DAMASCUS FUTURE

FARMERS OF AMERICA

CHAPTER PLANT SALE

AT MT. AIRY

FARMERS MARKET

What was I doing in Mt. Airy yesterday? The Damascus High School chapter of the Future Farmers of America was selling student-grown plants at the grand opening of the Mt. Airy Farmers Market. You might be surprised - as I was - to find out that the DHS chapter is the only Future Farmers club in all of Montgomery County. One of many crises we have in our county is that the majority of our farmers are older, and there are very few young farmers to replace them. Aside from county and state policies that are greatly contributing to this decline, a lack of interest in farming has been a deterrent for young people in choosing a career. Future Farmers of America is one of the few successful programs addressing this issue. Because the Damascus chapter is the only one we have right now, we really need to support their program. So I decided to head up to Mt. Airy to buy some of their plants.

This required the usual monster commute on 270 (including an accident that closed all of the local lanes and 2 right lanes south of exit 9). Which made the Washington Post article yesterday all the more laughable - the one that claimed, with a straight face, that traffic congestion has greatly improved recently. One of those Council of Governments/chamber of commerce-type groups was making the claim. I'm wondering how often these people get outdoors.

Anyway, up Route 27 I went, to beautiful downtown Mount Airy. This was the grand opening of the Mt. Airy Farmers Market for 2009, in the municipal parking lot. Damascus may be the pearl in the oyster of Route 27, but I do like all of the towns along this road up to Westminster. Mt. Airy is a real American town like Damascus and Westminster, and the part on Main Street that burnt down has been rebuilt.

There were several types of tomatoes, herbs, and flowers for sale. All were grown by students in the greenhouse at Damascus High School. I bought one heirloom tomato plant, one roma tomato plant, and a set of 6 verbena "obsession mix" flower plants. I've got pictures of all of these, and a short video showing the whole selection. The video is online now on the Robert Dyer Channel at www.RobertDyer.net. It's interesting that among the 35 members of the Damascus FFA chapter, only 4 actually live on farms. The rest are just interested in agriculture, which is certainly a positive development.

I stopped by a new shopping center (another great shopping center, without mixed-use development, I might add) to get some shots of the Mt. Airy water tower. It's unique in its own way. But it has nothing on the Damascus water tower. The Mt. Airy tower has a taller stem, and actually says "MOUNT AIRY" in an interesting font on the tank. But it just can't compete with the otherworldliness, and sheer bulbousity of the Damascus tower. In short, the Mt. Airy tower doesn't instantly make any photo it appears in interesting. But, like I said earlier, I do love Mt. Airy, and of course, you will be able to see my photos of the tower.

Even the destroyed Laurienzo's Brick Oven Café is open for business again in Mt. Airy's revitalizing Main Street historic district. Along with the California Tortilla restaurant - which also includes outdoor dining - Mt. Airy seems to be following the downtown Frederick model of redevelopment.

But I am digressing here. The real story is that we cannot preserve farmland through Big Government regulation and land seizures. Farming needs to be profitable, and we need farmers to do the farming. I believe it can be done with more programs like the FFA and getting government off the backs of farmers in Montgomery County. You can do your part by electing the right people to public office every four years, but also right now by supporting the Damascus FFA chapter at events like this.