New Farmers Program Updates in Local Media

The County’s New Farmer Project is a first-of-its-kind, year-long pilot, introduced last, year that trains, mentors and supports the land access needs of entrepreneurs who want to start new, sustainable farms in Montgomery County. Eighteen men and women ranging in age from their early 20s to over 60, applied for the 2012-2013 program, with seven applicants chosen for the first “class.”

A recent article in The Gazette by Peggy McEwan takes a look at the program after its first year. It points out that two difficulties potential farmers face locally are the cost of land and the need for business and technical support and how the program addresses those needs. Read The Gazette article.

A Washington Post article by Steve Hendrix, talks about how the New Farmer Project will help keep the land in the County’s Agricultural Reserve productive. The piece also spotlights one of the applicants chosen for the first round of the program. Read The Washington Post article.