How Sweet It Is Produce & Garden Center covers almost 80 acres of land in Eden, Md., serving fresh produce, local plants, beer and wine.

Brent Malone started the business more than 25 years ago with his father because they wanted something to do during the summers. Malone says one of the most important aspects of the business is keeping the customers and the farmers happy.

“Everything they get is genuine quality,” Malone says. “We’re quality control—we are the ones who buy it and we take pride in what we are selling.”

The family-owned produce market, nursery and garden center, located one mile south of Fruitland on Route 13, has 11 large greenhouses and 10 acres of nursery stock. In addition to catering to small families, How Sweet It Is serves retail and wholesale customers.

“Our customers really like the fact they know where their produce is coming from,” Malone says. “We buy from the same local farmers every year and we go all out to get it. They know they can come here and the tomatoes are ripe, the corn is sweet…”

How Sweet It Is is open six days a week, year-round. Since the establishment relies on local farmers, the produce changes throughout the year. Currently, Malone says the seafood section is very popular including products like Maryland crab meat and Chesapeake oysters.

“We have also been getting a lot of grassfed beef and wild caught seafood, free range eggs, local milk and honey…” Malone says. “People can stop at one place and get a real taste of the Eastern Shore. We find it for them and they can get it in one spot.”

Malone says serving the community healthy, fresh, local produce is extremely important. In addition to the health benefits to customers, there are several economic benefits to the local farmers and community.

“It benefits all of us,” Malone says. “When your putting money back into the local community, you’re helping the farmers and we’re all eating better.”

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How Sweet It Is offers a great selection of local beer and wine.

How Sweet It Is Offers…

  • Plants- conifers, grass, perennials, shrubs, trees and tropicals
  • More than 30 mitigation plants, including Euonymus silver king, Abelia kaleidoscope and cypress bald
  • Fresh local produce- supersweet white corn, strawberries, fruit baskets
  • Jams and jellies as well as honey, salad dressing, fruit butters
  • Healthy snacks and candies
  • Chesapeake Bay Farms products including cheese, butter, milk and ice cream
  • Seafood including handpicked Maryland crab meat, Maryland soft shell crabs, Chincoteague little neck clams, oysters and scallops
  • Mulch, soil and stone
  • Water gardening, fountain kits, pond plants, water treatment, gardening guides, pottery

Check it out:

How Sweet It Is

Address: 3601 Stockyard Rd, Eden, MD 21822

Phone: (410) 742-8600