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Montgomery Victory Gardens Weekly Update - April 22, 2010

In this update:

* Rethinking Montgomery: Producing More Local Food - TONIGHT, Thursday April 22
* An Incubator Farm for Montgomery County?
* Germantown Community Garden Now Taking Applications
* Green Thumb-Arbor Day Celebration - Saturday, April 24
* Farmstead Fever Spreading to Jersey Public Schools
* Singing the Praises of the Broad Fork!
* Urban Farming Gets Real


Rethinking Montgomery: Producing More Local Food - TONIGHT, Thursday, April 22

The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which has tremendous influence over the future development (or preservation) of Montgomery County land, has launched a "Rethink Montgomery" Speaker Series. The subject of the discussion on Thursday, April 22 will be how we can produce more local food.

Rethinking MontgomeryWhile nearly one-third of Montgomery County is set aside as an Agricultural Reserve, the land there is under regular threat of development. And the large percentage of farming that is done in the Ag Reserve is for commodity crops like corn and soybeans. Very little "Montgomery grown" vegetables or fruit end up on our tables, in our grocery stores or in our schools because not much is grown.

What is the relationship between farms, urban areas, consumers, restaurants and communities?  What national trends effect us? Can Montgomery County support small "metro farms"?  How can rural communities remain vital in metropolitan influenced areas? Addressing these issues will be the following panelists: Ben Allnutt of Homestead Farms; Wade Butler of Butler Orchards: Jeremy Criss, Dept. of Economic Development Agricultural Services Division, and yours truly, Gordon Clark, Project Director of Montgomery Victory Gardens.

Join us for what promises to be an excellent discussion on local food, to be held at the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission headquarters at 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, starting at 7:30pm.

For more information on the event and Rethinking Montgomery series, click here.



An Incubator Farm for Montgomery County?

One crucial aspect of the debate about producing more local food in Montgomery County is how to get farmers the land they need to farm. The high cost of land in our county, which is pushed up by commercial development, puts it out of the reach of all but a small handful. And few farmers want to make serious investments when they can't get anything more than the typical 3-5 lease on either public or private land. (Leases of 20, 40 and 50 years are preferable.)

This recent article from The Gazette, "Ag Reserve Could Be Leased to New Farmers," reports on a new idea that has sprung up in the past year, that of starting an "incubator farm" in Montgomery County, one that could provide training and affordable land to a group of young farmers. Such an incubator would be vital, says Red Wiggler Farm Director (and MVG Advisory Board member!) Woody Woodroof, to create a critical mass or community of farmers who want to produce fresh, organic food for local consumption.

At the same time the incubator would provide land for only a relatively small numberMichael Protasof farmers, and it could take years before it becomes a reality, especially given the current county budget crisis. And as local CSA farmer Michael Protas (pictured right) of One Acre Farmnotes, that won't do anything for him and the other farmers who are struggling today with the issue of access to affordable land.

What can we do to help young, sustainably minded farmers come to Montgomery County and stay here to grow our food? Stick with Montgomery Victory Gardens as we continue to search for, and fight for, the answers.



Germantown Community Garden Now Taking Applications

We're delighted to pass on this announcement: Montgomery County Department of Parks is now accepting applications for its newest community garden in the Park system -the South Germantown Community Garden, 10841 Central Park Circle in Boyds.

The South Germantown Community Garden has twenty-two 400 square feet plots available for rent for a fee of $50 annually per plot, and twenty-one 200 square feet plots for $30 annually.  On-site water and deer fencing is provided.

As space is limited, interested gardeners are encouraged to submit applications for gardening at this new location by Tuesday, April 27, 2010.  Applicants will be placed in a lottery for the location and assigned plots. The Department of Parks will begin notifying selected gardeners of plot assignments for this location on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

To get an application, or for more information about the community gardens in Montgomery Parks, click here.  You can also call the Department of Parks Community Gardens, 301-650-2635 or email [email protected].



Green Thumb-Arbor Day Celebration - Saturday, April 24

For the first time ever, the Locust Grove Nature Center, in Cabin John Park in Bethesda, will be holding a Green Thumb-Arbor Day Celebration.

