic matter content, improve soil structure, and enhance overall soil health.

Organic farming practices that avoid synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides can also promote soil health, as can composting and recycling organic waste.

As for me, I’ve seen these principles put into practice by local flower farmers, especially the farmers that are members of Chesapeake Flower Exchange.

All of our members use compost or composted manure to add organic matter to the soil; we use natural types of fertilizer, and avoid chemical pesticides. Dilly Dally garden has used compost every year and built up her soil organic matter significantly, Tanglewood Farms uses biological controls like parasitic wasps to control pests. Many of our crops are perennial, meaning they grow from year to year. We also use no-till or minimum till practices whenever possible. Gill Hill and Bee Haven Flower Farm have steep ground and always plant across the slope to help reduce soil erosion. If it is important to know that the people who grow your flowers are environmentally responsible and protect their soil, consider buying from local farms like Chesapeake Flower Exchange that implement sustainable practices.

Buy our Flowers

Support your local farmers, who support healthy soil.

Create a Wholesale Account

And remember, protecting and nurturing soil health is essential for the long-term sustainability of our food systems, ecosystems, and economies.

Lastly, if you are an avid gardener, or just starting to plant a few flowers, I encourage you to think about trying some of these soil health practices in your own garden.

Rototilling your beds year after year might seem like a good idea. There is often a benefit from the initial aeration that tillage provides, but the loss of soil aggregates from tilling ultimately reduces the oxygen available to these bacteria by creating compaction, and the mechanical action can damage the bacteria themselves and their habitats. Those microbes have an important place in the soil profile where they thrive. No till practices and using cover crops are great ways to promote soil health, so consider giving them a try. Remember, protecting and nurturing soil health is crucial for the long-term sustainability of our planet. Let’s all do our part to take care of this vital resource!

Patty Engler

I graduated from the University of Maryland with an Agronomy degree and started working with plants immediately after graduation. Growing flowers using sustainable agriculture is my passion. I love the synergy and beauty that flowers and bees present. I am committed to growing in an environmentally responsible way and enhancing pollinator habitat on my property.

See more articles by Patty Engler

Patty Engler

See more articles by Patty Engler

One Response

Jess Hayden

September 16, 2023

I would love to learn more about soil composition, sustainable planting practices and flower farming. Do you need a degree in Agronomy, or can a basic Biology degree give you a good start?