When work and school become too much to handle and the struggles of a daily routine seem too intense, many turn to one place for relaxation and rejuvenation: the outdoors.
Although Montgomery County is known for its commitment to preserving green spaces, the county is now planning to work with the MSI soccer league to replace Nick’s Organic Farm — a 20-acre organic farm in Potomac — with new soccer fields.
The county should work to preserve the farm and the local agricultural industry.
Local farmer Nick Maravell founded the organic farm in 1980 and has leased the property from the Board of Education for more than 30 years. Without Maravell’s knowledge, the Board leased the land to the county, which then brokered a deal with MSI to replace the farm with soccer fields. The decision mandates that Maravell leave the property by Jan. 1.
Replacing the farm with soccer fields threatens the contributions of the organic agricultural industry. Nick’s Organic Farm and similar farms constitute a significant segment of the county’s economic productivity, as agricultural activities occupy about one third of the county’s land area. The county’s 577 farms produce more than $251 million and employ more than 10,000 residents. Destroying the farm will jeopardize a substantial portion of the county’s economy.
The farm not only produces fresh foods that consumers rely on but also provides many farmers with organic seed and animal feed that are normally hard to find. Replacing Nick’s Organic Farm with soccer fields will disrupt many farmers’ convenience in obtaining organic materials.
At an April 4 community meeting about the soccer fields’ construction, more than 90 percent of the 250 attendees expressed their support for keeping the organic farm. Disregarding the majority opinion, the county informed the audience that they would sign the agreement with MSI the next day. Additionally, an online petition to save the farm has collected nearly 4,000 signatures. The county continues to ignore the will of the people and refuses to factor citizens’ complaints into this decision.
The county has one of the most successful farm protection efforts in the nation, largely due to the independence advocacy groups and environmental preserves from the government. However, the county and independent organizations must work together to uphold the county’s tradition of agricultural preservation. Without a conscious effort to protect farms, they will eventually fall victim to urban development. Maintaining natural open spaces is vital in order to protect the appeal of our beautiful county.
Danny McClanahan • Dec 2, 2011 at 11:52 am
Since this was already bumped ridiculously late, it’s important to note that while organic food is now popular, at least in this area, it actually has no health benefits whatsoever over non-organic products (http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/pesticides/overview.html).
average student • Dec 2, 2011 at 8:10 am
i fully support localy grown food. Seafood has a huge lobby in annapolios but agriculture gets thrown under the bus. but organic food is just stupid
A. Lover • May 23, 2011 at 7:55 pm
I love how this article has quickly become a “safe and secure public-forum for the community to express their opinions,” as opposed to the bad mojo that is currently seen in Carolyn Freeman’s blog, “When patriotism goes overboard.” Thanks!
A. Ant • May 23, 2011 at 6:32 pm
A. Geek thanks for taking the time to support local high school journalism by reading the Opinion piece, “County should preserve Potomac farm, other ‘green’ spaces.” Your comments regarding MSI — although interesting and perhaps, deserving of its own story — demonstrate that you missed the point of the article: to express an opinion on the importance of preserving green spaces (dare I say “natural”) in Montgomery County and not to write an expose on back-room deals and political scandal.
A. Caretaker • May 23, 2011 at 12:45 am
As a caretaker for my elderly father & aunt w/stage 3 cancer, and having shared nutritional information w/the parents of my autistic nephew, I appreciate this informed article.
In caring for them, and seeing their actual blood work tests (the #s), or in my nephew’s case, his “personality and responsiveness” issues, I know now, what I didn’t before (even just 2 years ago): What we eat directly effects our health, and eating organic can actually change the health issues many of us face.
Seldom does one article cover the many facets of any issue: What I came away with is that someone is finally sharing the importance of this organic farm, and “destroying this farm” WILL jeopardize a substantial portion of this county’s ORGANIC economy ~ especially in view of the Country’s recent passing of allowing more conventional farms to use Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
In order to be certified organic, a farm needs to be so many miles from anyone using and GMOs ~ this farm, fluke that we are fortunate that he started it and works it as he does, happens to fit that criteria.
While I have many areas that I could add, along the lines of:
* How GMO seeds can either 1) not be used for new crops, or 2) need to be purchased EVERY season from the larger corporations/businesses controlling them;
* It’s a 20 acre farm, and the # of healthy eaters are growing (as can be seen in our local fast foods, like Chicken Out, the Silver Diner and others ~ who are espousing the use of no antibiotic, cage-free &/or humanely grown meats;
* This farm supplies our LOCAL farms (including livestock farms), and sells to various consumers on various levels. The # of those that Nick’s Organic Farm actually helps is a growing # and therefore, is hard to calculate.
* How the property is a “community” property that the MoCo County wants to use for “County and private” services (which many could say is leading to “privatization of fitness”) ~ gotta pay to play;
I agree FULLY about the MSI smoking gun. It appears that MSI is “racking up” around a million a year in profits, and in it’s own minutes, wrote that they chose to use $350K to hire lobbyists, consultants and others to … wording close to the effect of [using this money to “maneuver” through the “political” scene]. Meanwhile they have parents “volunteering” their time and expense to coach and mentor.
Do all those volunteers realize that charges could be cut in half, or thereabouts? Or that MSI would rather disrupt neighborhoods & work on using community sites for county needs? Note: the MSI coaches in the Brickyard site area initially didn’t get the same “call for support” that they found others were getting prior to them, and many of them thought that it “stunk.” Whose neighborhood is next??? Yours perhaps?
[suggestion: prepare for “little to no notice” when it comes to your neighborhood, should this action go forward in this neighborhood.]
Furthermore, I was informed that although the public MSI documents reveal a $6 million surplus/war chest/ whatever one would call it, MSI’s minutes write that it will be better to get/use other lands rather than buying their own ~ something to this effect. A not for profit? Some might think otherwise.
Furthermore, one could touch on how County Executive Ike Leggett wrote to the MoCo Board of Ed in Nov. 2009 asking for the Brickyard site to serve “at risk kids” [with after school programs]. Not a word mentioned @ the 2010 elections. Not a word that 2 on the MoCo Board were involved w/MSI on some level.
A lot of areas could be mentioned, but in one article? Thoroughly? Not likely.
I appreciate that SOMEONE, one of a few, have taken the time to allow some form of the past “Fairness Doc.” that allowed equal time for both sides of issue. And while some, like “A. Geek” might argue that a farm is not a “natural open space” ~ the farm appears natural, open and spacious to me (and I believe that many would agree). Thank You Isaac Rubin.
A. Geek • May 22, 2011 at 9:07 pm
The author of the article makes a giant leap when he says “Destroying the farm will jeopardize a substantial portion of the county’s economy.” This is simply absurd. This is a tiny farm. But the author neglects to even explain the amount of acreage or for that matter, the percentage of the economy to which he refers.
Frankly, the author is missing the smoking gun or rather, several smoking guns. For example, MSI is registered as a non-profit, yet racked up a million dollars in net profits last year and rather than cutting their own rates, hired a lobbyist for $350K, a lobbyist who used to work as an advisor to the county executive. There is so much going on behind the scenes that is simply scandalous. To focus on the economic contribution of the farm is to miss the big story.
On the flip side, please don’t characterize farms as “natural open spaces” as you did in the final sentence “Maintaining natural open spaces is vital in order to protect the appeal of our beautiful county.” Farms, organic or otherwise, are not natural open spaces.