Locust GroveAnother family-oriented event, this one will include demonstrations on container vegetable gardening from the Montgomery County Master Gardeners, crafts, bucket rides in a cherry picker, tree climbing demonstrations, a native plant sale, and several talks, including one on the history of Victory Gardens presented by, you guessed it, Montgomery Victory Gardens! (What can we say, word is getting around!)

Please join us for this great day on Saturday, April 24 from 10am - 2:30pm at the Locust Grove Nature Center. Click here for directions and additional information.



Farmstead Fever Spreading to Jersey Public Schools

The Highland Park public schools in central New Jersey have joined the wave of interest in community food gardening that has taken root at schools across the country.

The People's Organization for Progress started their edible school garden program in December 2008, and many individuals and organizations have signed on since then, including three local houses of worship, the Farmers Solidarity Project, Highland Park Community Food Pantry, the public library's Green Teens group, and now the public school district.

School system funding is low in New Jersey like everywhere else, but POP was able to secure a $10,000 grant through the Sustainable Jersey Small Grant program, and now plans to begin school edible gardens at each of the four Highland Park Schools. The grant proposal even includes a "green collar jobs" component that would pay Highland Park youth to maintain the gardens during the summer.

It's amazing what you can do with school food gardens, if you have a willing school system, isn't it? Click here for the story on New Jersey's newest edible school gardens. (And thanks to Kathy Jentz of Washington Gardener Magazine for passing this on!)



Singing the Praises of the Broad Fork!

Friends, I have discovered a new tool this garden season, and have fallen in love: the broad fork. While used in Europe for centuries, it hasn't caught on quite as wellbroad forkhere in the U.S., which is strange indeed given how positively dreamy this tool is out in the garden.

No tool does a better job of tilling soil than the broad fork. Basically an extremely large fork with heavy tines, the broad fork allows you to till and aerate garden beds by hand, using a natural motion that's easy on your body. It provides an alternative to the noise, pollution, fossil fuel use, and ground compaction caused by power tilling. And most importantly, they open and loosen the soil without turning it, creating minimal disruption to the soil strata and to the soil's living flora and fauna that exist at different levels and which are necessary for optimal plant growth. (This loosening action is far preferable to the pulverizing action of motorized tillers.)

broad fork.footUsing it is a cinch. You place it in the ground, use your foot and body weight to push it in, (sometimes a little rocking motion back and forth helps) then pull the handle down and back toward you to lift up the tines with a lever motion and break up the soil. Then remove, step back a half foot or so, and repeat. (Remember to work backwards so youU-bar diggerdon't have to stand on soil you've just loosened; if needed you can also do another set of rows perpendicular to the first.)

A variant of the broad fork is the U-bar digger (pictured at right) - same basic design on the digger end, but a different arrangement of the handles. I've tried both and can't decide which one I like more, but I can tell you that if you use one of these babies you can rip through 100 square feet of garden (or more) in relatively little time, and with almost no stress to your neck and beck.

If you're not a broad fork/U-bar fan already, try to find one and check it out - this is one seriously great garden tool!



Urban Farming Gets Real

Urban farming is anything but a fad, as governments around the country, including our federal government, are moving to support it. To quote wholesale this recent update from The American Farmland Trust:

"The federal government and a slew of states are pursuing ways to not only officially recognize urban agriculture, but also to allow and promote urban farming activities.

urban farmerThe Greening Food Deserts Act would create a Department of Urban Agriculture within the USDA and boost backyard conservation, community gardens and farmers markets. Maryland is leading the way for states with a fast moving bill that provides tax credits for land used for urban agriculture, and legislators in California are getting behind legislation that acknowledges fresh and healthy food as a "basic human right" and promotes opportunities for urban farms stands, farmers markets and direct farmer-to-consumer marketing. Georgia is looking at easing restrictions for private urban food production, Michigan is tying urban agriculture to economic growth and Oklahoma has an urban agriculture bill in play."

Wow! It's great to know the "grow your own locally" wave is rolling across the country. Let's use this inspiration to make it happen here in Montgomery County too.

 

That's it for this week, friends!  Don't forget to send us your feedback, as well as ideas for stories or local food events we can promote, by emailing us at [email protected].


Yours for sustainable local eating in 2010,

Gordon Clark,
Project Director
Montgomery Victory Gardens