Dry Market
If you haven’t already noticed there are several regular vendors missing from the weekly market at Bethesda—the wine, beer, and spirits producers. Someone complained that the market was selling alcohol on school property and just like that the party was over. I don’t who they are or why they decided that after years of having regional libation producers at the market without incident, suddenly it’s not ok.
It’s not like we’ve ever tried to hide it. Dishing the Dirt has been writing about our artisan alcohol producers since 2018. During the pandemic when restaurants and bars closed down it was the farmers market that helped keep these small, independent, local businesses alive and many of our patrons sane.
Last week when my empty cardboard four-pack beckoned to me to refill it with Jimmy Nelly’s Irish Red from Milkhouse Brewery, I realized I was manure out of luck. My chances of getting to their brewery are next to none given my workload on the farm, but I’ve been a regular customer since they first started coming to the market. Actually, I make it a point to patronize as many of the adult beverage vendors at the market that my budget allows because I know what it means to pour your heart and soul into producing a premium product.
At the New Years Eve market when my regular neighbors were gone, two local spirits vendors bookended my spot. Since there were already a few bottles from Tenth Ward Distilling Company in my liquor cabinet, I opted to try something from the silver fox who owns and operates Gray Wolf Distilling. I liked the rye he sold me so much I wanted to procure a bottle for a dear friend’s upcoming birthday. That’s not going to happen now.
The alcohol vendors have become my go-to people for many gifts over the years. And that Hazelnut Bourbon from Butterfly Spirits, put that in your crème brûlée. Ooo la la! I guess I’m going to have to switch back to plain ol’ vanilla.
So what gives? I looked up online the issue at which we have run afoul and I’m hoping with some good old fashion common sense we’ll be able to get our vendors back to where they belong.
Universal Citation: MD Educ Code § 26-103 (2018)
(a) Prohibited conduct. --
(1) Unless locally approved by the county board of education, a person may not drink or possess any alcoholic beverage on the premises of any public school.
(2) A person who drinks or possesses any alcoholic beverage and causes a public disturbance at any elementary or secondary school athletic contest may not refuse to comply with a request by a law enforcement officer to stop drinking and causing the public disturbance. If the person complies with the first request, he may not be charged under this paragraph.
(b) Penalty. --
(1) Any person under 18 years of age who violates the provisions of this section shall be issued a citation and be subject to the dispositions for a violation under Title 3, Subtitle 8A of the Courts Article.
(2) Any person 18 years old or older violating the provisions of this section shall be issued a citation and be subject to § 10-119 of the Criminal Law Article.
Do we need to petition the county board of education? For what it’s worth, I don’t think any of the students who attend the elementary school are going to be trying to purchase alcohol at the farmers market. Has this made me and every other patron who has ever purchased alcohol at the farmers market a criminal?
Laws such as these were put into place to prevent teachers from keeping a flask in their desk, kids from bringing booze from their parents’ stash to school, and parents sipping wine at soccer games. I don’t see any fifth graders buying $80 of liquor and given what teachers are paid these days, they’re probably not buying any either. What about the two new vape stores that have just opened across the street from the school? Vaping companies are being shut down right and left for specifically targeting children with their flavored products. And starting July 1st I wonder what else they’ll be selling.
The state of Maryland takes great pride in their agriculture. Do they not understand that alcohol is an agricultural product? Many farms have turned to alcohol production—on-site breweries and cider houses—in an effort to keep generational farms in their families now that commodity crop prices have been driven into the ground by cheap imports, industry consolidation, and stock exchange speculation. All the distillers I’ve spoken to at market take great pride in procuring local grains and inputs for their products. They know the value of keeping local croplands in production so they don’t fall victim to housing developments or warehouses. Producers have jumped through every legal hoop to bring their product to the public and now have had the rug ripped out from under their feet. To this I say shame on you, Maryland, Montgomery County, and the school board.
Research has proven that money spent on locally produced goods at farmers markets increases ten-fold. Both business owners and workers spend their money within their communities on everything from going out to lunch to procuring services and goods with which to operate the business. Purchasing from the producer puts more money directly into their pockets as opposed to being forced to wholesale to a distributor who takes their cut and can string out an invoice for 30 to 60 days. Farmers market also serve to give producers valuable feedback from customers that they would not get through a distributor. Plus, many of these producers are extremely interesting people. I love hearing their stories of what inspired them to do what they do.
But what really bothers me the most is that they’ve taken away valuable friendships. I’ve watched for years as relationships have been built between vendors, my favorite one being Two Story Chimney Ciderworks and Toby Island Bay Oyster Farm. How does Tommy (the dad) explain to Tommy (the son) they can’t go to market anymore where Tommy (the son) can’t hang out with his favorite waterman asking him a million and one questions? If you’ve ever seen those two together, you’ll know instantly they’re the best of buddies.
I get it. Some folks don’t imbibe, but don’t put other people’s recreation and businesses out in the cold because of your teetotaling high horse. Let’s find a reasonable solution and get our friends back at the market.