n Food assistance providers will be free from the pressure to buy the cheapest industrial food to stretch their food procurement budgets . n Food assistant providers are empowered to select the produce they know their communities value , rather than only receiving what is donated which may lead to more waste . n The Initiative ’ s campaign brings equity to food assistance by providing first quality produce that passes our high quality control standards . n Local farms will be supported in growing their output of first-quality , sustainably grown food , delivered at a price that fully reflects the true cost . n Through the educational campaign , participating community-based organizations help to build community around these issues , encouraging all to buy local produce and create grass roots change . n Through fundraising campaigns , community-based organizations raise private dollars to leverage foundation and local county dollars . n Participants in the campaign become a partner with thousands of others who are building a local alternative to address what has gone wrong with our global industrial food system .
Already , several nonprofits have expressed interest in joining the campaign , including Mid-County United Ministries , KPC Buddhist Relief and others are already starting to raise funds and awareness , and therefore chipping away at the broken food system , one meal at a time . Working together , we can transform our food system to promote the health of all people and our planet .
Resources
Protect the Ag Reserve
SCA vigilantly monitors ongoing and new challenges to our area ’ s environment , farms , and open space .
n Overnight stays on farms . The Montgomery County Council in July approved a zoning ordinance that allows some landowners in the Ag Reserve to host overnight guests in private campgrounds open to the public . Campgrounds can be on working farms only and a property must be 25 acres or larger to qualify . SCA will be closely monitoring the implementation of this ordinance .
n Solar installations on farmland . A national and local debate is underway over large solar panel installations on farmland . We support solar energy but oppose ground-based facilities being built on prime agricultural land in the Ag Reserve or anywhere else .
n Data Centers . Proposals to build data centers in Montgomery and Frederick Counties are advancing . One site is in Dickerson . The plans for such facilities need to be transparent and thoroughly scrutinized by the county and the community .
SCA initiatives
4 Promoting regenerative agriculture and table crop farming 4 Preventing development near Sugarloaf Mountain 4 Supporting better waste management 4 Fostering community dialogue on key Ag Reserve issues
• www . communityfarmshare . org / true-cost
• www . rockefellerfoundation . org / wp-content / uploads / 2021 / 07 / True-Cost-of-Food-Full-Report-Final . pdf
• www . montgomerycountymd . gov / agservices / farm-totable . html
Jennifer Freeman serves as Executive Director of Community FarmShare , a Montgomery County based nonprofit committed to sustainable food systems change through innovative healthy food access programs and by supporting local farmers . www . communityfarmshare . org
Help us advocate on behalf of the Ag Reserve . Consider becoming an SCA member and supporter . For more information on the above and other issues and events , visit sugarloafcitizens . org or email us at info @ sugarloafcitizens . org
SUGARLOAF CITIZENS ASSOCIATION P . O . BOX 218 , DICKERSON , MD 20842