Rural Montgomery
Published on Monday, May 9

POOLESVILLE -- Bob Raver would not be farming today if not for the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve.

"I've been farming at the foot of Sugarloaf since 1965," the Dickerson crop farmer and member of the Upper Montgomery County Farmers Club said. "I feel like one of the most blessed people."

From 1957 to 1987 Mr. Raver served as a county agriculture extension agent. During that time, he heard farmers talk about the sale of farmland. Over one agriculture census period, he said, the loss of thousands of acres of farmland in the county brought increased attention to the need to preserve land for that purpose.

The Agricultural Reserve comprises more than 90,000 acres in the northwestern third of the county, stretching from the Potomac to the Patuxent River and surrounding the base of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Farmers, government officials and residents gathered last Monday at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary to kick off a year-long celebration of the 25th anniversary of the farmland and open space preservation plan.

"Celebrate Rural Montgomery is a large and growing consortium," said Melanie Choukas-Bradley, programs and education director for Celebrate Rural Montgomery, including farmers, farm-related businesses, area civic groups and educators.

The reserve preserves history and the environment, but "most importantly, the Ag Reserve has preserved family farms," she said.

There are many traditional farms growing corn, soybeans, wheat and cattle as well as a handful of dairy farms in the reserve.

"We also have many innovative farms," she said.

Visitors to the reserve might see llamas, alpacas or grapes, and the door is open to urban dwellers to come and appreciate the rural legacy, especially through pick-your-own produce operations opening soon for the season.

Preservation

"People look to Montgomery County, we have been a leader in farmland preservation," Ms. Choukas-Bradley said. The Agricultural Reserve is an "innovative zoning program" that helps preserve farmers, farmland, rural communities and open space.

The Agricultural Reserve surrounds the towns of Dickerson, Poolesville, Barnesville, Comus, Damascus, Laytonsville, and others that are currently zoned to limit building to no more than one house per 25 acres, she said.

"Landowners, however, were granted one transferable development right for each five acres, which they could and can sell to be used in so-called receiving areas in more densely populated parts of the county," she said. "The idea was to protect rapidly disappearing farmland and open space without penalizing the farmers and other landowners who could no longer develop their land after the master plan went into effect in the early '80s.

"The homes within the reserve that are on less than 25 acres were built prior to 1980 or received special exceptions. Towns have their own zoning," she said.

Education

Mike Knapp, Montgomery County Councilmember, said the county should focus on reaching the golden anniversary of the reserve. "The next 25 years are going to be the real challenge," he said.

The county has over 935,000 people, and 850,000 of them lack a good understanding of the Ag Reserve, Mr. Knapp said.

The impending challenge has two components: promoting an understanding of what the reserve is among citizens and how it benefits them and ensuring the reserve continues to be agricultural. He said the county should consider simple solutions for farmers like deer management, land use and making money available in the budget for agricultural marketing.

Other educational efforts are under way in the reserve. Jim Brown of the Sugarloaf Citizens Association, a Dickerson-based organization that represents over 1,000 families in the reserve, said his organization secured funding through its intervention in the Mirant Power Plant expansion to set up a foundation.

The Piedmont Environmental and Education Foundation will apply for matching funds from 35 groups to make available grants for teachers and others in the region including Frederick County for environmental education.

"We hope to get under way this summer," he said. Funding will probably be available for the spring 2006 semester.

Local people, local food

Bethesda resident Marney Bruce said the reserve brings food closer to the citizens of Montgomery County. "There is a surging movement downcounty and across the country to make locally grown food available. It connects city folk to the seasons."

In America, she said, food can travel from 1,200 miles to 1,500 miles from source to supermarket.

The global idea of growing more food close to cities is already in place in Montgomery County, Ms. Choukas-Bradley said. There are several farmers' markets in the county, including one in Bethesda that opened last week. The markets allow big-city residents to jump on the Metro to grab a fresh peach.

"We cannot allow bits of the reserve to be chipped away, we must preserve it for our children and their children," Ms. Bruce said.

For more information on the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve or a calendar of events, visit www.ruralmontgomery.org.