Montgomery County residents have several ways to support local farms and small businesses this week. Maryland’s policy and economics officials are promoting locally grown and locally made products through its annual Buy Local campaign.
Buy Local Week runs now through July 27.
Through its Maryland’s Best program, the Maryland Department of Agriculture is encouraging residents to buy at least one local product each day. That can mean stopping by a farmers market or choosing a restaurant that sources local ingredients.
Why buying local matters right now
Locally owned businesses employ neighbors and generate tax revenue that funds city and county services, said Amanda Bosland of Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI). She said those businesses are under real pressure.
“Federal workforce reductions in 2025 affected close to 25,000 Maryland jobs, and when federal workers lose paychecks, both discretionary and non-discretionary spending drops with them,” Bosland said. “Small businesses feel it first because they operate on thin margins and depend on steady local traffic.”
Spending at a local small business, she said, “keeps someone employed, keeps a storefront open and helps that business make it through a hard stretch.”
From federal worker to founder
Some county residents who left federal agencies are starting businesses of their own, and a Rockville program is trying to help.
Through the Maryland Women’s Business Center (MWBC), which REDI hosts, “we have seen strong demand for entrepreneurship from former federal workers looking for an alternative to traditional employment,” Bosland said.
MWBC piloted a program called Founders Rising in the winter of 2025 to help former federal workers start a business in Maryland. To date, the program has received more than 170 inquiries and graduated 20 entrepreneurs from its pilot cohort, Bosland said. It is preparing to bring 30 to 40 small business owners into a fall 2026 cohort.
How to take part in Buy Local Week
Supporting those businesses can be as simple as making one local purchase this week.
Residents can take the Buy Local Challenge pledge and share photos of their local purchases on social media. Posting on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #BuyLocalChallenge26 enters them for a chance to win prizes.
Suggested local buys include produce, cut flowers, dairy, meat and poultry, seafood, Maryland wines and beers, baked goods and value-added items such as jams, pickles and honey.
More ways to celebrate this week
Buy Local Week overlaps with the Montgomery County Farm Tour and Harvest Sale on July 25 and 26. Twenty-six farms across the county’s Agricultural Reserve will open to visitors. Residents can meet farmers and buy fresh products directly from the source.
In addition, a statewide Buy Local Challenge Celebration takes place July 27 at Lyon Family Farm in Mechanicsville.
