ticular concerns in the county , where business-as-usual policies could lead to a loss of an additional 15,000 acres of farmland by 2040 .
These are some of the reasons why , in June of this year , Tope and Niyi hosted a gathering of female and Black farmers , facilitated by Montgomery Countryside Alliance Executive Director Caroline Taylor and attended by County Council President Gabe Albornoz . Tope came ready with an array of statistics on the average age of farmers in the county ( 60 years old ). She mentioned the percentage of Montgomery County farmers who also work part-time off the farm ( 62 percent ). She shared a powerful message about the importance of financial and technical support for the next generation of farmers to ensure the future of farming in Montgomery County . She also put forward a vision .
According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture , there were 37 farms growing vegetables in Montgomery County on an average of around 12 acres . There were also 274 new and beginning farmers in the county .
Tope envisions bringing these two groups together via a system of incubator farms . A committed and experienced farmer would receive a long-term lease on a parcel of land in exchange for “ incubating ” new producers . These beginning farmers could work on the experienced farmer ’ s operation , receiving training and experience in production and , critically , business management and marketing . They could also start their own operations on a small scale on the same property , sharing equipment and infrastructure with their mentor while building equity in their own businesses . “ Imagine if we had one thousand out of the 93,000 acres in the Reserve ,” Tope says . “ One thousand . And that one thousand had 50 farmers . I ’ m telling you : it would change the landscape .”
Tope also has a vision for the future of Dodo Farms . She and Niyi are leasing four additional acres on the same property for their vegetable operation this year , and they recently purchased a tractor . They are also seeking a permanent home for their farm where they can both live and work in the same location . She is excited about the potential of a farm enterprise called Dodo Spices , which would allow Tope and Niyi to scale up their production of high-value herbs and spices like cilantro , rosemary , parsley , and hot peppers , processing them to create special shelf-stable flavor blends . “ Those things change the taste — they wake up the flavor in the food ,” says Tope , who notes that spice blends can help people looking for healthier diets — who , like her , still love food with character — cut down on salt and other additives . “ When I go to a non-African restaurant ,” she laughs , “ I take my spices and put them in my bag . I ’ m not eating this food that has no character !”
She also notes that innovative initiatives like the Farm to Food Bank program , a partnership established to increase access to fresh , culturally appropriate , locally produced foods among Montgomery County residents , are an important aspect of the county ’ s agricultural future . Along with cooperation among farmers , she says , additional aggregation and wholesale and institutional purchasing from local farmers can help make small-scale vegetable production more financially viable . “ There is only so much you are going to sell in DuPont Circle , as big as the market is ,” Tope points out . Programs that aggregate local produce create “ economic progress , because if I sell a bunch of kale to you for $ 3.00 and you turn around and sell it for $ 5.00 you make money and I make money , instead of me trying to do everything by myself .” Farmers can grow desired crops on a scale that takes advantage of some efficiencies they might not other-
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