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News

MCA Executive Director Caroline Taylor Honored with the Joe Howard Environmental Award

10/29/2019

 
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Caroline at the planning board to testify for solid protections for fragile Ten Mile Creek - protections won through her dogged efforts as co-coordinator of the Save Ten Mile Creek Coalition and later founding force of the Friends of Ten Mile Creek who continue to protect this important drinking water source to this day. 
Our very own Caroline Taylor, Executive Director of MCA for the past 10 years, is being honored by partner organization Conservation Montgomery with the Joe Howard Environmental Award. 
Caroline will receive the Joe Howard Award at the Conservation Montgomery 2019 Annual Meeting: 
Friday, November 8th
6- 7:30 pm Reception
7:30- 9:00 pm Program
 
At the Writers Center
4508 Walsh Street
Bethesda, MD 20815
Please RSVP Here
Caroline Taylor is a leading advocate for Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve. 

Conservation Montgomery is recognizing Caroline as a tireless educator and powerful advocate for farmers and communities in and around our Agricultural Reserve.  With climate change now a high priority on our local agenda, we are recognizing Caroline as a key ally who works every day to protect farms, forests, and park lands in Montgomery County. 

 Here at MCA we know her to be the driving force behind many of our most successful initiatives: Re-Leaf the Reserve, Land Link, the Producers Listserve and many more along with her more informal bringing together of community stakeholders. Where others see challenges she sees opportunity and cheerfully marshalls local resources to solve problems. Her hand at the tiller has given the organization both its tenacity and heart.
 
Our shortened mission statement at MCA is "we connect" Caroline is the glue that brings voices into the conservation and stakeholders around the table to protect farms in Montgomery County. 
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​See a wrap up of the event here

Babe on a Barn: A Beautiful Evening!

10/24/2019

 
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Magical evening... sweeping views across the historic farm (circa 1790) that hosted our first Field & Film!
Huge thanks to the Bergmann Family, the remarkable Van Mertz, Kingsbury’s Orchard, our board and community volunteers! And BABE!
Setting up:

2019 Royce Hanson Awardee: Damascus Ag Educator Lori Mayhew

10/16/2019

 
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Ag Educator Lori Mayhew
Each year the Royce Hanson award honors a person or group that has improved the Ag Reserve or local agriculture - we call them Reserve Champions much like the Award's namesake- Dr. Royce Hanson the architect of the Reserve during his tenure as chair of the Planning Commission back in the 80s. This year we honor Lori Mayhew, a legendary educator on her 20th year teaching with both Damascus High School and the local FFA chapter. Lori has served three terms as president of the  Maryland Agriculture Teachers Association. 
Lori has expanded her scope to Ag Education beyond the school walls into the wider community. Her FFA chapter has started both a Damascus High School Farmers Market and “Great Big Plant Giveaway” where people who attend the opening week of the market receive 5 free vegetable or herb plants. 
"We believe that everyone can grow something, and by removing the economic barrier of cost we believe more people will try.  We believe that when people grow some of their own food they develop a better appreciation of the hard work it takes and they become better advocates for the agriculture community.  You might not be able to grow everything, but everyone can grow something," she says.

Lori Mayhew has steered the careers of countless agriculture professionals.
"Mrs. Lori Mayhew, Damascus High School and FFA Chapter, encouraged social learning in a variety of independent and cooperative projects that integrated learning and fun so much, it was hard to tell one from the other. Those formative years of the school’s renewed chapter were only successful because of the fundraising prowess and no-non-sense attitude she had in the classroom and the innumerable hours of extracurricular activities. What set Mrs. Mayhew apart from all my other mentors was her ability to help students think about opportunities in terms of how they fit student’s individual goals. Without her encouragement, I would never have tried public speaking at that age and now it’s a crucial and sought after part of my job. Thanks for your dedication to #TeachAg.”
Former student Chris Brosch - nutrient management professional
Please save the date to celebrate Lori Mayhew -
4pm ~ November 3 at St. Mary's Pavilion in Barnesville
​(18230 Barnesville Rd, Barnesville, MD 20838)
RSVP Here

Ride for the Reserve Wrap Up

10/14/2019

 
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Thanks For a Great Ride!

It was a chilly start but a gorgeous day to Ride for the Reserve - perfectly expressed by this county video:
We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and got a glimpse of the farms and open space that make the Ag Reserve the treasure it is - a treasure worth our protection. We love how this ride has something for everyone - the 8 year olds that completed their first ride - the riders who took on extra milage to push themselves, the riders who chose a shorter ride to enjoy the day - and even this dog along for the ride!
Come on back out this weekend (10/19) for Field & Film: Babe on a Barn. We are showing the Oscar Nominated Family Classic 'Babe' on the side of a historic barn on Old Bucklodge Ln. Kids under 12 are free! Get tickets here!
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It took a whole lot of hands to make it happen and we want to thank everyone - starting with the support of our Riders! There will be an after-ride survey sent to each rider so you can let us know how we can improve next year. We thank our pal David Ris who took a ton of great photos right here. And there are more from rider Peter Klosky on our Facebook. Please share your photos with us either on social media (tag @mocoalliance on all platforms) or by email - info@mocoalliance.org
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Thanks To...
Our SAG Support team, our Route Leaders and all our volunteers who made our rest stops, registration and picnic run smoothly!
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Our stops - Barnesville School, RB Savage and Sons Farm Market, Linden Barn (thanks to SCA!), Farmer Anne and her volunteers at Stargazing Farm and Anne Davies at Stonefields. 

