Seed Catalogue

Collards Oct 2021

This storyteller only comes to the market in September and October to buy produce for the winter holidays, like kale, collards, and sweet potatoes.

Mom's Purple Cauliflower Oct 2021

Mom bought purple cauliflower because it was pretty! I sent her shopping and she returned with speckled beans and black beans from the Pea Man—who was incredulous that she didn’t want a third pound of beans for a dollar! That would be a lot of beans…...

Radish Boy Oct 2021

Dressed up in a pirate hat, this young storyteller shares his market story: the time he got to pick a free vegetable for his birthday from One Straw Farm! He chose radishes because he doesn’t get to eat radishes all year round! A child who appreciate...

Charm City Hemp Oct 2021

This storyteller found Charm City Hemp at the Fells Point farmers’ market. He just strolled up to ask if they were hiring, which reminds me of how I started working at Farm to Face. I just asked.

Interlocking Hearts Oct 2021

These seeds are a pair, existing both individually and alone, links in a chain, half of a friendship necklace. Interlocking stories.

The Juggler Oct 2021

I recognized this storyteller as a repeat customer from Farm to Face. As it turned out, she had just bought kohlrabi salad from my our stand. I remember making the salad over the summer. It was the most time intensive dish I made. This storyteller re...

Flower Child Oct 2021

This storyteller was one of my co-workers at Farm to Face. She loves the flowers at the market!

Rainbow Chard Oct 2021

A young storyteller very intent on drawing rainbow chard, but didn’t trust her audience to identify it as such. So she labeled it just so there wasn’t any confusion.

Experiencing the Market Together Oct 2021

This storyteller was from DC and visiting his partner in Baltimore. Today was a special day because usually his partner only goes to the market on weekends when they’re not together, but now they get to experience the market together!

Wabi Sabi Joy Oct 2021

Joan with the whimsical pottery draws a smiley face on her seed. She feels so much joy at the market, and appreciation. Seeing others buy her work makes her happy. I bought my first mug from Joan the Saturday after I turned in my final paper of the s...

Basket Buddies Oct 2021

Two basket-wearers spot each other from across the market, do a little head nod. “Nice basket.” This storyteller wonders if maybe he should start a Facebook group? These baskets aren’t just for the market. He brings it to the grocery store and pulls ...

Samaritan Cabbage Oct 2021

These storytellers used to do cooking demonstrations at farmers’ markets. They would buy all the ingredients from farmers in the morning, and then prepare a simple meal—simple because they only had a camping stove, and also because they wanted the me...

Yum Yum Oct 2021

kbstudioart…she goes to the Schuler School of Fine Arts and studies portraiture…it’s a four year program, full-time. One of her friends shows me a painting that kb did of her cat, and it looks like a photograph. kb and her three friends have a very s...

Kupcake Kidz Oct 2021

Oct 2021: The Kupcake Kids started their family business a few years ago because they needed to raise money to go on a cruise to the Bahamas. The Cottage Law in Maryland—which also allowed me to bake my muffins—allowed them to bake out of their home ...

Stellar Spectactular Oct 2021

Like a dancer who doesn’t miss a beat, he swooped into my stand and started drawing on the seed as I explained the project. “I’m an MFA student, moved to Baltimore in December 2020, the market has been critical to me navigating my new community. Do y...

"When I Grow Up" Oct 2021

This storyteller had recently moved to Baltimore from Davis, CA about a month ago, to work for Baltimore Transportation. Like me, he visited the Waverly market the first Saturday he was in town. He’s surrounded by so much produce! His brain is like--...

Poe Oct 2021

This storyteller is a poet and a PhD student. Ironically, I was thinking of moving in with her when I was first looking at houses in Baltimore. We connected over the Lerdies e-mail group. I recognized her when she came to Farm to Face one day. She al...

Hoops & Flutes

Hoops: Theresa had heard about the hoopers at the JFX market but could never find them! These two women have been hooping for 12 years! They’ve seen kids come over and over again, watching them go from kids to teenagers to adults, from 8 years old to...

Animals by Bailey Oct 2021

The 32nd Street Farmers Market was the first place Bailey started selling her artwork, her first attempt at being a freelance artist. Marc the market master always buys her work! Bailey is getting her second bachelor’s degree at Towson in Arts Ed. Re...

Pumpkins & Books Oct 2021

Pumpkins: Wearing a Simpsons face mask, a young storyteller lingers by my table. “What’s this?” he says. I ask if he has a story about the market he wants to share. He says he’ll think about it and come back. And he does! “I have a story about food,”...

