Royce Hanson Award 2019 Wrap Up

11/5/2019

Caroline Taylor, MCA's Executive Director presents Lori and her children with a basket of Ag Reserve gifts.

MCA Co-President Gene Kingsbury, along with Poolesville High School Global Ecology veteran teacher Joyce Bailey, has spent some time with MCA's Ag Education program in the classroom with students. "In Poolesville, when we ask how many of them want to work in agriculture - maybe one hand goes up. " But in Damascus, he says, it is different. The leadership of this year's honoree, veteran Ag educator Lori Mayhew, has sparked an interest in agriculture among students and launched countless careers in the field. Lori also coordinates Montgomery County's only FFA (Future Farmers of America) program. Read more about Lori here. Visit our Facebook Page for more photos.

Accolades poured in for Lori Mayhew, from a student from her first year at Damascus High and an official proclamation from the County Executive and Montgomery County Delegation. Lori herself spoke to the power of ag education to grab kids the way other subjects do not, but at the same time producing food is not for just a certain type of person. "It's not just a cow and a plow," she said. "If you like photography, marketing, art, there is a space for you in Agriculture." As part of running the only (FFA) chapter in the county, Lori organizes a farmers market at Damascus High School - each year they do The Great Plant Giveaway - veggie starts grown by FFA members are given free to market attendees, removing the barrier of cost to attempting to grow food. The experience of growing one's own food through this program shows community members what goes in to producing food, even on a small scale. Lori says of the program - "Not everyone can grow everything but everyone can grow something."

Our thanks to Lori Mayhew for her commitment to Agriculture Education! Thanks to St. Mary's Pavilion of Barnesville for hosting us, our board members for helping out with the event and to Dr. Royce Hanson, for everything.

Fifth Generation Orchard owner and MCA Co-President Gene Kingsbury shares his poem "Willow Creek"

2019 Royce Hanson Awardee: Damascus Ag Educator Lori Mayhew

10/16/2019

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

Poolesville High School Takes a Spring Field Trip

4/16/2019

High schoolers to farms on a perfect spring day. Brilliant!
What connections and understanding of well-produced food and fiber can be fostered through meeting producers and seeing their craft first hand? PLENTY! Huge thanks to our education program director Joyce Bailey, of Shepherd's Hey Farm, Greg Glenn of Rocklands Farm Winery, and MCA's president Gene Kingsbury, 5th gen owner-operator of Kingsbury's Orchard.

Gene shows students the fruit forming in the blossoms. He explains that the orchard practices integrated pest management in order to minimize chemical inputs. His use of mating band disrupters (pheromones) that stymie male peach borers has resulted in no chemical spraying for that devastating insect.

Greg Glenn at Rocklands Farm shares how livestock helps regenerate pasture.

Lee Langstaff at Shepherd's Hey Farm

New use for local wool - stress relief for teenagers

MCA In The Classroom, Fields and Creek

2/7/2019

Our Education Committee has been busy scheduling outreach events with local high school students. In January, Poolesville High School's Global Ecology program got a homecoming visit from retired faculty member Joyce Bailey- now chairing MCA's education committee. Joyce was joined by Gene Kingsbury of Kingsbury Orchard, Amanda Cather of Plow and Stars Farm, Doug Tregoning of the County Extension Office. Gene and Doug also visited a horticulture class at Sherwood High School.

Joyce Bailey with the Poolesville Global Ecology Students

As in past years, the committee is planning visits to farms in the spring, including Shepherd's Hey, Rocklands Farm and Kingsbury's Orchard. Along with trips to Ten Mile Creek. We are working with stellar MCA volunteer and elementary school teacher Kirsten Novo to adapt Ag Reserve lessons for our younger residents in line with the Ute Aminzadeh Educational Project.

Students investigate Ten Mile Creek's smallest residents

Poolesville High School Students visit Kingsbury's Orchard

MCA is the organization with boots on the ground not only protecting Montgomery County's Ag Reserve but preparing the next generation of farm stewards. Our local focus relies on local support. Please become a member with your tax-deductible gift today.

Where to Next?
More on MCA's Education Program
Victory in Suit Brought by Ten Mile Creek Developer
Out and About with Annabel: Kingsbury's Orchard

Learning Circle for Women Farm Owners

10/23/2018

This Event has been rescheduled for November 10 Register Here

From Our Friends at American Farmland Trust:

The American Farmland Trust has partnered with Montgomery County and Montgomery Countryside Alliance to their Women For The Land program this September 2018. The program is a Conservation Learning Circle for women landowners. The Conservation Learning Circle is a quick way to network with other landowners and learn how to access free conservation programs offered by state and local agencies.

Are you a woman landowner (or do you know one) that is new to, or struggling with, decision-making on your farm or forest land in Montgomery County?

We are currently recruiting program participants for our next program. Please feel free to share our information with anyone that you believe can spread the word about our well-received program!

Thank you very much! Questions can be emailed to [email protected]
Our next Conservation Learning Circle is for Maryland women landowners from Montgomery County. Montgomery County agencies and organizations are invited to present at the Learning Circle.

MCA in the Classroom

2/16/2018

Farmer Courtney Buchholtz at Poolesville High School

2018 and our Education Program is off to a great start with "farmer in classroom" sessions underway. This year we have featured several remarkable women farmers, including Courtney Buchholtz and Amanda Cather as we bring farming and land stewardship to students at several County public high schools. Of course, our Education Committee Chair Gene Kingsbury is on hand to help provide the vantage point of a multi-generation farm, Kingsbury's Orchard. The importance of the County's Ag Reserve and how it came to be, is a key part of the lesson. In addition to in class lessons, students come on farm and in field to learn first hand about what it is to farm and how the Reserve serves to protect natural resources. The best part? The insightful and thought provoking questions from the students. Bright minds. Bright future.