Our sponsors Heritage Montgomery, Laren Rusin, PT (who shared some great pre-ride stretches here) and the County's Upcounty Regional Office, our friends at Bike Dr Frederick. 
Our thanks for the grub to Panera, and Harvest Plates and Pints of Gaithersburg, thanks to Kingsbury's Orchard for the venue and cider also Wegmans and Costco. And thanks to Peace Run for the music!

Lastly,  a big big thanks to our ride chair Lili Leonard-the definition of perseverance as she pulled of a great ride despite a very broken ankle - thank you!

Field and Film: Babe on a Barn

10/14/2019

 

Join Us for a Family Movie Night in the Ag Reserve!
​October 19,2019

We had to postpone this event after excessive heat in July (we will honor all tickets from that date) but October 19 will be Field and Film - a family movie night done Ag Reserve style. Join us on the historic White-Carlin Farm in Boyds for the the classic movie 'Babe' shown on a barn. We will have snacks and of course popcorn. Kids 12 and under are free! Tickets are limited!
Get Tickets
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Two paws and two hooves up! (Shepherd's Hey Farm)

Riders Note for Ride for the Reserve - this Sunday!

10/8/2019

 
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There's still time to sign up for 10-62 miles of gorgeous fall biking this Sunday! Register Here

​Greetings, Riders! 

We are just days away from the Ride for the Reserve! Thank you for your patience as we finalized the routes, which can be found here. These are the GPS routes; turn-by-turn cue sheets will be available in the coming days, and will be printed and available at the start on ride day.
The start/stop is located at Barnesville School. It is a show-and-go start beginning at 8 a.m. Please do not depart Barnesville School prior to 8 a.m. or our rest stops will not be ready to receive you! ***Please note: The 10-mile route will begin at 9 a.m.***
If you prefer to ride in a group, we will have route captains leading all four routes! The route captains will be departing Barnesville School at the times listed below:
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10-mile: 9 a.m.
18-mile: 10:30 a.m.
25-mile: 10 a.m.
62-mile: 8:15 a.m.

Lunch at Kingsbury's Orchard will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so please plan your departure time from Barnesville School accordingly (based on your route mileage and ride pace) so you do not arrive prior to 11!
Ample parking will be available at the Barnesville School parking lot, as well as in the field adjacent to the school. Please follow the instructions of our trusty parking volunteers, who will be wearing yellow safety vests.
Each rest stop on all routes will be stocked with ice-cold water, Gatorade, Fig Newtons, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas, oranges, fruit snacks, granola bars and trail mix. There will also be restrooms at each stop.
Don't forget to bring your wallet! Several of our rest stops will have fall goodies and fresh produce available for purchase - our incredible volunteers will mark your items with your name and deliver them back to Barnesville School for you to take home after the ride!
Routes will be marked with yellow yard signs with dark green paint. Be on the look out for turn signage, as well as signage in select areas where riders should slow down or be mindful of gravel.
Please be sure you have looked over our safety page prior to the ride. We are proud to announce that Bike Doctor of Frederick will once again join us at the start to help handle any bike issues that come up on ride day! 
Flat tire on the course? No problem. We're running SAG support and driver contact numbers will be printed on cue sheets, which will be available on ride morning. 
We'll be in touch again before Sunday, October 13 with final updates. Thanks for your support - and thank you to our sponsors for their support!
 
With Appreciation,
Montgomery Countryside Alliance Board, Staff and Volunteers

questions? Visit the ride page here or get in touch: Kristina@mocoalliance.org

Pre-Ride Stretches from Laren Rusin, PT

10/6/2019

 
And now for a helpful word from Ride for the Reserve sponsor Laren Rusin, PT dust off those hamstrings and join us October 13! Days remain to register here. 
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​Stretching before and after you ride


Stretching can be beneficial pre and post-ride, but you want to approach each differently. Performing a series of dynamic stretches before you ride allows you to warm up your muscles and start the blood flowing, and check in with your body to see how everything feels. You work through your available or “active” range of motion, not stressing out your joints, or overstretching muscle fibers which can then inhibit performance.
Some of my favorite examples of dynamic stretches to try pre-ride (you may have to start with shorter sessions of each):
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​-Lunge walking, working through gradual increase in range of motion. Step forward then lunge down, dropping your hips down, not forward. Keep your front knee over your toes. Repeat for 2-3 minutes
​Trunk rotation in lunge position and side bending: in a kneeling lunge position, start by gently twisting your trunk side to side, gently and slowly increasing the range of motion. Perform for a minute, switching which leg is forward halfway through. Then perform a sidebend and reach, to the left then to the right. Same thing, switch which leg is forward halfway through.
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​-Downward dog to upward dog: Working out your spine gently, start in a downward dog position, then slowly transition to an upward dog or cobra position. You can alternate bending your knees in the downward dog as a variation. Perform for a minute.
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Stay tuned for those post-ride stretches!
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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
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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