July 30, 2021Slow Food

Caroline Taylor

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Good Dirt Podcast where we dive into the topics of land conservation, local food production and environmental stewardship in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Join us as we speak to Caroline Taylor, a native Washingtonian and the executive director of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance, who shares with us all about this region's own unique land preservation project, the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. We talk about the "Ag Reserve" as a national model for the shaping of environmental landscapes in the United States, its continuing success, goals and challenges as we move forward into an uncertain future.

Where can you find nearly one hundred thousand acres of land protected for food and outdoor recreation this close to a metropolitan area? Not many, except for Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. It is the hidden gem of the Washington DC Metropolitan Area, as it continues to provide economic services, food resilience networks, and environmental services for the region. It has also been heralded as one of the best examples of land conservation policies in the country, and encompasses almost a third of the county’s natural resources.

Caroline Taylor, today’s guest and executive director of the non -profit organization Montgomery Countryside Alliance, shares with us the potential of the Ag Reserve in local food production, climate change mitigation and as a resource for people to experience and enjoy natural spaces. The Agricultural Reserve has also served to inform and influence the formation of land-use policies across the country, and has helped to shape the United States’ suburban landscape in a positive way .

According to Caroline, more connection with nature and relationship to our open spaces will lead to increased general wellness, awareness and momentum in seeking meaningful solutions to climate change. Curious to find out more? Join us on this week’s episode to learn all about the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve, a national model in land use planning for a sustainable future.