Butler’s Orchard in Germantown has been selected as Maryland’s best farm shop in a new loveFOOD feature that selected one farm shop from each state before ranking all 50 nationally.
Butler’s Orchard came in at No. 37 in the country. According to loveFOOD, selections were based on user reviews, awards and accolades, and the publication’s own experience. LoveFOOD highlighted Butler’s Orchard’s farm market for its seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers grown on-site, along with locally sourced meat and dairy products. The publication also praised the market’s bakery, particularly its apple cider donuts, cookies, breads, brownies and wide variety of pies.
Located at 22222 Davis Mill Rd. in Germantown, Butler’s Orchard celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2025. The family-owned farm was founded in 1950 by George and Shirley Butler as a 37-acre peach farm and has since grown into a 300-acre Pick Your Own regional destination known for its fruits, vegetables, farm market and seasonal events.
The Farm Market itself has evolved considerably over the years. It began under an apple tree behind the farm’s log house, where peaches were sold, before moving into a former chicken house that still stands on the property as a garage. The red barn was built in 1964, and Butler’s gradually expanded the variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables available.
By the 1970s, the market had added products including preserves, local honey, gourmet condiments, seasonal decorative items and cider. Butler’s eventually outgrew the original red barn and expanded the Farm Market into its current facility in 1993.
Butler’s Orchard has also picked up a famous fan along the way. NASCAR’s 15-time Most Popular Driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has repeatedly shouted out the Germantown farm, particularly its pickles.
Earnhardt, who hosts The Dale Jr. Download on Dirty Mo Media, ended an episode last year by praising Butler’s Orchard’s Garlic and Sea Salt Dilled Pickles. “I’m holding in my hand, no question, the most delicious pickle in the entire country,” Earnhardt said before identifying Butler’s Orchard as the source.
The appreciation didn’t stop there. Following a JR Motorsports victory, Earnhardt was photographed with a beer in one hand and a jar of Butler’s Orchard pickles in the other. He later explained on social media that a fan who knew how much he liked the pickles had brought him some from “Butler Orchard over in Montgomery County, Maryland.”
From a 37-acre peach farm to a nationally ranked farm shop with a NASCAR legend among its fans, Butler’s Orchard has now been part of the Montgomery County community for more than 75 years.
