AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
and Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services
A sudden breeze from across a farm field provides momentary relief from Monday’s heat and humidity as student employees Miranda Whetzell and Ashlynn Zimmerman hustle to help customers with their purchases of sweet corn, squash, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, peaches, berries or melons at Chase’s Produce off Route 424 in Davidsonville.
As Miranda helped a local woman select a basket of peaches, shopper Tommy from Harford County had been waited on by Ashlynn and was heading to his SUV with a perfectly ripened cantaloupe in one arm and a melon in the other.
He noted that he’s been working on a custom build nearby and drives by the stand every day on his way home.
“I stop here because fresh produce is important to me and everything is really good,” Tommy said.
In the years Miranda and Ashlynn have worked for farm owners Marge and Bob Chase, they have waited on customers from across Anne Arundel County and as far away as Baltimore County and Washington, D.C. – especially during strawberry season. The farmstand’s location off Route 50 attracts attention so they are often quite busy.
The girls are among several students the Chase’s hire each year to serve customers, help replenish fruits or veggies that run out, or store what remains at the end of the day in coolers if still fresh. These days, Marge and Bob do most of the veggie picking themselves each morning, but they’ll ask the girls for help if in a crunch. The also pitch in planting strawberries or working the stand during strawberry season.
College student Miranda will be going into her senior year at the University of Maryland in College Park this fall majoring in psychology. This is the eighth summer the Davidsonville teen has worked at the farmstand (starting at the age of 14). She noted that the money she’s made this year will see her through the fall semester. She also works at a local podiatrist’s office part time.
“Between the two jobs, I haven’t needed to take out any loans. I’ve been able to get myself through college without any debt,” Miranda said.
She added that she likes working at the produce stand because it gets her outside and is good experience. Plus, she loves talking with the customers.
According to Bob Chase, his youngest student, Ashlynn, is a good worker and a great help.
“She’s already bought herself a jeep with her earnings and (like Miranda) she’s determined to pay for her education. She saves everything she earns since she can’t depend on scholarships and college is expensive,” he said.
He added that she’s invaluable when strawberry season rolls around and it’s necessary to remove the 3,500 sandbags used to hold the row covers down over the plants during cold weather.
“It’s usually just me and Ashlynn picking up those 25 to 30 lb. sandbags. She’s as good as any boy and will work in that strawberry field as long as I let her,” said Chase.
Also from Davidsonville, multi-year farmstand employee Ashlynn says she is going to be a junior at Southern High School this fall but is already thinking of the future.
“I’ve taken a break this summer to focus on working the produce stand, but this autumn I’ll go back to working at a local restaurant to save more money for college,”
Like all of Bob and Marge Chase’s student workers, both girls go out of their way to help the shoppers, even carrying their packages to their cars for them. Both are grateful for the summer work. They’ve learned a lot and have even become expert at picking out the ripest cantaloupes and melons. They also like the perk of having their own Chase’s Produce brand shirts featuring the smiling ear of corn (sold at the stand).
Most days, Chase’s Produce is open from 2 pm to 7 pm but you can find driving directions and the farmstand schedule from now through September by visiting Chase’s Produce – Fruits and Vegetables, Fresh Produce (chasesproduce.com).
The first produce stand we ever visited, even before collecting and creating recipes for www.sharonleestable.com back in 2017, was Diehl’s Produce in Olde Severna Park when owner Doug Diehl was still on hand most days. Founded by Doug 52 years ago, the stand is ably managed today by his daughter Jennifer Diehl. Then as now, the stand was well-known for hiring students to help run the operation throughout the summer.
We encountered one of those students, Maggie Mullerby, checking out customers beneath Diehl’s shady red and white striped tents. She was quick and efficient as she weighed quantities of Adams County, Pa. peaches and fat, juicy tomatoes placed on the counter by shopper Bob Hendrix and his wife.
During a break, we learned that Maggie will shortly be headed back to the University of Rhode Island for her sophomore year majoring in Civil Engineering. She has worked for Diehl’s Produce in Severna Park for about four or five years, from the time she was in high school, earning money toward her education.
“We have students of various ages this year, a mix of high school students and a few college students like me,” she said. “It’s a great job and we often stay on for a while.”
The tent was suddenly very busy but before Maggie went back to the register, she observed that there are not many of the more traditional summer jobs available these days. A few of her friends work at summer camps but the rest mostly work for restaurants.
Hoping to speak to Jennifer Diehl about the students she employs, we realized she’d been supervising the unloading of Eastern Shore vegetables from the Diehl’s Produce truck.
Employing students is one of the things we’re all about,” Diehl said. “It’s funny because we still see people who live in the area that are now doctors or lawyers or professionals who all worked here as students when I was younger…some as far back as 50 years ago. It’s incredible when they come back and say hi
Of course, both Jennifer and her sister Abby worked at the stand when they were students. Both of Jennifer’s daughters, Ella and Madeline (Maddy), worked the stand from the time they were about 10. Like their mother, they have chosen to remain in the family business.
Abby wanted own independent business but, wanting to carry on the family brand, created Diehl’s Produce of Annapolis at 921 Chesapeake Avenue in Eastport. She’s always quick to point out that she owes much of her success to her father Doug who taught her everything she knows. She even copied his four-tent design for her own stand.
Remembeing that working the counter at an ice cream shop was once a popular summer job, we crossed B&A Boulevard to The FroYo House Frozen Yogurt where manager Beth VanMeter assured me that, sure enough, several students are part of the staff currently. However, none were working late afternoon on Tuesday to chat with.
A few doors away from FroYo on B&A Boulevard we came to The Big Bean which sells plenty of frosty drinks and is kind of like a traditional soda fountain. From the moment the coffee shop was opened by founder/owner Deb Hoffman in —— until today when owned by Christie and Greg Coster, students have been among its employees. Walking in, we found about-to-be college student Zowie Talley working the counter and creating those icy drinks.
“I actually started working here before summer but I’ve been saving money for college,” Zowie said. “I’ll be entering the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville in August to study mortuary science with plans to become a mortician.”
We have to say that we admired the ambition and willingness to work of all of these students. Given the scarcity of traditional summer jobs the pluck of these young women is admirable.
AAUW Book Collections about to begin
We’ve had news from Catherine Crowley that The American Association of University Women (AAUW AA Co) is once again collecting used books to benefit scholarships for Anne Arundel County women.
Collections dates and times are: 9:00 am to 12 noon on August 10 and 24, September 7 and 21 and October 5.
Collection sites will be in the parking lots of St Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Church, 375 Benfield Rd, Severna Park; Anne Arundel Community College, W. Campus Drive (off Rt 2), Arnold; and St Phillip’s Episcopal Church, 730 Bestgate Rd, Annapolis.
For further information, visitAAUW Anne Arundel County (MD) Branch. For large book donations call 410-647-7041.
The eagerly anticipated AAUW book sale will be held in early November.
National Night Out at Kinder Farm Park
A reminder that Anne Arundel Eastern District Police’s National Night Out will be held at Kinder Farm Park on Tuesday, August 6th from 6 till 8 pm.
Jing Ying Institute Camp for Kids
Another reminder that Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi has announced its August 2024 Camp for Kids taking place from August 12 through 16 from 9 am till 4pm. The camp will include intensive practice in kung fu as well as a chance to try crafts, Chinese Lion Dance, music, tumbling, tai chi and group games such as tag, dodge ball and more.
For registration, visit https://cp.mystudio.io/e/?=JingYing/3031/540928//1705632459 .
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center.)
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
