The easing of COVID-19 safety restrictions has many people anxious to find ways to again explore Montgomery County. One family adventure will take place on Sunday, May 23, when One Acre Farm in Dickerson opens for its Spring Farm Tour.
One Acre Farm—which is actually 34 acres—will be open to the public for this one-day tour starting at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday. The farm is located at 18608 Wasche Road in Dickerson.
Visitors can meet Farmer Mike and the farm team, who will talk about how One Acre Farm grows vegetables and maintains the health and resilience of the farm's soil. Visitors also will learn about how the farm produces fresh produce.
“Our Agricultural Reserve is a precious resource and nationally recognized,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We protect our farmland unlike few other major metropolitan areas in the country, and we must continue to do so. Understanding how farming is important to our health, our environment, and our economy is best learned by exploring a farm firsthand. Visiting the One Acre Farm, which is located within the County’s Agriculture Reserve, provides educational experiences for residents of all ages. And by visiting the farms and buying their products, we can support the hard-working, dedicated people who help preserve our naturals resources.”
No reservations are needed to join the free outside tour. Visitors must wear masks, appropriate shoes and clothing. No dogs are permitted.
More information about the One Acre Farm open house is available at https://www.oneacrefarm.com/post/spring-farm-tour-at-one-acre-farm.
One Acre Farm participates in the County’s Farm to Foodbank program, working with the Manna Food Center to grow healthy food for County residents who do not have easy access to nutritious foods. Through the Farm to Foodbank initiative created in 2010, Manna provides fresh, locally and regionally grown produce to those experiencing hunger and food insecurity in the County by purchasing from neighboring farms throughout the growing season. In the past year, Manna purchased 125,209 pounds of regionally grown produce. More about the program can be found at https://www.mannafood.org/programs/farm-to-food-bank/
Traditionally, the County’s Office of Agriculture hosts its Annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale every July. However, the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis forced cancellation of last year’s tour and this year’s tour. With restrictions easing, the Office of Agriculture is suggesting other ways residents can experience the unique Agricultural Reserve, which occupies about one-third of all land in the County.
Residents can explore farms open to the public and selling their produce via self-driving tours.
One of the experiences will be the “Revive the Sunday Drive” tour.
Since farm wineries and breweries have plenty of outdoor space for people to maintain CDC guidelines and safe distancing, another suggested tour is the “Grape & Grain” tour created to highlight farms that specialize in producing wines and spirits.
The “Farms2Feast” tour will challenge people to create a dinner from ingredients sourced completely from County farms that have on-farm markets.
Before heading to any County farm, visitors should check the farm’s operating hours.
For more information on the County’s Office of Agriculture and the programs it supports, go to https://montgomerycountymd.gov/agservices/.
