Montgomery County Food Council Members, Working Group Members, staff and elected officials had the opportunity to enjoy an informative tour of the Montgomery County Ag Reserve led by the Office of Agriculture Director, Jeremy Criss. The tour followed a route from the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood to four farms throughout the 93,000-acre reserve. During the event, visitors learned about the reserve’s history, the goods farmed there, and the agricultural community’s contribution to the County’s economy, offering our group a unique perspective on the Agricultural Reserve’s diversity.
The first stop was Common Root Farm located in Derwood, MD which started in 2018 by Ryan Kalivretenos to continue his passion for growing the highest quality and most nutritious produce because he believes that health starts with your diet. Common Root Farm is a regenerative, small-scale, certified organic vegetable farm offering a CSA, sell at farmers markets, online through their website, and to local restaurants and grocers. Common Root utilizes certified organic, regenerative, ecologically sound farming techniques free from synthetic chemicals and pesticides. The practices include minimal-till, crop-rotation, and preventative pest and disease measures, along with the use of natural and complete amendments. This allows the earth to rejuvenate the soil life and provide a healthy habitat for pollinators, beneficial insects, and soil biology—all of which contribute to tasty and nutritious veggies! Fun fact Common Root is a Farm to Foodbank Program participant selling 2,810 lbs of tomatoes, basil, summer squash, Collards, scallions, napa cabbage, chard, lettuce, kale and radishes to Manna since 2020.
After Common Root we took a short bus ride to Laytonsville to visit Tusculum Farm where we were greeted by various farm 
animals as our guides Trish & Joel Schechtman taught as the history behind the farm. Tusculum Farm is included in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties and has a rich American history dating back to 1747. The property was owned in the mid-18th century by Henry Griffith, a prominent Marylander who in addition to being a member of the Annapolis Convention that formed the Association of the Freemen of Maryland, also witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Purchased by the Freeman family in 1964, this 500+ acre farm served as family’s residence until 2015 when they opened it to the public as an agritourism venue including a bed and breakfast. “Every season holds special significance at Tusculum. Snow covered, it looks like a winter wonderland. Springtime brings budding flowers, new baby animals and the smell of rain. Summer brings long lazy days filled with swimming, riding, and fishing. Autumn is like watching a brilliantly colored painting come to life with the smell of fires burning in the fireplaces and homemade applesauce from our trees cooking on the stove. “ – Michelle Freeman.
The third stop was Windridge Vineyards is a family-owned farm winery in Darnestown dedicated to producing premium estate grown wines. As both farmers and oenophiles, the Butz family sees wine as fundamentally an agricultural product that should reflect the unique terroir of the vineyard from which it comes. While their first vines were planted in 2011, the family has been farming in Montgomery County since 1959. They believe that farmers are the first conservationists and have a responsibility to preserve the land and the environment for future generations. They take a holistic approach based on their diversity of farming experiences – ranging from row crops to honey bees – to minimize the footprint on the land.
The last stop was in Dickerson to visit Lewis Orchard, a family-owned business that has been a treasured part of Montgomery County, Maryland life since 1888. Robert and Linda Lewis are the fourth generation to own and operate this farm. The business has been renovated and expanded several times and is now in its most comprehensive state. The Market building was completed in 2003 with much larger cold boxes and expanded shelf space. This has allowed for more extensive product offerings over time. With over 400 acres, Lewis Orchard is one of the County’s largest table food producers and is also a participant in the Farm to Foodbank Program. Since 2018, they have sold 5,750 lbs of corn, summer squash and peaches as well as donated another 2,034 lbs of food to Manna.
We would like to thank the Office of Agriculture for coordinating this tour and to our partners who joined us, as well as Common Root Farm, Tusculum Farm, Windridge Vineyards, and Lewis Orchard ownership and staff.
