When it comes to growing crops and raising livestock , the United States Department of Agriculture refers to the best soils as “ Prime Agricultural Soils .” While a few crops like grapes like to be “ stressed out ” on shallow soils , most crops prefer the gently sloped , well-drained prime ag soils such as “ Purcellville Silt Loam ,” which is found in various spots all over western Loudoun . Impressively , Loudoun is home to some of the best Prime Agricultural Soils in the eastern United States .
Trying to establish an apple orchard in wet “ Mongle Silt Loam ” or pasture horses on steep “ Stumptown Rock Outcrop Complex ” is to be endlessly fight nature and still end up failing . Prime Agricultural Soils are able to hold nutrients , organic matter , water , and allow for healthy root systems that in turn support healthy crops .
Recently , Loudoun County has moved to bring its zoning code in alignment with its new 2019 General Plan ensuring that if properties are subdivided for residential development in rural western Loudoun , some of those critical Prime Agricultural Soils are preserved on larger lots set aside for the farming entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow .
This move is critical in that currently , while the General Plan calls for the protection of this previous natural resource , the zoning code allows for developers to place houses on the best farming soils , while placing the larger rural economy lots ( which were designed to be utilized for farming ), on steep slopes , floodplains , wetlands , or other soils not suitable for farming .
While Loudoun ’ s current farms feed our local markets , CSAs , wineries , and restaurants , as water shortages increase in the West , Southwest , and Great Plains states and temperatures and wildfires threaten farms in those regions as well , places like Loudoun with its great soils , good rainfall and temperate conditions will need to step up to feed our nation .
In short , the food system that has existed in the US for the last 75 years is in for some abrupt and severe change . Keeping Loudoun ’ s Prime Agricultural Soils available to raise crops and livestock is critical to our own well being and that of our neighbors . Going far beyond being a nice place to enjoy a glass of wine or pick up some great locally-raised meat and produce , Loudoun ’ s soils , as they did centuries ago , may need to serve as the breadbasket of our Commonwealth and country . Luckily , with a little protection , some good sustainable management , and a helping hand from Mother Nature , our most underappreciated natural resource will be ready to step up and support us again .
Chris Van Vlack has worked since 2005 as the Urban / Ag Conservationist with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District . He also grows wheat , oats , and hay as part of his farming operation near Lovettsville . In his effort to support and grow a strong , diverse local farming industry and community , he also currently serves with Loudoun Farm Bureau , Common Grains Alliance , the Metropolitan Washington Regional Ag Workgroup , the Catoctin Conservation Fund , and Loudoun ’ s Rural Economic Development Council .
Did you know ...?
n Catoctin Mountain and the Blue Ridge Mountains were formed by a collision of continents that started over one billion years ago . The Appalachian Mountains , which used to be as high as the Rockies , were formed during this Precambrian era and all the continents on earth merged into one super continent called Pangea .
n The oldest parts of these mountains contain metamorphosed basalt , called greenstone , along with ocean associated sediments reflected in the limestones , sandstones , and siltstones of the Appalachian Mountains .
n One of the results of the splitting of Pangea is the Mesozoic Border Fault and the extension and flattening of the area to the east of the Catoctin Mountains . Numerous springs formed along the fault , providing a perfect north-south highway for Algonquian and Iroquois Tribes , and later colonists , to travel . Today it is known as Route 15 .
n As the continent continued to split apart , great cracks formed , and basaltic lava erupted , as can be seen in several places along Goose Creek . Huge outpourings of igneous rock did not make it to the surface but formed the deposits called gabbro being quarried in Loudoun County for crushed stone . The basalt and gabbro form very fertile and nutritious soil . There is a place along Goose Creek called a Mafic Barren , where due to the diabase , a very unique and rare community of plants has formed .