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News

What Kind of County Do You Want?

12/25/2019

 
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Eric Pedersen
Dear Friend of MCA,                           
​                              
As the year closes, we wish to thank you for support of our efforts to protect the Agricultural Reserve, its farms, parkland, open spaces, waterways and habitats For the third time MCA has been recognized as "One of the Best" small nonprofits in the Washington region by the Catalogue for Philanthropy because of the work we do.
Because of Your Support We Were Able to Undertake:
  • The Re-Leaf the Reserve initiative: Reforesting Stream Corridors
This young MCA volunteer is helping to mulch an acre of 5-6 foot newly planted native trees as part of this program. 
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​As a response to our climate crisis, MCA is proud to partner with Montgomery County Planning to identify landowners in the Ag Reserve with sensitive waterways in order to plant acres of native trees. Forest conservation easements and deer fencing will protect these new plantings - and the streams they help stabilize.
  • Promoting Regenerative Agriculture
To increase crop yields, reduce pesticides and capture atmospheric carbon, regenerative agriculture practices include the use of cover crops, perennial vegetation, less soil tillage and more compost to lock Co2 from the air into the soil. And it means healthier food for you and your family.
  • And more...
We continue our Land Link program, connecting farmers who need land to landowners wanting to host sustainable farm practices. We also collaborated on the Clean Water Blueprint for the County. MCA is focused on educational outreach to well and septic owners and establishing impervious caps to better protect our Sole Source Aquifer, our only source of drinking water.
The County is undertaking a new Master Plan process called Thrive 2050. It will guide how our County grows and functions for the next thirty years. A short quiz from the Planning Department was issued to residents in order to gauge support for land use changes. It was quite disturbing. With a total of just ten questions, two of them directly suggest erosion of the Ag Reserve:
  1. "In order to accommodate more people living and working in the County, would you allow new build­ing developments in the Agricultural Reserve and or other environmentally sensitive areas?"
  2. ''Do you support another bridge crossing over the Potomac River between areas of Montgomery County and Northern Virginia even though it would have environmental impacts?"
We know how you would vote - against destroying the crowning land use achievement of the Coun­ty's last forty years. On the eve of its 40th anniversary we should not stray from what is a nationally acclaimed land use model — but we must innovate. For all it does — protecting farms, open space, water and air quality and adding to the economy - the Ag Reserve can do more.
Together we can...
• Grow the next generation of farmers and link them with affordable acreage (Land Link).
• Continue to bring more farmers to classrooms and students to farm fields.
• Watchdog our elected
officials as well as County and State agencies. 
• And re-forest non-arable
land in the Reserve to meet the County's ambitious carbon sequestration goals before it is too late.
​Since 2001, MCA has had boots on the ground to protect the County's bold commitment to agriculture. Your support has allowed us to grow into a lean but mighty, well respected organization. Charting the future decades of the County and its Ag Reserve requires all oars in the water and our collective voices at the table. We hope you will continue to support us with a tax-deductible year-end gift. Peace to you and yours this holiday season!
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MCA's Year in Media

12/9/2019

 
We spend a lot of time here at MCA doing the work - writing the testimony on land use issues, matching farmers with land, planting trees, educating students and hosting events. We don't always find the time to document what we are up to. Thankfully, our activities have been documented in videos and on the page, check out the following media about our 2019 efforts. 
We are proud to be part of the publication of PLENTY Magazine - a magazine highlighting Montgomery's upounty and Ag Reserve. Copies are available free at local retailers and online here. 
MCA has contributed two articles - one on the Land Link program and one on our Re-Leaf program
Other Press
  • MyMC Media Covers Releaf the Reserve
  • Finding Collaborative Solutions to Local and Global Challenges
  • Climate Action Coffee: A Strong and Equitable Food System
  • Women's Democratic Club Tours the Reserve
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Montgomery Week in Review- Caroline Taylor introduces Re-Leaf the Reserve
3rd graders helping us mulch our new 1.5 acre Re-Leaf the Reserve planting 
Ride for the Reserve - My MCMedia video:
Meet Dodo Farms - a farm that found land through our Land Link program
We are one of 4 Montgomery Magazine featured charities for their December/January Charity Issue. Read the profile here
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Conservation Montgomery honored our Executive Director Caroline Taylor with the Joe Howard Conservation Award.
With your support we have accomplished a lot in 2019 - your end of year gift keeps us going - matching farmers with land, planting trees and protecting farms in 2020 and beyond. We'd be honored with your tax-deductible end of year gift today. 
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Land Link - Profiles of Two Matches

12/5/2019

 
Land Link Montgomery is MCA's program to connect aspiring and expanding farmers with landowners offering long term leases. The program has matched over 400 acres in the County and continues to accept both landowners and farmers. Visit the Land Link site to learn more.
​
We usually get to see the match between farmer and landowner start over email but it is really gratifying to see the result of a match in crops planted and fresh produce at markets. There have been two recent profiles of local Land Link success stories - both now a few seasons in and having achieved the Certified Naturally Grown designation. 
We received a joyful piece of correspondence the other day from Land Link farmer Olaniyi of Dodo Farms. We matched him with an acre some time back and he got in touch with an update and a documentary from the County of the thriving farm on his one acre.  ​
I​ will like to thank you so much for matching us with Dorothy.
I am delighted to tell you that not only have we had the most amazing experience with Dorothy and her family, the county just released a documentary about our farm. We mentioned you in the documentary and your site was featured too.
You changed our lives, you made something that seemed unachievable, easy.
Thank you so much.
Another profile - this time in print- of another Land Link success story was in the harvest issue of PLENTY magazine - the fledgling publication devoted solely to covering the Upcounty and Ag Reserve. Read the article about farmer Tanya here.  Tanya's Passion to Seed Farm is growing both native staples and crops, like Kiwano (Horned Melon) from her native Zimbabwe. 
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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