Compost Band Oct 2021

“As a person who has played flute and saxophone in a jazz quintet for 25 years, the pandemic destroyed my musical life. You can’t play a wind instrument with a mask. So my keyboard playing friend suggested we switch to accordion and clarinet at the W...

Harry Oct 2021

Harry has been coming to the 32nd Street Farmers Market since he could sit on his dad’s shoulders. His dad was the market master for awhile, and it was his dad who advocated for flipping the market—swapping the vendor lot with the parking lot to give...

Stone Soup Oct 2021

This storyteller is a sexual health educator who moved to Baltimore in March 2020 from NYC. Baltimore is so green compared to NYC, she tells me. She has been coming to the market every weekend to buy a bone from Liberty Delight to make bone broth. Wa...

Niel (567 & 655)

I thought I recognized Niel when he pulled up with his wagon. “You look like you come here a lot,” I said. “I’ve been coming here every weekend since December 2010.” It sounded familiar. I had just posted on Instagram about a market regular who I met...

Lentils 6.3.23

The first solid food that this storyteller's daughter ate were lentils from an Ethiopian stand at the market. They had red, green, and yellow lentils. This vendor is no longer at the 32nd Street Farmers Market, but she ran into them years later at th...

Flowers for Friends 6.3.23

In response to to the story prompt, "What gift would you give someone from the market?" this community member drew flowers. She then gave the seed to her friend, saying, “Here friend – flowers!”

First Date at the Market 6.3.23

This seed pair is from a couple who had their first date at the JFX farmers market. The date was delayed because one of them had COVID, so there was a lot of anticipation built up! It was so hot that day and the date didn’t last long. Now they are bu...

Mother-Daughter Time 6.3.23

This mother and daughter duo love the quality time that they get to spend together at the farmers market: “I love coming to the market with my mama.”

Pay It Forward 4.29.23

This is the storyteller's second time at the market. The first time she came, somebody paid for her market purchase because she didn’t have any cash, and she wants to pay it forward!

Consistency 4.29.23

These abstract colors were offered by a storyteller who is a year out of school and has lots of part-time jobs. The market offers consistency.

Explosion of Color 4.29.23

This explosion of colorful flowers comes from a husband and wife. They live in Baltimore County and come to the 32nd Street Market every Saturday. It’s a bonding experience for them. They walk around, try new foods (like multi-colored eggs from Cat’s...

Songs in Boxes 4.29.23

This storyteller spontaneously began singing “Songs in Boxes” from my friend Theresa’s show, “Variety Show: The Musical!” This is more of a special memory for me because I was not expecting a stranger to start singing a song from my friend’s thesis s...

Butterfly Bush 4.29.23

This storyteller drew a butterfly bush in honor of her grandson. In a follow-up e-mail, she wrote: “I’ve already written a note to my grandson about the ‘butterfly bush’ seeds I drew and potted up, and encouraged him to send me a drawing and story ab...

Love, The Library 4.29.23

This storyteller doesn't usually interact with people about the library outside the library. Loves hearing people’s unsolicited reactions to the library!

Lantern Fly 6.3.23

Lantern flies – you need to report and kill them when you see them! says this storyteller.

Cooking for Mom 6.3.23

This storyteller left Maryland 40 years ago, but is back from Georgia visiting his mom. She doesn’t cook but he loves to. He's buying food for dinner. He loves the warmth at the market.

Love to Write (1 - 4)

This young storyteller loves to write in cursive. Her brother loves bright colors, especially the color red. They come back to the market in September. She draws a rainbow, which she keeps for herself. On the other seed, she draws a cup of tea with a...

Pirate Corn 8.5.23

This storyteller has designated vendors for different produce. He buys his corn from Farmer Cindy because it’s only $0.75 an ear. Other farmers sell it for $1 an ear. “I call that pirate corn. Because it’s a buck-an-ear!”

Suki 8.5.23

This storyteller was inspired by the suki relationship that I shared with her. To read more about the suki relationship, see the "Suki" chapter in Story Seeds: Growing Home at the Farmers Market.

Mushrooms or Beignets? 8.5.23

This couple comes to the 32nd Street and the JFX farmers markets almost every week (although they are trying to save money, so maybe they shouldn’t come as much!). Public transportation from midtown makes it easy to get here. They take the bus and th...

Old Line Plate (1 & 2)

Kara saw that Story Seeds was going to be at the market today and made the special effort to make a seed in honor of the celery that she received in last week’s CSA from One Straw Farm. She doesn’t usually buy celery, but she was blown away by Joan’s...

