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.

Transportation Opinion Poll Released - Heavy on the Pavement, Light on the Solutions

4/19/2016

by Caroline Taylor

More of the same from promoters of pavement: Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance Poll
Coalition Response: here.

Thanks to our partners at Coalition for Smarter Growth for coordinating the response on this.

Find all posts on Outer Beltway

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.

Potomac Bridge Update

12/23/2015

by Caroline Taylor

How many lives can a terrible idea have?

Community Food Rescue! Reserve Farmers Step Up!

5/26/2015

by Caroline Taylor

MCA has joined the Community Food Rescue team. Community Food Rescue is a new initiative to develop a coordinated food recovery system throughout Montgomery County, Maryland. This system enhances the good work of businesses, agencies, and organizations that already recover perfectly good food before it is thrown away.

Update: Great blog profiling early participant Amanda Cather from Plow and Stars Farm (recruited by MCA!)

From the website:
Every year in Montgomery County, Maryland…

246,000 tons (23%) of the County’s solid waste is food waste. (Montgomery County Waste Composition Study, July 26, 2013)
79,000-81,000 (8%) of Montgomery County residents do not know where their next meal will come from. (Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study)
35% of children in Montgomery County public schools qualify for free or reduced meals. (Montgomery County Public Schools)

MCA is doing our part by linking farms, Reserve food business and service for those in need to the program. Spread the word... because we need to stop the waste and rescue food.

Our Mission: Making Connections to Grow Farm Business

4/2/2015

by Caroline Taylor

Just in the first quarter of 2015 and we have been happily busy making connections between farms and markets, services and farms, farms and restaurants and services to communities in need with farms... and more.

Growing Legacy Film Garners Honors and Festival Screenings

3/30/2015

by Caroline Taylor

Since its successful premiere at the Universities at Shady Grove before an audience of 250, MCA's short documentary Growing Legacy has been making the rounds. The film has been screened by agencies such as Maryland National Park and Planning, local civic groups and film festivals such as DC Environmental Film Festival.

Keep Sewers Out of Ten Mile Creek: A Photo Essay

3/19/2015

by Kristina Bostick

Friends of Ten Mile Creek Board Member (and Audubon Naturalist Society Water Quality Monitoring Program Coordinator), Cathy Wiss, has produced a brilliant photo essay (Part 1 and Part 2) detailing the short and long-term damage that would be caused by the sewer options that WSSC has proposed.

Land Link Makes Another Match!

2/18/2015

by Kristina Bostick

Our Land Link program has achieved another match! We started Land Link to overcome what local farmers identified as the biggest hurdle to starting or expanding local farms- the astronomical cost of land- as explained by Woody Woodroof from Red Wiggler Community Farm in our "Growing Legacy" Film.

Click here to see our Land Link site and sign up to find or offer land for lease.

What's Happening with... Global Mission Mega Church?

11/24/2014

by Caroline Taylor

2015 GMC Update: Our Attorney, Michele Rosenfeld, delivered oral argument before the Court of Special Appeals in early December 2014 in both of the ongoing legal challenges. The site plan approval challenge that MCA filed in partnership with Sugarloaf Citizens Association is strong and was favorably heard by the Appeals Court. The oral argument in the suit filed by community members involving the Church's required secondary access road bisecting residential property bound by long standing neighborhood covenants, also quite strong, was also heard. We are waiting for opinions in both cases. Awaiting decisions in both cases. Read on below..

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

What's New from MC in the latest Ag Census?

10/3/2014

by Caroline Taylor

Montgomery County Ag Services has posted the data from the 2012 Ag Census. Looks like MC equine industry is flourishing. What about the other ag businesses? Check out the summary here.

In this chart comparing 2007 data to that of 2012 - Good News! You will see an increase in land in production and the market value of products sold.

With a resurgence of interest in farming and the burst of consumer interest in locally produced food products, the forecast is good for our area farms.

Where to Get What, When- A Local Food Guide

4/26/2014

by Kristina Bostick

Lets get down to it- Local Food just tastes better and supporting your local farmer has benefits to our whole community. However, we each have our favorite foods. This page will attempt to help you find those (peaches, tomatoes, etc) at the peak of their season.

First, the when... check out the calendar at pickyourown.org. For those who really want to support local food and farms- consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture farm.

Next, find your local farmers market, or search by food item at Maryland's Best. Check out their recipes section as well. To see just Montgomery County Specific Markets, check out MoCo's Department of Agriculture. Another great resource is Local Harvest.

What do you do with all that great stuff once you buy local? One Acre Farm has a great collection of recipes.

The Potomac Bridge Crossing- Studying a Bad Idea, Again

3/25/2014

by Kristina Bostick

Ten Mile Creek- Council Takes Path of Increased Protection

2/12/2014

by Kristina Bostick

News

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

Transportation Opinion Poll Released - Heavy on the Pavement, Light on the Solutions

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

Potomac Bridge Update

Community Food Rescue! Reserve Farmers Step Up!

Our Mission: Making Connections to Grow Farm Business

Growing Legacy Film Garners Honors and Festival Screenings

Keep Sewers Out of Ten Mile Creek: A Photo Essay

Land Link Makes Another Match!

What's Happening with... Global Mission Mega Church?

2014 Wrap Up

What's New from MC in the latest Ag Census?

Where to Get What, When- A Local Food Guide

The Potomac Bridge Crossing- Studying a Bad Idea, Again

Ten Mile Creek- Council Takes Path of Increased Protection

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