Local farmers and restaurateurs joined Montgomery County policymakers at a symposium at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown Monday to discuss how to support agriculture and “farm-to-table” initiatives that bring locally-grown foods directly to more people.
“It’svery much of a long-term effort and we just need to keep working at it, just reminding people, our local residents, that our food is excellent,” said Robert Butz, owner at Windridge Vineyards in Darnestown. “It’s worth the money. It’s worth supporting local farmers. On the other side, [the] county can really help local farmers by streamlining regulations and making farms more viable.
“With the shutdown of SNAP benefits, these last few months have been pure chaos in our communities,” said County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, who hosted the event.
“We need to think more boldly and innovatively about how we can leverage this unique gem in the upcounty,” said Sayles.
Featured speakers at the event included Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks and U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Md.).
The county has 93,000 acres of Agricultural Reserve to protect farmland.