The Bean Man Fresh Beans 8.5.23

This couple was back in Baltimore visiting for the weekend and made a special trip to their home market. They lived in Maryland for 46 years before moving to Gambier, Ohio, where the husband teaches creative writing at Kenyon College. They go to the ...

Donut (1 - 3) 8.5.23

Donuts were the star of the market today. Three young market-goers drew a donut as their favorite market treat.

Home in Disparate Places (1 & 2) 8.5.23

These seeds were drawn by a family who feels at home in what feels like disparate places – Japan, Hawaii, and Baltimore. They met and got married in Baltimore, lived in Japan for awhile, then Hawaii (where they had their son), and are now back in Bal...

Candle Apple Vendor 8.5.23

I shared a Story Seed with Alvin and Delsena that a market-goer had made with a candy apple on it. “You’re part of what makes the market special for someone,” I said. “You never know how you inspire someone,” Delsena said. An artist at the JFX market...

Ice Pops and Apples 8.5.23

This storyteller's favorite things to get at the market are ice pops and apples!

Watermelon 8.5.23

This storyteller loves getting watermelon from the market! She and her mom are taking one home today.

NPR Lettuce 8.5.23

This young storyteller and her mom were sporting all the NPR swag. The young storyteller wore an NPR T-shirt, and as she was halfway through drawing her lettuce, I noticed her mom wearing WYPR sunglasses. She came back later that morning to show me h...

Prune Plum 8.5.23

This young storyteller had his mouth full with a fresh plum from Reid’s Orchard when he stopped by the Story Seeds stand with his dad. Apparently it was a "prune plum." "Isn't a prune just a dried plum?” I asked. The dad laughed. “You’re right…maybe ...

Mr. Vidor 8.5.23

This storyteller spent a long time thoughtfully drawing her Story Seed. The accordion is a shoutout to Mr. Vidor who plays the accordion at the market. They hired him to play the accordion at her daughter’s graduation party, and she and her family al...

Happiness 8.5.23

This storyteller has been in Baltimore for the past two years in a rehabilitation program. She’s sober now, and will be going home to Ohio soon. The farmers market is a place she has found happiness. On the other seed, she wrote, “I love you Dad.” Sh...

Sandia 9.2.23

This storyteller was one of two people that day to whom I explained the Story Seeds process in Spanish, using sporadic vocabulary like “historia,” “dibujar,” “escribir,” “mercado,” “frutas,” “flores,” and “manzana.” She drew a watermelon, which I le...

PINK Vouchers 8.5.23

This storyteller is an artist, and loves the pink vouchers that the market offers. The pink vouchers offer matching dollars for seniors, and can be used at any farmers market.

Regulating Emotions 9.2.23

This storyteller works for a tech company helping kids regulate their emotions. She always runs into people at the 32nd Street Farmers Market. I think that’s part of what makes a place feel like home – that sense of familiarity, of knowing others and...

Broccoli Tattoo 9.2.23

This storyteller loves getting the tattoos from One Straw Farm. She has a fading asparagus tattoo on her arm. She returns later in the morning to show me the new broccoli tattoo that she got.

Happy to Be Out 9.2.23

This storyteller is back at the market for the first time since she finished her chemo treatment. “I’m just hoping my cancer doesn’t come back,” she says. She’s happy to be out this morning.

JHU Orientation 9.2.23

These three first year students at Johns Hopkins University did a collaborative seed – collaborative storytelling. They each drew their own seed and contributed to this communal seed that they’re dedicating to their first trip to the farmers market. ...

Blacksauce & Canelles (1 & 2) 9.2.23

“That’s a lot of cannelles,” this young storyteller's mom says. “Is that how many you’re going to eat?” “Probably,” says the storyteller. This is her second time at the Story Seeds stand, so she draws two seeds and drops them both in the pot. Her mom...

Regrowing Green Onions 9.2.23

“What are you planning to make with all those greens?” I asked. This storyteller's bags were overflowing with collard greens and kale. “I’ll cook them down, freeze some, or if I’m lazy, use the Crock Pot,” he said. This is his first time at the 32nd ...

Absolute Joy 9.2.23

“I want to make one and write joy. This is my happy space!” This storyteller raves about the bargains at the market. I share about the box of mushrooms I brought home to Cape Cod to make lumpia for our non-wedding wedding. $20 for an entire box. He b...

Curry Shack 9.2.23

Melanie first came to the 32nd Street Farmers Market with her girlfriend on a daytrip into Baltimore from Harford County. She fell in love with the neighborhood and decided they had to move here. (I was reminded of the influence that the farmers mark...

