Our Farm’s History

These Seeds Were Planted Centuries Ago

Baywater Farms is only in existence thanks to the passion, care, and responsible farming techniques of our ancestors who sowed seeds on the same land six generations ago. In 1860, Ephraim Holloway began his farming operations in Salisbury. Ephraim’s son, Sylvester, built the first farmhouse on our property and raised local crops and animals. When Sylvester died, he divided the farm into four pieces. One of Sylvester’s industrious sons, Randolph, wanted to follow in his father’s path and purchased two additional pieces of land from his siblings.

Randolph built a house to put down his own roots, married, and farmed grain, tomatoes, watermelons, and sweet cantaloupes. Randolph’s son, Frank, served in World War II and returned home to work for a local power company and continue farming on the side.

Our farm struggled to hang on for many years, as the market for local, heirloom produce declined and consumers gravitated towards standardized, grocery store-friendly farming methods using pesticides and herbicides. Our roots were almost destroyed until Robert Holloway, one of our current farmers, made a deal with his grandmother to save the farmhouse and land.

In the 1990s, Robert returned to his childhood farm and planted 2 ½ acres of sweet, juicy, pick-your-own blackberries. Over time, thanks to smart business decisions and a passion for growing local heirloom produce without compromise, our operation has continued to expand to include over 1,000 acres. Baywater Greens was founded in 2011 to produce local hydroponic lettuce, and over time we have expanded to include the field crops that our consumers know and love today.

Our Revival of the Maryland Fish Pepper

Baywater Farms fish peppers aren’t just another delicious product of a Maryland summer—they’re a comeback. As part of our efforts to return historical crops to family farm, we tracked down fish pepper seeds that grow into gorgeous, red hot peppers. Fish peppers were historically used to season seafood dishes throughout the Eastern shore, but gradually fell to the brink of extinction. Just like we did with our Holloway family farm, we have revived the fish pepper and know that you’ll love the spicy taste of this pepper’s comeback.

We respect the legacy of our great-grandparents and only use farming techniques that are ethical and sustainable, as we want our farm to feed another six generations of Maryland residents. We sow our seeds by hand, tend to our crops each day, and harvest them at the peak of perfection. Our farming isn’t about us, it’s about the stars of the show—our delicious, nutritious, non-GMO, responsibly grown produce.

Take a Taste of What We Have to Offer

Baywater Farms is a family-owned and operated farm servicing Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware beaches, and the Eastern Shore. Baywater Farms is capable of meeting the demands of your produce distributor, restaurant produce supplier, CSA produce supplier, or wholesale produce supplier while maintaining the integrity and character of a small farm. Baywater Farms is about more than just hydroponic lettuce—we also grow heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, shishito peppers, field lettuces, custom grows, watermelon, Maryland’s own fish peppers, and more. When you work with Baywater Farms, you work with an experienced, ethical, and local farm dedicated to providing the highest-quality heirloom produce possible.