Montgomery County Department of Economic Development:Agricultural Services -

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Department of Economic Development - Agricultural Services

DED Home

About Us

Business Services

Current and Upcoming Events (Updated 08/06/08):

Deer season is back, and the Deer Donation Program is again accepting deer for donation to area food banks. Download the Poolesville Area or Laytonsville Area (36 kb/PDF) deer donation flyer to find out how farmers and hunters can donate deer to the region's hungry. Important! The contact information and drop-off hours for the Poolesville Area cooler have changed. Please download the Poolesville Area flyer for updated information.

Topics of Interest (Updated 10/17/07):

NEW! Celebrate Rural Montgomery has developed an interactive resource guide to agriculture in Montgomery County. Explore farms, historic sites, museums and parks** inside and outside the Agricultural Reserve. Printed guides are also available at the Agriculutral History Farm Park. (**Requires Macromedia Flash Player)

Attention Fruit and Vegetable Producers! Are you looking for a wholesale buyer for your produce? Download our list of Regional Wholesale Produce Buyers (92 kb/PDF).

Looking for a reliable source of fresh, local fruits and vegetables for the next growing season? Join one of Montgomery County's Community-Supported Agricultural Operations (CSAs) (21 kb/PDF). Hurry, subscriptions are limited and fill up fast!

Deer Management - Find out how the Division is supporting County deer management efforts.

Farmland Preservation - Learn how to preserve your farm for future generations.

Publications - Download fact sheets, pamphlets, the Montgomery County Horse Study, and the Montgomery County Farm Directory.

The Agricultural Services Division was created to support and promote the viability of the agricultural industry in Montgomery County. Agricultural activities occupy about one-third of Montgomery County's land area and the County's diverse agricultural industry - 577 farms and 350 horticultural enterprises - produces more than $251 million in economic contribution and employs more than 10,000 residents.

The Agricultural Services Division works to increase the public's awareness of the value and economic impact of agriculture. In order to preserve working farmland, the Division works closely with farmers in the County's Agricultural Reserve. More than half of the County's 93,000 acres of viable farmland is now preserved through transfer of development rights or easement purchase intiatives. The County has a farmland preservation goal to protect 70,000 acres of farmland by the year 2010.

The majority of Montgomery County farms are family-run operations, many reaching back several generations, and these farms are state-of-the-art agricultural operations, contributing to the County's incredibly strong economy. Preserving farmland as a resource ensures that Montgomery County will have agricultural production capabilities in the future.

25th Anniversary of the Agricultural Reserve

2005 marked the 25th Anniversary of Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve.
Celebrate Rural Montgomery, in cooperation with the Department of Economic
Development (DED), sponsored numerous events throughout the year that highlighted and helped celebrate this important milestone in the history of our award-winning Agricultural Reserve. As part of the celebration, a commemorative map of the County (116 kb/JPG) was commissioned and made available for purchase by the public. Maps are still available for purchase from the Division at a cost of $12.00. Please call 301-590-2823 for more information

Contact us by phone or email

The Division cooperates with the following departments, agencies and nonprofit organizations:

Government:

Montgomery Soil Conservation District

Maryland Cooperative Extension in Montgomery County

The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency

NRCS

Nonprofit:

Celebrate Rural Montgomery

Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry

AG Preservation

AG Facts

AG Initiatives

Applications

Publications

Farmers Markets

AG Services Division

Farm Tour

Boards/Committee

Soil Conservation

Cooperative Extension

Last edited: 8/6/2008

The Montgomery County Department of Economic Development
Agricultural Services Division
18410 Muncaster Road
Derwood, Md 20855
Phone: 301-590-2823
Fax: 301-590-2839