Nutella Waffles 9.2.23

These sisters love getting waffles from The Waffle Company with Nutella and powdered sugar!

First Time Busker 9.2.23

This storyteller teaches creative writing at Bryn Mawr, a private all-girls school in Baltimore. Her favorite market memory is when her daughter, at 8-years-old, gathered up enough courage to busk and play guitar at the market. She thinks this might’...

Black Sauce & Market Tomatoes 9.2.23

This couple loves eating their brunch from Blacksauce Kitchen on the rocks at the outskirts of the market. The husband “just discovered how delicious farmers market tomatoes are!”

Guess That Baby's Name 9.2.23

This couple stopped by the stand to look for the seed that they had made at an earlier Story Seeds stand. They found it: a stick figure pushing a baby stroller. They love coming to the market and coming up with names for every baby that they see.

Peace 10.7.23

This storyteller made a peace symbol in honor of the the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that had escalated the night before in the Gaza Strip. News of the attack by Hamas was just getting to us this morning. I saw him again at the end of the market, an...

Raining Pumpkins 10.7.23

Even in the rain, this family trekked out to the farmers market to buy fresh produce. They even stopped to make some art! This storyteller drew her purple raincoat on one seed, and pumpkins on the other.

First Market Tomato 10.7.23

This storyteller remembers her daughter trying her first tomato at the farmers market. She ate it like an apple!

Self-Actualization 10.7.23

“What is self-actualization?” asked this student from Johns Hopkins University. She was working on a project about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I thought for awhile. Sometimes I get into the habit of saying the same script at the market…asking the sa...

Stay Salty, I Love You 11.4.23

“Ocean City, MD – Stay Salty,” reads John’ shirt. Appreciating a fellow salt-water lover, I initiated conversation. I shared that I also have a “Salty” shirt, but mine has a ‘y’ in the shape of the crook of Massachusetts to represent Cape Cod, my hom...

Baby Goose 11.4.23

This community member used to work at HEX Ferments. He’s the one who stockpiled HEX jars for me to use as centerpieces in my Story Market. During the time that I was working on the Story Market, he had a baby daughter. Today I met her, all bundled up...

Hello Evercrisp Music 11.4.23

“Hello,” because she talks to people at the farmers market. An evercrisp apple from Reid’s Orchard, her favorite apple. Flowers from Locust Point Flowers. “Music” because she didn’t know how to draw a G cleff. This storyteller was very enthusiastic a...

Lou's Lasagna 11.4.23

Free lasagna! That’s Louin’s favorite thing to get from the farmers market. It’s not free, but they do get it every week from Tom Cat’s Kitchen. Lou’s Lasagna! I drew an ‘L’ on his seed so that he could find it at next month’s Story Seeds stand. Some...

Zola's Daffodils 3.16.24

Zola's Grapes 11.4.23

Zola's Salmon 12.2.23

Zola's Strawberry 3.16.24

11/4/23: Zola Stella, the winner of the 32nd Street Farmers Market annual Pumpkin Guessing contest. Her dad said that she took one look at Farmer Billy’s gargantuan pumpkin and said, “207!” The pumpkin weighed 206.3 pounds. Her prize was $50 worth of...

Goodness 11.4.23

There is so much this storyteller wants to capture on her seed, like PRESENCE. The market was here, in person, consistently, all throughout the pandemic.

The abundance of apples and peaches from Black Rock Orchard, which she buys in bulk to make co...

Gets Me Out of Bed 11.4.23

This JHU student comes to the farmers market every Saturday. It gets her out of bed in the morning. I love meeting students for whom the 32nd Street Farmers Market is part of their college experience, like the Granville Farmers Market was part of min...

Brazil Flag 11.4.23

“This is my first time at the market, so I don’t really have a story.” I’ve heard that many times today. Except first time stories are some of my favorite! That honeymoon phase. This storyteller says that the market reminds her of the outdoor markets...

Color Theory 11.4.23

This storyteller spent a long time at the Story Stand drawing her seeds. We didn’t talk much. It made me happy that amidst the bustle of the market, she was able to zone in and be creative, that I could create the space for someone to slow down, refl...

HeartSpace Natural Medicine 11.4.23

Dr. Emily Telfair is a naturopathic doctor who created HeartSpace Natural Medicine, “a holistic health center where personalized and prevention-focused natural health care is delivered with love, wisdom and deep respect for the healing capacity of th...

