Roving Radish brings healthy meals
from local farms to the plates of those in need.
By Mary Lou Baker
DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY 2016
Roving Radish, a pilot program started last year by Howard County government, has an admirable mission: to combat nutritional deficiencies among people who live here.
It was launched after a survey found that only 15 percent of county residents regularly included fresh 
produce in their diets – despite the fact that Howard County is an area rich in farmland.
Roving Radish was a direct result of the county’s Food Policy Task Force, says James Zoller, who was hired to run the organization. The task force was convened by the county “to look at food issues here,” he says. Roving Radish is operated with assistance from the Horizon Foundation and United Way.
Making the “farm to table” philosophy actually work for both its clients and the local agriculture community, the program provides low-sodium, low-calorie and low-fat ingredients to be prepared at home from its easy-to-follow recipes.
Katja Fort Rhoden, a single mother with a 7-year-old son, was among the first Roving Radish customers. Because of the pulmonary disease that forced her early retirement, Rhoden found shopping a challenge. As a client of Roving Radish since it was launched last year, she is able to conserve energy and provide healthy meals to her son.
S
everal of Rhoden’s friends have become Roving Radish fans, sharing photos of their meals on Facebook. One of them is a single Dad with revolving custody of his three children. When the two families come together on weekends, they cook their Roving Radish meals together – and often have some leftovers to start the week with. “The program is a blessing for people with physical challenges that make grocery shopping difficult – and for working parents with minimal time to shop and plan healthy meals,” Rhoden says.
Rhoden’s son, Gregory, loves the stuffed veggie boat and the chicken tacos with salsa. His mom appreciates the wholesomeness of the meals and that most of their ingredients are organic. Her former career as a wine and spirits supplier to the restaurant industry gave her access to fine foods but she says her own culinary skills are minimal and her disability an ongoing challenge. “Thanks to Roving Radish it is much easier for this modern mom to put healthy meals on the table – and show love for my son,” she says.
Roving Radish runs from June 1 through November 20, a time frame that coincides with Maryland’s growing season for the fruits and vegetables provided by local producers. Farms include the TLG, Breezy Willow, Wheeler and Charles Eliot farms. Two meals for a family of four cost $24, and are discounted to $12 for households that qualify for food stamps, Temporary Cash Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Assistance for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Grants from United Way help pay for the low-income participants who complete its confidential source of income survey.
Zoller, who has lived on his family’s farm in Howard County his entire life, derives personal satisfaction 
from the success of the program. “The most rewarding part about working for Roving Radish is to see how it affects our community,” he says. “When I deliver meal kits, customers tell me how it has inspired them to cook more, introduced them to different fresh vegetables and made eating healthy, convenient and affordable.” The benefits flow to Howard County farms that have a steady market for their products. “This allows them to grow and be more profitable so they can continue the tradition of farming in Howard County,” says Zoller.
“Part of becoming the healthiest community we can be means making sure fresh and sustainable foods are readily available to our residents,” says former Howard County Executive Ken Ullman. “Roving Radish is good for our community, our environment and our health.”
Roving Radish trucks make deliveries weekly at five sites in Howard County. rovingradish.com or 410-313-0417. *
