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News

Tax Changes and How to Secure Your Deductions

3/19/2021

 
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Here to make sure you get your greens - in more ways than one.
Tax changes in the past years have had an impact on cheritable deductions. MCA is a 501c3 organization and your generous gifts toward protecting our Ag Reserve and local farms are therefore tax deductible. Our Finance Committee has provided guidance to help you benefit from your generosity. 
For Everyone: 
 Last year, individuals were able to deduct donations up to $300 without itemizing their taxes. New for 2021 - couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 while still getting the standard deduction. 
For Our Distinguished Elders:  If you have and IRA and have sowed 70 1/2 harvests or more, you can take advantage of a simple way to benefit MCA and the Ag Reserve and receive tax benefits. You can make gifts from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as MCA without having to pay income tax on the gift. A detailed explanation of how these QCDs (Qualified Charitable Deductions) work from the WaPo here. Contact your IRA custodian to find out how you can transfer your gift directly to fuel our work (EIN 52-2294213)
Other Options: Our Finance Committee has prepared a brief primer on these strategies and more, including lumping donations and donor advised funds that may be right for you. 
​We hope that using one or more of these options can help you claim a deserved deduction for your generosity.  It is always advisable to check with your tax advisor to make sure your particular situation is amenable to the option you wish to choose.
Montgomery Countryside Alliance is the lean, tenacious and award winning nonprofit with boots on the ground protecting Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve and our local water supply. Our local focus relies on local support. We would be honored by your tax deductible gift. 
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Solar in the Reserve Survey and Resources

3/10/2021

 
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ZTA 20-01, passed in February 2021 has opened the Ag Reserve for solar energy generation in a way that balances the zone's protection for farming. Opportunities to cover a farms energy needs have now been expanded (farms can now generate up to 200% of their needs and get a credit for the extra) and new large scale community solar projects up to 2 megawatts can now move forward on Class III and above soils. More Maryland Counites are releasing planning documents that prioritize the built environment and other optimal sites for solar arrays that keep farmland and forests protected - (from the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership.)
To assist Reserve residents and farmers with navigating these new opportunities and increasing renewable energy development, MCA has put together a survey to assess current renewable generation and identify the questions residents have about producing power for themselves and/or community solar projects. Please take the survey that applies to you below (The State defines "Farms" as a property where the owner can generate at least $2,500 per year in gross sales of agricultural products).  You can also browse the resources we have gathered below (one to add? - info@mocoalliance.org)
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Farm Survey
Resident Survey

Resources for Farms
  •  REAP Grants (Rural Energy for America Program) - A USDA program that offers grants and loans to agricultural producers to do energy improvements and install renewable energy generation, solar is not the only energy generation covered. 
  • MARBIDCO Rural Businesses Energy Efficiency Loan Fund
Resources for Businesses
  • Montgomery County High Performance Building Tax Credit
  • MARBIDCO Rural Businesses Energy Efficiency Loan Fund
  • MoCo DEP Permit and Installation process guide for Commercial Installations
Resources for All (Including Residents)
  • MoCo DEP Solar Permitting and Install Processing
  • All Maryland/Federal Tax Incentives from DSIRE/NC State Center for Clean Energy
  • MoCo Green Bank - Residential and Commercial  A County charted non-profit offering flexible and low cost financing for solar installations, geothermal and efficiency upgrades for commercial and residential customers. 
  • Solar Energy Calculator - Enter your address and get a rooftop solar savings payoff schedule and opportunity to get quotes from installers
  • Guide to Land Leases for Solar – This SEIA guide helps landowners understand the opportunities and implications of leasing their property for solar installations
  • Landowner Considerations for Solar Land Leases – This PDF from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) examines what to consider when leasing your property for community solar projects.
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Recommendations from Residents in our Survey:
Solar: Solair LLC
Geothermal: Easterday Well and Geothermal services
​North American Geothermal

Maryland Farm & Harvest Profiles Dodo Farms and Land Link

3/4/2021

 
A great video profile of our friends at Dodo Farms in Brookeville. MCA was proud to match Niyi and Tope with land through our Land Link program.
There are many, many more experienced farmers just like them still looking for land through the program.
Join us to learn more about leasing your land to a table crop producer at our
Virtual Land Link Landowner Info session - March 24 at 7:30pm 

The County Climate Action Plan: MCA's Comments

3/4/2021

 
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Montgomery County has set ambitious but necessary climate action goals. The first step was climate experts gathering in county convened working groups to recommend steps toward this goal, then the Climate Action Plan (CAP) reflecting these goals was created and released for comment.  Productive comments have come in from all quarters to make this plan equitable, practical and effective. MCA has signed on in support of three different sets of comments meant to improve the plan. What other climate actions are we taking?
  • Supporting climate bills in Annapolis
  • Re-Foresting stream buffers through our Re-Leaf the Reserve Program
  • Promoting Regenerative Agriculture and placing sustainable table crop producers through our Land Link program
  • Conducting a survey (coming soon) and providing resources to landowners to help site solar under the newly passed ZTA 20-01. 

MCA signed on to recommendations as part of the Montgomery Coalition to Prevent Stream Destruction. 
The County’s current policy of using “stream restoration” projects to convert our forested natural stream valleys into engineered drainage channels for stormwater runoff is in direct contradiction to the CAP's goal. Every foot of “stream restoration” involves the loss of forested areas, and “To date, the County has completed stream restoration projects, restoring almost 30,000 linear feet of stream…” per the latest report on meeting the MS4 Permit. 
The CAP should strictly prohibit the practice of “stream restorations” until the re-examination of this issue has taken place via a dialog among all stakeholders. 

MCA also signed on to the recommendations of the Sequestration and Adaptation Technical Working Group - a group of climate experts who's recommendations formed the foundation of the CAP. The comments from this group include better acknowledging nature based solutions such as reforestation and regenerative agriculture - including specific recommendations for incentives for regenerative ag conversion.

Some members of the Clean Energy Working Group Technical Advisory Committee submitted comments on the CAP as individuals. MCA supports these comments. 
MCA Signed on to comments from the Stormwater Partners Network
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ABOUT US
What We Do
A Brief History
Board & AC
Staff & Volunteers
Contact
​​Buy MCA Gear
ABOUT Ag RESERVE
History of the Ag
Benefits of the Ag
Farm Facts
Threats to the Ag
​A Place with Purpose
NEWS
EVENTS
Local Events
Ride for the Reserve
Royce Hanson Award
SUPPORT LOCAL
Ag Guide
Local Food Connection
Community Supported Agriculture
Restaurants & Retail
​Artists of the Reserve
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
​Land Link
Producer's Resources
Directory of Services
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Montgomery Countryside Alliance
P.O Box 24, Poolesville, MD  20837
301-461-9831  •  ​info@mocoalliance.org
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MCA is proud to announce that we have been recognized for a third time as one of the best small charities in the D.C. region by Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington. A panel of 110 expert reviewers from area foundations, corporate giving programs, and peer non-profit organizations evaluated 270 applications.

​MCA is known as an effective and innovative non-profit whose efforts to preserve and promote Montgomery County’s nationally recognized 93,000 acre Ag Reserve have brought increased public and governmental support of local food production and farmland and open space preservation. Most importantly, MCA’s efforts are putting more farmers on the ground and keeping them there.
COPYRIGHT © MONTGOMERY COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE 2008