Russell Shlagel
I am an AACPS: Local Farmer & Business Partner
Russell Shlagel, owner of Shlagel Farms, began his partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools in the fall of 2015. With over 100 acres in Waldorf, MD, this farm produces fruits and vegetables for the community and Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Pumpkin, butternut squash, peppers and acorn squash are just a few of the AACPS favorites that have been celebrated through the Tasting of the Rainbow program.
This year Shlagel Farms partnered with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools to open the first ever farmers market in the Brooklyn Park Community. The market was open on Mondays, beginning June 20 to August 15. The experience of having a market on the Brooklyn Park Middle School grounds and providing access for students and their families to enjoy a free summer meal from the school system was priceless. This program also provided Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) bags to approximately 20 staff members and 33 families in the Hilltop Elementary community. In an area that often lacks access to healthy food options, our market was the perfect fit to meet the needs of the students and community members.
This year, Shlagel Farms is also celebrating its 105th year of continuous farming. In 1912, Russell grandfather, Otto, came to America to secure good farmland. He bought the original tract in North Waldorf upon his arrival. Sadly, he passed as did his wife within a few years of owning the land. Left were five minor children on the farm, one of which was George, Russell’s dad. George Shlagel farmed every day of his life and passed his love of farming onto his son Russell who farms full time with his sons. Shlagel Farms holds a certification in Food Safety by the USDA called Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices for both harvest operations and packing shed operations. The farm sells produce to Coastal Sunbelt who is the distributor responsible to provide the students in all Anne Arundel County Public Schools with fresh fruits and vegetables. They also sell our fruits and vegetables to several chain grocery stores.
The Shlagel’s are conventional growers. They use no till planting whenever possible to reduce the disturbance and loss of the soil. They also use BMP (Best Management Practices), which focuses on the management of inputs to provide for economic, environmental and agronomic efficiency in production agriculture.
The farm is open to the public daily in May for pick your own Strawberries and weekends in October for pick your own pumpkins and family harvest fun. We also host field trips for groups of fifteen on weekdays in October. Large school groups are welcome and can make a reservation starting September of each year.
Russ Shlagel says, “It has been the motto of our farm since Otto Shlagel walked behind the horse and plow on this very land that he purchased in 1912, that “if we don’t take care of this land, it won’t take care us.”