Maryland / DC
61 Vineyard is a new on-farm winery in Montgomery County ’ s Agricultural Reserve . Our first vintage was 2020 , and our tasting room doors opened in October 2021 . We offer dry wines grown and produced on our farm , including Carbernet Franc , Merlot , Petit Verdot , Cabernet Savignon , Chardonnay , Albarino and Chardonel . Enjoy our wine tastings and flights , by the glass or bottle . Some snack items are available , including charcuterie .
Hours : Thursday 2-8 , Friday 2-9 , Saturday 12-9 , Sunday 12-6
28712 Kemptown Road Damascus , MD 20872 www . 61vineyard . com
Visit us on facebook and Instagram @ 61Vineyard explains it is easier to grow hay than corn or soybeans on smaller parcels . That ’ s because hay is a perennial crop that does not need to be replanted every year , so hay eliminates the need to maneuver the huge equipment needed to plant or harvest corn and soybeans in and out of tight spaces multiple times per year . Also hay harvesting can be more easily done in small batches . Yet Baker , and several other farmers I talked with , worry about further fragmentation of land , and land changing hands to owners who are less interested in , or knowledgeable about the needs of agriculture . Even with its 25- acre zoning , more parcels in the Ag Reserve are being used to build a single home in the middle of a previously farmable field , driving up the price of land as the availability of farmable land shrinks .
For all those who admire and appreciate those lush green fields and the animals they feed , the importance of hay making can ’ t be taken for granted . Like so many aspects of farming , it is a delicate dance that we need to understand , value , and protect .
Working with Farmers to Transform Agriculture
In order to sustainably feed the world ’ s growing population In Maryland , across the United States , and around the world
Melane Kinney Hoffmann has lived on a 50-acre farm , with 40 acres in hay , in the Ag Reserve for 30 years . She and her husband Tom raised three children , horses , and rescue dogs on the farm , and have been involved in numerous efforts to preserve rural land and protect the Ag Reserve .
Learn more at NATURE . ORG / MARYLANDDC