We are keen on seeing that these lessons make their way to more schools throughout the County. Stay tuned!

Previous posts:

http://www.mocoalliance.org/news/mcas-education-program

http://www.mocoalliance.org/news/oh-the-places-they-will-go-and-learn-right-here

http://www.mocoalliance.org/news/update-mobile-ag-lab-is-delivering-great-sciencefood-lessons-for-many-thousands-of-kids-in-moco

Poolesville High School Field Trips to Black HIll Regional Park

Update: Mobile Ag Lab is Delivering Great Science/Food Lessons for Many Thousands of Kids in MoCo

9/27/2017

3 years in - 31,500 Pre-k-5th Grade Students Served So Far, 51 MoCo Schools Visited

Back in 2015 MCA was proud to partner with the Montgomery County Farm Bureau on a passion dear to both organizations - connecting the next generation with education about the importance of farms and farm products. The plans for this collaboration came out of our Farming at Metro's Edge Conference in 2013. The education took the form of a big mobile laboratory, provided by Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF), stuffed with hands-on exhibits and activities about the role of agriculture in the everyday lives of students, and a trained educator to walk kids through it.

To date, the mobile labs have visited 51 Elementary Schools in Montgomery County and 31,500 students have walked through its doors. The lab will visit every Elementary School in Montgomery County by the end of 2019. For a hands-on science field trip - you can't beat one that brings the experience to the school property.

The lab experience is getting rave reviews from teachers and students:

"First of all our kids loved it, the teachers said the lessons were hands-on and supported age appropriate science curriculum."

"Thank your for organizing an incredibly awesome experience that I didn't know existed. "

"The 5th graders extracted DNA from a banana and were really excited about it."

Poolesville's Sugarland Community Will be Featured in New African -American Museum

9/19/2016

Poolesville's Sugarland Community, a freed slave community established in the late 1800s, will be contributing 7 pictures to the permanent collection of the new African American Museum - set to open in late September. It is so thrilling that this community will be featured. Community members have worked hard to preserve their fascinating history. News Coverage Here.

Oh the places they will go and learn... right here!

4/19/2016

by Caroline Taylor

Joyful. That sums up how students, educators, parents, Ag Services staff and MCA feel about participating in our expanding and collaborative educational outreach program. Getting kids out of the classroom and on farms and natural resources has sparked their intellectual growth and curiosity.

Mobile Ag Science Lab - Now At An Elementary School Near You!

8/25/2015

by Caroline Taylor

MCA is honored to be part of the Mobile Ag Science Lab effort with the Farm Bureau- every single MoCo elementary school will have a visit from this education resource on wheels. Read the press release below.

Historic Medley's Seneca Schoolhouse... rocks on the radio!

3/24/2015

by Caroline Taylor

What great radio coverage for one of the gems of the Reserve: The Seneca Schoolhouse Museum on River Road north of Potomac.

2014 Wrap Up

11/7/2014

by Kristina Bostick

What has MCA done for me lately? Well...

Our Shared Environmental Resources

Supporting a Strong Ag Sector
Connecting New and Expanding Farmers with Land

Strengthening the Producer Community with a Listserve and Summits
Successfully Pushing for a New Farm Pilot Program
Proud Lead Organization of the Farming at Metro's Edge Conference
Supporting A proposed year-round daily farmers market in North Potomac
Connecting farmers with new opportunities under the new County Zoning Code

Community
Producing "Growing Legacy" film about the Reserve for students and the public
Creating an Ag Reserve Candidate Questionnaire/Voter Resource
Creating an Ag Education Pilot - 180 students reached so farHelping to Found the MoCo Food Council Keeping Monocacy Elementary Open

Zoning
No Commercial Recreation or Camps in the Ag Reserve
No Sewer Extension for Mega Churches
Battling Back Plans for Massive Cell Towers

Currently working on supporting new farm businesses and expansion of sourcing local farm products in County stores/restaurants. We are pushing to add to our farmland inventory for the LandLink program. Our education initiative has expanded and we are working with MC Farm Bureau to secure funding for mobile ag science lab for the use of the County's elementary schools. How about that! Every elementary school student should have exposure to what farming is all about and why our Ag Reserve is so special.

And the list goes on and on... help us add more victories to this list- join MCA - a yearly membership is just $25

MCA's Education Program

3/14/2014

by Kristina Bostick

A smile flashes over MCA Education Committee Chair Gene Kingbury's face as their hands go up. The students at Poolesville High School have been listening as Gene explained how his family's fifth generation orchard grows (over 6000 trees!) and innovates. "How did you develop your new peach variety and do you patent it?" "Can you grow your fruit without chemicals?" Greg Glenn of Rocklands Farm offers a lesson in best practices in livestock raising by bunching students between desks with little room to move about. Huddled together and getting hot and uncomfortable, they get the picture... quickly

News

Royce Hanson Award 2019 Wrap Up

2019 Royce Hanson Awardee: Damascus Ag Educator Lori Mayhew

Poolesville High School Takes a Spring Field Trip

MCA In The Classroom, Fields and Creek

Learning Circle for Women Farm Owners

This Event has been rescheduled for November 10 Register Here

MCA in the Classroom

Update: Mobile Ag Lab is Delivering Great Science/Food Lessons for Many Thousands of Kids in MoCo

3 years in - 31,500 Pre-k-5th Grade Students Served So Far, 51 MoCo Schools Visited

Poolesville's Sugarland Community Will be Featured in New African -American Museum

Oh the places they will go and learn... right here!

Mobile Ag Science Lab - Now At An Elementary School Near You!

Historic Medley's Seneca Schoolhouse... rocks on the radio!

2014 Wrap Up

MCA's Education Program

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