In
the news! Agricultural
Reserve 25th Anniversary and "Celebrate Rural
Montgomery!" Read on... |
| Spotting
the Checkerspot in the Agricultural Reserve. "Looking
like an environmentally conscious Sherlock Holmes, Durkin clutched
a net and peeredthrough binoculars to find any clues that would
lead her to the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, which was once
visible enough to become Maryland's official insect but is now
hard to find." Read the
article about how butterfly lovers hunt
for Maryland's official insect. |
| Taking
Advantage of Rural Montgomery.
"In 1980, county officials made a decision to put almost
a third of the county in an "Agricultural Reserve,"
where the primary use of the land would be agricultural production.
The development pressures that existed in 1980 were not as intense
as they are today, but it was still quite an accomplishment
to set this land aside." Click here
to read this article in PDF format from the Montgomery County
Insight Magazine. |
| Countryside
Artisan Tour. "As you drive into the northwestern
reaches of Montgomery County, you can practically feel the pressures
of city life subside. Shopping malls, traffic congestion and
suburban sprawl give way to rolling hills dotted with barns,
farmhouses and pastures of grazing cattle." Click here
to read the Home and Design article. (Copyright
2003 Maryland Washington Virginia. All rights reserved) |
| Celebrating
the Agricultural Reserve.
"It's pumpkin season in the upcounty. All week, school
groups and families will stream through pick-your-own farms
like Butler’s Orchard and Homestead Farm to pick potential
Jack-o-Lanterns and stock up on fall treats like apple cider.
Not many will stop to consider why there is so much productive
farmland so close to a major city." Click here
to read the Potomac Almanac article.
(© 2003 Connection Newspapers. All Rights
Reserved.) |
| Countryside
Artisans Autumn Studio Tour. "This group of craftspeople
and artists in rural Montgomery open their studio doors to the
public three times a year - and you can use the tour as a chance
to see all of the artwork, or just as an excuse to drive through
some beautiful countryside." Click here
to listen to Metro Connection on WAMU 88.5 FM.
(Copyright © WAMU 88.5 FM American University
Radio) |
| Montgomery's
Agricultural Reserve at 25. "In 1980, Montgomery
County launched an ambitious plan to preserve a huge swath of
its rural farmland. In the 25 years since, Montgomery's agricultural
reserve has become a model for other suburban counties around
the country. But some say the reserve is facing new threats
as development pressures grow. " Click here
to listen to the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU 88.5 FM.
(Copyright © WAMU 88.5 FM American University
Radio) |
| A
Not-So-Happy Annivesary. "Montgomery County's
agricultural reserve is home to 577 farms and 350 horticultural
enterprises, 12,000 horses and 2,201 head of cattle. Its rolling
hills, rustic roads and pockets of open space make up one-third
of the county's land area." Click here
to read the Washington Post article and here
to read about upcoming events. (Copyright ©
1996-2005. The Washington Post Company. All Rights Reserved.) |
| Farm
Tour Celebrates Agriculture. "Last weekend, local
farmers welcomed families from around the area to celebrate
their bounty...Held in conjunction with the celebration of the
25th Anniversary of Montgomery County Maryland’s Agricultural
Reserve, the farm tour drew a record turnout." The Potomac
Almanac photo essay is no longer available online.
(© 2003 Connection Newspapers. All Rights
Reserved.) |
| Let's
Keep the Country in Montgomery. "Imagine country
as scenic as Provence or Tuscany at your back door -- a patchwork
of orchards and vineyards, pastures...and steep hillsides with
barrel-shaped hay bales perched in golden evening light.Only
a delightful fantasy or remembrance of the past? No, real life
-- close to home." Click here
to view the Close to Home piece in the Washington Post.
(Copyright © 1996-2005. The Washington Post
Company. All Rights Reserved.) |
| Creators
of a new illustrated guide to the Agricultural Reserve
believe they have a treasure map on their hands. "An
18-by-24 inch commemorative county map, designed by Barnesville
illustrator Tina Brown, features historic sites, parks
and farm markets, as well as a representative sample of
working farms, among its noted sites." Click here
to view the article in the Gazette. (Copyright
© 2005 The Gazette. All
Rights Reserved.) |
 |
|
| Frederick
County columnist extols Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve!
"If only I had a dollar for every time I heard someone
say they did not want Frederick County to end up like Montgomery
County..." Click here
to view the column in the Frederick County Gazette.
(Copyright
© 2005 The Gazette. All
Rights Reserved.) |
| "With
the sound of a rooster crowing over the hill and the sight of
high rises across the river, Agricultural Reserve enthusiasts
had the perfect backdrop Monday [May 2, 2005] as they advocated
a more inclusive but still protected upcounty." Please
click here to view
the entire Gazette article. (Copyright
© 2005 The Gazette. All
Rights Reserved.) |
|
"Bob
Raver would not be farming today if not for the Montgomery
County Agricultural Reserve. ..." Please click here
to view the entire Frederick News-Post
article. (Copyright
1997-05 Randall Family, LLC. All rights reserved.) |
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|
| "The
wind at Poolesville’s Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary
was strong enough to carry away a large canopy. Speakers at
an event Monday celebrating the 25th anniversary of Montgomery
County’s 90,000-acre Agricultural Reserve reminded the
farmers, students and other observers there that big open spaces
— the kind that are subject to gusty wind — were
exactly what they had come to celebrate." Please click
here to view
the entire Potomac Almanac article. (©
2003 Connection Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.) |
