Willard R. Mumford
Published: 2000
Total Pages: 184
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Strawberries, Peas & Beans is the story of farmers, pickers, produce & unique brass tokens used by the farmers to pay their pickers. With over 2,000 truck farms, Anne Arundel County was one of the leading truck farming regions in the United States. Anne Arundel gave birth to commercial strawberries & led the nation in strawberry acreage for many years. Peach orchards in Maryland were first grown in Anne Arundel County. Melons developed in the County delighted consumers with a reputation as the finest in the world. Anne Arundel produce with its reputation for quality was shipped as far North as Montreal & as far West as Denver. Strawberries, Peas & Beans documents the truck farming era in Anne Arundel County, an era ignored in Maryland history books & unknown to most people. The book tells of the hard life of the farmers & how they depended upon the immigrant pickers from Baltimore. Over 10,000 pickers migrated to the Anne Arundel farms during the summer months to pick strawberries, peas & beans. The book describes an agricultural society & elaborates on the reputation of Anne Arundel produce. The book also includes the most complete inventory of pickers' checks ever compiled, listing over 400 farmers & 1500 different varieties of tokens.