Save Nick's Organic Farm!

Nick Maravell has farmed the land on Brickyard Rd. in Potomac for 30 years. He has farmed it organically and sustainably, benefiting the local community, consumers and other farmers in the county, and our environment, including the Chesapeake Bay. He has farmed so well that in September of 2010, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack appointed Mr. Maravell to the prestigious National Organic Standards Board.

Nick's Organic Farm is a heritage farm, one of the few organic farms in our county and the only one to produce genuine organic seed. And now the Montgomery County government wants to destroy it.

Earlier this year, the Montgomery County School Board, which owns the land, gave Nick three weeks notice that they intended to cancel his lease, and give the lease to the county government in order to build... soccer fields. The deal was made with no public or community input.

We support sports and youth sports in particular. But we are appalled that the Montgomery County government would destroy a 30 year old organic farm - and the only one in the county producing organic seed - in order to construct the county's 502^nd and 503^rd soccer fields.

We do not intend to let this happen. Our vision for the farm is a down-County educational anchor to provide opportunities for school children and adults to learn about local food and agriculture, and their relationship to the soil and water that sustains us. But we need your help to make this vision happen.

If you care about the environment, healthy local food, and organic, sustainable agriculture, we need you to join our effort. We need to demonstrate to the Montgomery County government that the citizens of this county value organic, sustainable agriculture, and we refuse to see it destroyed because of back room political deals.

We urge you to check out the other links on this page, and then do four things to help Save Nick's Organic Farm:

1) Sign our petition

2) Write a letter to Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, telling him that you oppose the destruction of Nick's Organic Farm.

3) Send a copy of that letter to your county council member, and also CC it to us.

4) Volunteer to help with our growing campaign

Thanks again for your support of Nick's Organic Farm and for organic sustainable agriculture - all of your support is needed and appreciated. We look forward to hearing from you!