First Time 11.4.23

This storyteller created this seed while waiting for his sister. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the market, it’s easy to lose the ones we came with. This was his first time at the market! I’m grateful he shared part of it with me.

Purple Sunflower 11.4.23

“What are you drawing?” asks the young storyteller's dad. “A sunflower,” the storyteller says, as he scribbles purple and orange around a massive brown center. “It looks like the sunflower I have!” I tell him, showing him the purple sunflower I bough...

Meow from HK (1 & 2) 11.4.23

This couple was visiting from Hong Kong! They love visiting the local markets wherever they travel. The husband is completing a 2-week rotation in Baltimore, but is usually stationed in Alabama. The wife is living in Hong Kong. Flights to Baltimore a...

Dogs at the Market 11.4.23

This seed was created by a young storyteller. (I didn’t have the heart to tell her that dogs aren’t allowed at the market!) On her other seed, she drew all the colors of the rainbow. She said that seed represented loving people no matter what their s...

Don't Be a Pickle 11.4.23

I didn’t see who made this seed, but I’m really curious about what a pickle is and why you don’t want to be one.

Spiral (1) 11.4.23

Spiral (2) 11.4.23

These companion seeds were made by two friends. They each drew spirals to represent the returning back to the market, week after week, and all that grows from that. Makes me think of fractals, as described by adrienne maree brown in Emergent Strategy...

Ice Cream 11.4.23

This storyteller drew an ice cream cone, which may be from Brooms Bloom, next to the vendor stand that she works at, Andy’s Eggs. Mike picked up my egg delivery today, a flat of 2.5 dozen eggs. “I’m the reason that her egg order doubled,” he joked. H...

Finally 12.2.23

Mike heard this story, from one of the musicians who has been busking at the 32nd St Farmers Market for 16 years. “16 years, and finally someone asks about my story,” he told Mike. Reactions like that emphasize the importance of creating space for pe...

Girl Scouts (1 & 2) 12.2.23

This trio of Girl Scouts were entrepreneurs. The eldest, who drew what looks like either an old camera or a box of cookies, told her sister, “See what we’re doing? We’re engaging with the people.” “Is that a marketing strategy?” I asked. “Sort of,” s...

Carrot Top Hat 12.2.23

I love the process of watching parents coach their kids through drawing a story seed, asking them what they see at the market, affirming their abstract representations. This scribble did look relatively like a carrot, which matched the young storytel...

Chai 12.2.23

This mom drew hot chai from Chachu’s Chai, new to the winter market this season. Handground, steamed with oatmilk, and ladled out of a piping hot pot and topped with saffron, and served with a cake rusk for dipping. The mom emphasized the sliding sca...

Parole & Palestine Flag (1 & 2) 12.2.23

Ube interacted with this Filipino couple, so I didn’t catch their story. But apparently there were at Barangay Baltimore’s parole making event last year! The boyfriend was the only one who actually finished his parole.

Banana Nutella Crepe 12.2.23

This young storyteller bought a banana Nutella crepe from the market today, the chocolate evidence smeared across his face.

Popsicle is a Trademark 12.2.23

“Never know what/who I’ll talk about/to. One Saturday, I learned popsicle is a trademark.” This is why CM Pops has to call his items ice pops. The market is a place for unexpected conversations and encounters, which makes me think of something anothe...

Belonging 12.2.23

Everyone has different needs that get filled at the farmers market, said this storyteller. Everyone comes with a different need. The market can create a sense of belonging.

Smie 12.2.23

This storyteller is from a small town in Massachusetts and is studying international relations at the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus – “Not really what they’re known for,” she said. She’s finishing up her first semester, and this is her second time at...

Brave is the Color Orange 3.16.24

"This is a story about bravery." Today is the first day that he felt himself gravitate towards the color orange. "Alright orange, let's do this." It's an abstract representation of the pretzel pastry that he bought from Little Paris, the same one tha...

Palengke - Oja 3.16.24

I first met this storyteller at Farm to Face. She would come for a falafel wrap. In January of 2023, I learned that she was Filipina after sharing about the champorado that Mike and I had made for New Year's Eve. She brought me tablea, which I used t...

Home on Break 3.16.24

This storyteller is a student at American University and was home on spring break. She grew up going to the 32nd Street Farmers Market. She drew an empanada and a coffee, her usual market treats. She said that she's more conversive than she would be ...

Waverly Commons 3.16.24

A cool abstract depiction of Waverly Commons, a renovated space at the market where people gather to share favorite treats!

Chocolate Croissant 3.16.24

A chocolate croissant from Uptown Bakers.