Nutgraf

Mitch Berliner, along with Ann Brody Cove, founded the Bethesda Central Farm Market, the latest addition to the Bethesda’s produce options. When I met Mitch on a recent and beautiful Sunday, he was holding down the fort for the Blue Ridge Dairy representative who’d stepped away for a moment. Mitch has advanced schmoozing technique, and was doing a fantastic job of attracting people to the booth and encouraging them to sample the goods. I can personally vouch for the excellence of the applewood smoked mozzarella. It’s like bacon, but fresh and mozzarelly.

• Here’s my previous post about the wonders therein.

This newest market of the three in my immediate environs has some keen new features. There was a lady sharpening knives and other sharpen-worthy utensils, and I’ve been reading about dinner events at local restaurants. They’ve also got some kind of dealie called Fresh Give!, the gist of which seems to be that each day’s market can be sponsored by a local business that pledges some amount of money to buy up any leftover food at the end of the day’s trading. The goods are distributed to a local food bank or kitchen, the producers make a little extra if they don’t sell out, and the company gets a little attention and a tax benefit.

Anyway, Mitch’s enthusiasm is contagious, and so I e-mailed him a few questions that he was kind enough to answer.

This is the third market in the neighborhood. What need are you trying to meet that the others don’t?

I think that Bethesda was in need of a real, comprehensive farmers market.

Check out their Web site to learn more >>

You told me about (and I enjoyed watching) the knife sharpener who makes twice-monthly appearances. Do you have other services or promotions on the way?

You will see that we are trying to be a real community-building place where folks will come not just to purchase great food from the people that grow or make it, but to have an entire experience. We’ve developed great relationships with Manna Foods and Bethesda Green, and are also trying to connect the local restaurants to the farmers by having them purchase product and host farm dinners.

What was the biggest challenge to getting this market started?

Since we started late in the year, it was difficult at first to get the farmers to commit. But when they heard about the plan, most were able to figure out a way to be here this season and we have a waiting list of farmers for next year.

What kind of response have you had from the community?

I think it has been overwhelmingly positive. We have had so many people come up and say that they are thrilled to have a place like this finally in downtown Bethesda. We are getting many people from Chevy Chase, Rockville, Northwest DC and Potomac as well. The best marker is that each week more people are coming, and more importantly, they are coming regularly to purchase their groceries.

This market is on Bethesda Lane on Thursdays and in a parking lot by Jaleo on Sundays. Why is it migratory?

The parking lot is rented during the week and on Saturdays.

How do you seek out and select participants?

Combined, both Ann and I have been in the food business for over 80 years. We are passionate about food and nutrition, and we have always visited and shopped at markets. We knew who the “A” team would be and we sought them out to join the Bethesda Central Farm Market.

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