Interesting Facts About Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve

One-third of Montgomery County, or 93,000 acres, is designated as the Agricultural Reserve. This unique area of contiguous farmland has special characteristics:

• The zoning of the Agricultural Reserve (AR zone) limits development to one house per 25 acres;
• 70,000 acres, or 75% of the land area within the Ag Reserve, is further protected through permanent easements that restrict residential, industrial, and commercial development;
• 558 farms remain viable in a county with high development pressure and cost of living;
• 454 farms produce table food crops or products, allowing county residents to enjoy locally produced food;
• 10,000 horses provide competitive and recreational opportunities for County residents;
• Views of thousands of acres of rural landscape enjoyed by tourists, bicyclists, hikers, artists, and other visitors

Montgomery County’s diverse agricultural industry is home to 558 farms, employs more than 10,000 people, and contributes $281 million to the County’s economy. AG Facts Below:

Commodity Grain Production: Grain farms (corn, wheat, soybeans, and barley) are the predominant agricultural use in the County, covering 34,526 acres. Much of the grain produced in Montgomery County goes to support Maryland’s poultry industry on the Eastern Shore and other livestock production in the region. In addition to this, wheat produced here is made into cookies, crackers, cakes, and bread products; corn may go toward ethanol production; and some barley is now going to local breweries for the production of beer.

Horticulture: Twenty percent of Maryland’s horticultural industry resides in Montgomery County, ranking us second in the State in total number of horticultural firms. This sector produces $154 million in gross sales annually. Horticultural enterprises include nurseries, landscaping/lawn care companies, arborists, sod farms, and greenhouse businesses.

Equine: Montgomery County is home to almost 10,000 horses, used for recreation, breeding, training, and sales. This represents a tremendous opportunity for local farmers in terms of the supplies, services, and products needed to support the horse population, which exceeds the population of all other livestock combined.

Livestock: There are approximately 375 livestock farming operations in the County raising beef, dairy, sheep, goats, poultry, hogs & pigs. Local dairy and meat products can be found at on-farm markets, regional city farmers markets, through community supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, or at local retailers.