Thanks to all that joined us at the Community Share Along - we had a robust crowd at Bally Cliff Farm in Poolesville. How joyous for us to come together and understand how much we all truly have in common and how important it is to support one another.
Topics raised fell under the following categories:
Water Resources:
-Care for the Aquifer, the only source of water for the Reserve with concern expressed about PFAS contamination and hurdles to testing.
Farmer Support:
-How we connect youth with farming as a career and increase ag literacy among young people (Maryland Ag Education Foundation is one solution supported by buying Ag Tags)
-Chesapeake Fibershed is connecting farmers in the region and has upcoming local events.
- Connect new farmers with support - an incubator floated as a solution.
-Asking the county to step up to fill gaps in food bank procurement of local food crops so food banks can meet the needs of the county's diverse population and support local farms at the same time.
The Future of the Ag Reserve:
- Investment from outside the Reserve is resulting in uses unbalanced with active farming. Zoning needs to be clear and enforced.
-An increasing number and increasing scale of alcohol venues have lead to concerns about impacts ranging from safety on roads to impervious surfaces and groundwater over-use.
- More support is needed for table crop production to meet the Reserve's purpose with a national food system under stress and the added impacts of tariffs.
- A better alignment toward a "responsibility" of Reserve residents to be involved in Agriculture.
MCA staff put in a plug for Land Link Montgomery, Good Gift Groundwater Campaign and ReLeaf native forest replating programs, along with PLENTY magazine.
Thanks to Bally Cliff for hosting us and all of you for providing such a delicious spread of potluck goodies. Thanks to County Executive Elrich and Councilmember Balcombe for attending.
Photos from our Facebook page including photos from the county photographer.
Water Resources:
-Care for the Aquifer, the only source of water for the Reserve with concern expressed about PFAS contamination and hurdles to testing.
Farmer Support:
-How we connect youth with farming as a career and increase ag literacy among young people (Maryland Ag Education Foundation is one solution supported by buying Ag Tags)
-Chesapeake Fibershed is connecting farmers in the region and has upcoming local events.
- Connect new farmers with support - an incubator floated as a solution.
-Asking the county to step up to fill gaps in food bank procurement of local food crops so food banks can meet the needs of the county's diverse population and support local farms at the same time.
The Future of the Ag Reserve:
- Investment from outside the Reserve is resulting in uses unbalanced with active farming. Zoning needs to be clear and enforced.
-An increasing number and increasing scale of alcohol venues have lead to concerns about impacts ranging from safety on roads to impervious surfaces and groundwater over-use.
- More support is needed for table crop production to meet the Reserve's purpose with a national food system under stress and the added impacts of tariffs.
- A better alignment toward a "responsibility" of Reserve residents to be involved in Agriculture.
MCA staff put in a plug for Land Link Montgomery, Good Gift Groundwater Campaign and ReLeaf native forest replating programs, along with PLENTY magazine.
Thanks to Bally Cliff for hosting us and all of you for providing such a delicious spread of potluck goodies. Thanks to County Executive Elrich and Councilmember Balcombe for attending.
Photos from our Facebook page including photos from the county photographer.
Montgomery Countryside Alliance is the small (but mighty!) organization the protects local farms and the Ag Reserve, we were created of and for the Reserve community and appreciate your support!
