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News

Why We Press On: The Story of Barnesville Oaks

11/30/2017

 
At the end of year giving season, most of us non-profits will tout the many successes of our work. MCA has been highly successful over the years but failure is also worth noting. Seven years ago we fought hard to hold suburbanization at bay in the Reserve on beautiful Peachtree Road: trying first to buy and conserve the 600+ acre farm known as Barnesville Oaks and then challenging the MC Planning Board's approval lead by at the time by a newly seated chair. 
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Despite collective effort - We were unsuccessful. The loss was and remains painful. ​
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As acres of trees are now being felled, earth moved, creatures and farm land displaced and massive homes being erected on suburban style plots we are reminded of this endeavor but most importantly we are infused with a greater sense of purpose to ensure that this error not be repeated... That we hold that line. 
​Since that decision, we have ramped up efforts to educate decision makers and the public on the plan and purpose of the Reserve and to grow our farm economy. As we toured the Planning Chair in 2014 she acknowledged the error of the board's decision... too late for this magnificent farm but nonetheless, progress. Our petition for reconsideration

Being a non-profit charged with protecting this special place - we press on. In this giving season, we are grateful for your support. 

Warm Regards,
Caroline Taylor
​Executive Director, MCA
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Land Link Makes Another Match

11/9/2017

 

We are thrilled to report that Land Link Montgomery has successfully connected wonderful Asbury Methodist Village acreage with producer Gigi Going. 

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Gigi runs the Milk Lady Farmers Markets

This small acreage farm at the well regarded retirement village will provide educational opportunities for the residents as well as sustainably grown produce. We have come to realize that there are many different needs of producers and landowners and getting the fit right takes a little time.

 As Gigi says, "In my case, I went through a couple of properties and landowners before finding the right fit for me, a small farm for no till growing with associated housing, so I wouldn't have to commute out to the countryside while living in Silver Spring Maryland. The Land Link program is a great way for new farmers to get started in Montgomery County."
Stay tuned for updates on the progress of the little farm at Asbury!

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Water Preservation Panel Discussion Dec. 3

11/9/2017

 
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​MCA is partnering with Sierra Club and other partner groups to host a panel discussion addressing water preservation and planning in Montgomery County on December 3, 3-5pm in the MC Executive Office Building Auditorium/Cafeteria in Rockville. 


The panel will:
  • Begin a conversation about the impacts of development and stormwater runoff on the public water supply;
  • Address how we can make growth smart enough to protect the public water supply;
  • Consider proactive strategies to protect and restore watersheds upstream from area water intakes that are within the purview of Montgomery County; and
  • Discuss implications for costs of water treatment and future water rates.


Scott Fosler (MCA Board member) is the keynote speaker – Scott is the current mayor of Chevy Chase and, among other achievements, is a past member and president of the County Council, when he was instrumental in the plan for the Little Seneca Reservoir as part of a two-reservoir emergency backup water supply for the National Capital Region. The plan, which was developed in response to a major drought that occurred in the 1960s, and as an alternative to a plan by the US Army Corps of Engineers for 16 reservoirs, resulted in the 1982 Water Supply Coordination Agreement among area utilities and the ICPRB, which remains in effect. The panel will be moderated by Caroline Taylor, executive director of Montgomery Countryside Alliance. We are also inviting representatives from WSSC and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin to join us on the panel.

Candidates for Montgomery County Council have been invited to provide comment on their plan for meeting the challenge of water resource protection.

Read up on our coverage of water resources "Protecting Regional Water Resources, Now more than Ever"
RSVP

October/November Issues – Plentiful, successful, ongoing, and requiring your action

11/4/2017

 
Having finished a schedule thick with wonderful events in September and October including Farm to Fork, Ride for the Reserve, and the 2017 Royce Hanson Award​, we thought we might have a little down time for some administrivia. No such thing! 

Land Use Planning – Transportation: A forward thinking resolution
 
We added our voice and effort in support of a sound County Council Resolution ensuring that upcounty land use planning maintains balance with current and approved transportation infrastructure. First rule: When in a hole, stop digging.  Happy to report that the resolution passed 7-2. ​Hats off to the TAME Coalition and County Councilmembers for getting this done.


Read More

Who's Your Farmer? Rocklands Farm

11/4/2017

 
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Fritz, Anna and Greg Glenn (Bethesda Magazine)
Greg and Anna Glenn
Rocklands Farm Winery & Market
14525 Montevideo Road
Poolesville, Maryland  20842
  
 
No time to travel to Napa Valley?…No worries!!
 
The next time your palate craves the taste of a new fine wine, just jump in your car and head to the Ag Reserve!  In fact, when you visit Rocklands Farm on Montevideo Road – just outside of Poolesville – you can treat your taste buds to some excellent wines and, at the same time, enjoy a drive through one of the more scenic parts of Montgomery County.  You can also shop at their on-farm market for grass-fed beef and lamb, pasture-raised pork, chicken and eggs, along with a variety of other farm products. 
 
When you arrive at the farm, there’s a good chance you will meet the business owners – Greg and Anna Glenn.  Greg and Anna are two of the most innovative farmers you will ever meet.  Greg, who started farming in the Ag Reserve in 2010, has transformed the business into a diversified agricultural operation with a strong focus on environmentally sound approaches to working the land.  They currently manage almost 100 acres, including 34 acres on their home farm along with other rented property.  They produce their own wines on the farm from grapes grown in their 6.5-acre vineyard. 
 
Greg, who studied Agriculture and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech University, is certainly putting his education to good use.  Anna holds a degree in Education from California Polytechnic University, so it’s easy to understand why she and Greg share a passion for reaching out to our younger generation through several educational programs focused on agriculture.  Greg said that he chose a career in farming because he “was inspired to know, and then provide to others, a connection with who, how and where food comes from.”  Greg and Anna have three young sons – Fritz, Simeon and Charlie – who will, no doubt, receive plenty of on-the-job training in agriculture in the coming years.

The Rocklands Farm Winery and Market is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.  There you can visit their wine tasting room and shop for a wide range of farm products.  They also feature local food trucks on Friday through Sunday and live music on “Fridays on the Farm.”  You can learn more about other special events, cellar club and educational outreach programs by visiting their website at www.rocklandsfarmmd.com.
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ABOUT US
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Montgomery Countryside Alliance
P.O Box 24, Poolesville, MD  20837
301-461-9831  •  ​[email protected]
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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