Maryland shoppers turn to local farms for produce amid Cyclospora outbreak

SILVER SPRING, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) walked back an earlier finding regarding contaminated lettuce linked to a nationwide outbreak of Cyclospora. It comes as local farmers are seeing a dramatic surge in business as shoppers look for safer, traceable alternatives.

What we know:

The FDA, headquartered in Silver Spring, announced it is retracting a previous test result that identified the Cyclospora parasite in shredded lettuce supplied by Mexico-based Taylor Farms. 

Regulators confirmed the initial finding was a false positive. However, the agency noted it continues to support Taylor Farms’ ongoing voluntary recall while investigations persist.

READ MORE | Taylor Farms cyclospora finding was a false positive, FDA says

The nationwide Cyclospora outbreak has already sickened an estimated 1,600 people across the country, including numerous residents in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region.

Shoppers turn to local farms

Local perspective:

In the wake of public health concerns, consumers across Montgomery County are skipping supermarket produce aisles in favor of local farm stands and markets.

At Heyser Farms in Silver Spring, business is booming as workers scramble to keep up with heightened demand for fresh greens.

"Well, you know where your produce is coming from," said Megan O’Dell of Heyser Farms. "And if we’re doing it right, we’re being transparent about what we’re using and where we’re coming from."

Public health experts agree that localized supply chains offer distinct advantages during outbreaks linked to imported produce.

"This isn’t something that’s a general risk to all produce," explained Dr. Amesh Adalja, M.D., of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "But certainly, if you’re buying locally, you’re not buying something grown in Mexico where the irrigation water may have been contaminated."

A similar scene is playing out at Norman’s Farm Market in Bethesda, which has experienced a steady increase in foot traffic since the outbreak began. Both regular customers and first-time shoppers say buying directly from local growers provides a level of reassurance that major grocery chains simply cannot match.

"First of all, the display is fantastic, and it makes me think that I’m getting it fresh from the farm," said one local shopper. "The others are so massive, you have no idea where they’re coming from."

For local farm owners, direct accountability is proving to be their strongest asset.

"I think being able to look somebody in the eye and being able to tell them where things were grown, when they were picked—I think it’s very important right now and very reassuring," said John Norman of Norman’s Farm Market.

Pushing for a long-term boost

Dig deeper:

Montgomery County officials hope to leverage the sudden shift in consumer habits into a lasting economic benefit for regional agriculture.

To help strengthen connections between residents and local growers, more than 20 farm and agricultural sites across Montgomery County will open their barn doors to the public this weekend for the county’s annual Farm Tour.