strolling down Rustic W. Harris Road after the event
There was a sense of history echoing through the 2018 Royce Hanson Award Celebration on Sunday. MCA Co-President Gene Kingsbury welcomed guests with a poem he wrote (Read 'Timothy Time' here) about making hay with his father many years ago as he reflected that the Rustic Roads of the Reserve were mostly unchanged since then.
Executive Director Caroline Taylor called event goers to the present with an impassioned defense of the Reserve's current farmers as policy changes and increasingly unpredictable weather events make it even harder to make a living as a small producer. The farmers require many different kinds of support to keep their businesses viable and Rustic Roads are one piece of that support.
 Committee Chair Bob Tworkowski and Senator Brian Feldman | State Senator Brian Feldman gave a proclamation from the District 15 Delegation recognizing the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee and reiterated the importance of the Reserve and it's Rustic Road 'arteries.' Rustic Roads Advisory Committee Chair Bob Tworkowski illuminated the role of the Committee as fitting into a long line of farmland stewards both before and after their tenure of service. (To this end, the committee does need new members soon, interested?) Bob presented a slideshow explaining the program and showcasing a number of the most important roads in the program. Attendees were bowled over by the image below of Montgomery County taken from space showing night time light exposure. The green shape is the Ag Reserve. |
The Reserve from Space
| Royce Hanson capped off the event with some thoughts about protection of the Reserve. He has often said that the biggest risks to the Reserve come from the Reserve's purported allies in decision making roles that make what seem to be small harmless changes that can have big unforeseen impacts. The recently approved ZTA 18-03 that allows for expansion of breweries and event facilities is a perfect example - Agritourism is generally a good thing for the region and for farms but this ZTA is written so loosely that the uses allowed no longer have ties to Agriculture. ( MCA will be taking this ZTA decision to court, stay tuned). |  |
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Reminder: Early Voting Starts Thursday, October 25! We put the tough questions to the local candidates, read their answers in their own words about transportation, water and land use.
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| The event also included a performance by bluegrass band Peace Run - 'Rustic Roads, Take Me Home' - to the tune of the more well known 'Country Roads (Almost Heaven)'. In fact - the songwriter of John Denver's popular tune had never been to West Virginia before writing that song but was inspired by Montgomery County's own Clopper Road. The members of the Committee gave steadfast Planning Staff member Leslie Saville a Rustic Roads sign entitled 'Leslie Lane' in appreciation for her work on the program. |  |
MCA would like to thank our board, volunteers, St Mary's Pavilion, Peace Run, photographer David Ris, the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee, Senator Brian Feldman, Dr. Royce Hanson and particularly Dolores Milmoe for helping with the event. All of David's excellent photos of the event can be found here.
Montgomery Countryside Alliance is the small (but mighty!) organization founded around Ag Reserve kitchen tables in 2001. Since then, we have grown to a full fledged watchdog organization for Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve. Our focus on local farms relies on local support. Please make a tax-deductible donation to keep us engaging tenaciously on the issues that matter to you.
