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Family owned and operated since 1989, Lockbriar Farms is committed to bringing you the freshest, local produce around. We are Kent County's premier U-Pick fruits and vegetable farm located in Chestertown, MD.

 

About Us

We've been family owned and operated for almost 30 years by Wayne and Marcella Lockwood, along with our children Jacqueline and James. Our original farm was located in rural Cecil County, Maryland and was developed on land owned by the Frazier family dating back to the 1800's. 

We started out growing strawberries in 1989, which were sold wholesale to roadside stands and supermarkets. After a few years, we decided to shift our operation towards retail, opening a daily Farm Stand located at State Line Liquors and traveling to area Farmer's Markets during the week.

After relocating to Kent County, Maryland, where Wayne Lockwood was originally from, we decided to fulfill our dream of opening a U-Pick fruit and vegetable farm. This meant we had to replant everything, adding peaches, apples, plums, apricots and sweet cherries to our seasoned strawberries, briar fruits, and vegetable experience.

Our first "U-Pick" Season opened in 2007 with strawberries, blackberries and red raspberries. In 2008 we planted donut peaches, blueberries, apples and pumpkins, then in 2009 we added white peaches, nectarines, apricots and pluots to our U-Pick operation. As we continued to grow, we added black and yellow raspberries, gooseberries, currants, and elderberries, plus a full line of other fruits and vegetables including corn, cantaloupes, watermelons, and our famous Heirloom Tomatoes–including our Greenhouse, High Tunnel systems and early tomatoes.

Unfortunately, the Eastern Shore summer humidity, as well as the harsh winters made an unpleasant environment for our sweet cherries and apple trees, forcing us to focus our efforts and use our land in more efficient ways. 

Our Philosophy...

We are huge believers in the idea of "Farmer's Helping Farmer's" and think it's important to support and Co-op with local farms, especially if they're great at what they do! For example, Wings Landing Farm of Preston, MD, owned by the Quidas family for four generations, supplies some of our sweet corn, cantaloupes and watermelons throughout the summer. Because they are further south, we are able to offer their fresh local produce before it's available in our county!

Here, at Lockbriar Farms, we strive to grow the best quality fruits and vegetables possible, using IPM (Integrated Pest Management) practices and reduced spraying with organic products whenever possible. Although we are not USDA Certified Organic, we grow in a wholesome responsible manner, that's safe for our family and yours, while being committed to a cleaner, healthier environment for our farm and community.

To keep up with 'the new' we attended conferences every year on new technology, different varieties, and new methods for modern, sustainable farming. We have private consultants who assist with variety selection, disease prevention and growing methods ideal for our location. With a library full of books and information obtained from the University of Maryland Wye Research Center and USDA Fruit Research Station in Kearnysville, W.V., we are able to expand, improve and diversify our produce operation. 

We hope to see you soon. While you're online today, please visit some of our other web pages including "Fruit", "Vegetables" or if you're interested in agriculture, see "Growing Berries". Click here to Contact Us!

Our Location: Map & Driving Directions