are to build a more just and resilient local food system . Citing challenges of the historic choice to push black farmers off their land and intergenerational wealth , Nia Nyamweya , owner operator of Beauty Blooms Farm , nonetheless shared “ I am energized and excited by the possibilities and creativity around potential policies and funding to build equity for farmers of color here .” Montgomery Countryside Alliance launched a program in 2011 to help address the challenge of affordable farmland access . Landlink Montgomery has been somewhat successful in matching aspiring farmers with farmland , connecting them with over 400 acres . But as the program ’ s director Kristina Bostick notes , “ Just this month we added five new farmers seeking land — that ’ s more than one per week in addition to the 25 producers enrolled already that are still looking . The demand for land is heartening — people wanting to step up and grow for their communities , contribute to the food system — but our network of landowners in the program is just not robust enough to keep up . We hear from Montgomery County Community Garden staff that the same is true for them : waiting lists of many seasons for an open plot to grow .”
A 2010 Farm Incubator Plan
The greatest challenge for the Agricultural Reserve in the next forty years will be to keep it a working landscape . That will require a new and more diverse generation of farmers . A farm incubator could provide critical assistance to young and new farmers seeking entry as producers by helping them develop local land , management , and market knowledge , provide mentoring in agronomy , and an opportunity to join the local farming community .
– dr . royce hanson
In March of 2010 , the Green Economy Task Force , a stakeholder group appointed by then Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett , released a report that included a recommendation to establish a small farm incubator program on county parkland with emphasis on promoting sustainable growing practices . The report concluded the program would be consistent with the ongoing practice of leasing over 900 acres of parkland to commodity producers and other incubator programs for start-up companies specializing in advanced technology and life sciences . In addition to providing aspiring farmers access to land , the program would offer technical , legal , and marketing guidance , as well as access to shared farm equipment and start-up cost assistance . Then Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Dr . Royce Hanson directed the parks department to devise the plan that would provide for potential host sites . The proposal , a result of collaboration between park staff and stakeholders , was released in May of 2010 . And … that plan , whether for lack of funding or shift in political winds , has for 13 years remained largely unfulfilled . Yet the need to advance the small farm incubator grows with each passing year . Land and infrastructure costs have skyrocketed while interest in local farming , particularly from diverse producers , has greatly expanded .
Eco City Farms ’ Urban Farm Incubator ...
Located at Watkins Regional Park in Upper Marlboro in Prince Georges County , the Eco City Farms Urban Farm Incubator provides a training ground to help farmers gain access to up to half-acre plots for up to 5 years . The project resulted from collaboration by ECO City Farms , the Prince George ’ s Soil Conservation District ( PGSCD ), Prince George ’ s Food Equity Council ( FEC ) and the M-NCPPC Parks and Recreation Department . The aim is to provide access to land and resource support for beginning farmers to launch new farm-based businesses in Prince George ’ s County using regenerative , certified naturally-grown , and organically-grown agricultural best practices . “ Urban farmers may need less land than traditional rural farmers , but urban land is far more costly and scarce . It takes persistence and collaboration to make it happen . ECO City Farms is a 13-year old teaching and learning farm that “ grows great food , farms and farmers .” It took all thirteen of these years and many partners to create this first-ever incubator farm in our County . When it ’ s finally done , it seems simple . But no one should underestimate what it takes to get the land , infrastructure , capital , stakeholders and farmers all working together to make it happen , ” says ECO City Farms CEO , Margaret Morgan-Hubbard .
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