lated when plants are partially
cropped by the animals, plus the
animals’ manure and urine return
nutrients to the soil. Meanwhile,
that regrowth continues to pull
carbon down into the soil, where
much of it will remain, especially
as a healthy root system stretches
down further. More carbon in the
soil means less carbon dioxide in
the air. Water is also better absorbed
into the soil, and precious
topsoil is never lost to runoff.
Once permanent pasture is
established, the next step will be
to transition into silvopasture, i.e.,
the deliberate planting of trees
onto the pasture as part of the
livestock operation. Trees provide
shade for animals in the heat and
some shelter from winter conditions.
Equally important, trees offer
habitat for wildlife and food sources
for pollinators, plus the potential
for another income stream: a
harvestable crop, depending on
the species chosen. The addition of
trees means the land will sequester
even more carbon and capture
more precipitation.
With the supply chain disruptions
we are experiencing during
the coronavirus pandemic, the importance
of establishing regional
food security through local food
production becomes quite evident,
and it is in keeping with the
founding goals of the Agricultural
Reserve. The highest and best use
of Reserve farmland is to produce
quality food in a manner that benefits
our community as a whole.
SGA’s goal is to put all of the open
space at Linden Farm into productive,
carbon sequestering, food
producing, ecosystem-supporting
usage. With regenerative agriculture,
we will do that while putting
more back into the environment
than we take out.
Ellen Gordon is a long-time civic
activist with Sugarloaf Citizens’ Association.
She is a former coastal issues
analyst, writer and editor of stories
about the ocean and the people who
study it. An avid horseback trail rider,
an avocational herbalist, and an enthusiastic
chaos gardener in the veggie
patch, Ellen chooses the outdoors
whenever she can—in the fields and
woods, the ocean, the mountains,
and her yard.
Handcrafted Wines
Cellar Club
Online Ordering
established 2013
Family Friendly
Social Distancing
hours of operation
Wednesday 12-6pm
Thursday 12-6pm
Friday 12-9pm ~Live Music
Saturday 12-8pm ~Summer Hours
Sunday 12-6pm
~
RocklandsFarmMD.com
14525 Montevideo Road
Poolesville, MD
plenty I summer growing 2020 11