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By WP BrandStudio

November 13, 2018

By 1980, farm land in Montgomery County, Md., was increasingly imperilled.

Post-World War II development was threatening the region’s nature and agriculture, as well as a certain rural way of life that locals treasured. So the council of Montgomery County made one of the most consequential land-use decisions of the late 20th century: they set forth legislation protecting 93,000 acres of farmland in the area, ensuring that they would never be built upon.

Woodland Manor Cultural Park (Photo credit: Visit Montgomery)

“There were key people in the council and leadership in the county that really wanted to preserve who we are as a community,” said Kelly Groff, president and CEO of Visit Montgomery.

The effort was called the Preservation of Agriculture and Rural Open Space Functional Master Plan, and it has been hailed as one of the best, most emulated and most studied farmland protection programs in United States history. The agricultural reserve that it created encompasses nearly one-third of Montgomery County’s land resources, protecting more than 500 working farms that contribute millions of dollars to the local economy.

The plan proved to be forward-thinking in more ways than one; travelers today want to spend time outside on vacation, and while the reserve is primarily a working agricultural landscape, it offers residents and visitors a variety of outdoor activities to choose from. From hiking to horseback riding, beer- and wine-tasting to apple-picking, spending time there means communing with the land in the same way that generations of fellow travelers have done in the past.

The sense of history and of a long-sustained lifestyle is palpable. And it’s just a short Metro ride or drive from Washington, D.C., making it perfect for a weekend trip.

Friday evening

With wine tastings, local food vendors and free live music until 9 p.m., attending a Friday on the Farm event at Rocklands Farm Winery & Market is the perfect way to start a weekend on the agricultural reserve.

Rocklands Farms Winery & Market (Photo credit: Visit Montgomery)

Rocklands Farm began its current iteration in 2010 as a meat-and-vegetables farm before adding a winery to its roster of offerings in 2014. Rocklands now produces about 4,500 cases of wine per year, the majority of which are made from Maryland grapes; visitors who come for a wine tasting get a 15- to 20-minute guided experience. “You really get to know what we’re doing, and you really get to know the wines,” said Shawn Eubank, the farm’s co-founder and vice president of marketing and sales. And while wine has become a popular draw for the farm, pasture-raised meats are still a vibrant part of the business.

Friday on the Farm events give visitors an opportunity to try several of the 20 varieties of wine they produce,while musicians perform in the tasting room. There are local food vendors as well—most recently, the chefs at nearby Pizza Brama have been on the scene, offering wood-fired pizzas this fall and a taco pop-up in January.

Rocklands prioritizes the customer experience above all else; it’s not your typical bustling winery or brewery, with customers crowded around a narrow bar. The tasting room is housed in a renovated portion of Rocklands’ turn-of-the-century bank barn, with original stone walls and hand-hewn oak beams. “We really foster a presence of peace and relaxation,” said Eubank. “Whether you’ve never had wine before or you’re a wine expert, you can come and have an enjoyable experience in a nice farm setting.”

Saturday

One of the best ways to explore nature and get a sense of the history of the area is to visit the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, which offers hiking, fishing and tours of historic sites and structures along its 184.5-mile pathway.

Overnight guests who want a truly throwback experience can rent one of six canal lock houses in the park that have been preserved as lodging by the Canal Quarters initiative. Each has been rehabilitated and furnished in the style of a different time period, giving a sense of what it would have been like to live in Montgomery County 60, 90 or 150 years ago.

Agricultural History Farm Park (Photo credit: Visit Montgomery)

Nearby, the Agricultural History Farm Park unfurls across 455 acres of gently rolling hills and wide-open fields that are home to an early-20th-century farm, offering a window into the past. There, visitors can also explore the apple orchard, interact with barnyard animals and tour the area’s well-preserved barns and buildings. They can also check out the modern farming activity center to learn more about the development of the region’s rich farming heritage.

Horseback riding is another popular pastime of the area; Montgomery County is home to almost 20,000 acres devoted to horse farming, with riding trails wending across public and private lands. Equestrian Partners in Conservation is a nonprofit devoted to conserving land for equestrian purposes. They administer two equestrian trail systems on the agricultural reserve that traverse public and private property, allowing riders to see a full sweep of farmland without having to leave the trail.

“These are places where you can come and ride. You don’t have to pay anything, and you don’t have to get permission,” said Anne Davies, a board member of the Montgomery Countryside Alliance, who has owned a private farm on the reserve for nearly four decades.

One of the best places to ride horses is at Waredaca Brewing Company, a three-generation horse farm and brewery located on the idyllic green pastures of a former boys’ camp (its name comes from the first two letters in each word of “Washington Recreational Day Camp”). It’s also one of the best places to try sudsy delights; craft beer enthusiasts can try a coffee stout, a lemon verbena-infused IPA, or a pale ale flavored with honey.

“We use something from our farm in almost every beer, whether it’s honey from our bees, or hops, herbs, fruits, pumpkins or berries, and we work with local farmers to source locally malted barley,” said Jessica Snyder, brewing manager and a third-generation member of the Butts family, who has run the farm since the 1930s.

Waredaca Brewing Company (Photo credit: Visit Montgomery)

Waredaca devotes a large swath of its land to the board and care of 90 horses. They also offer regular trail rides, riding lessons, and a world-class equestrian barn that hosts three sanctioned competitions in eventing—a three-part equestrian competition involving dressage, endurance and show jumping (making them one of the only craft breweries that hosts such an event.)

Sunday

Just on the border of Waredaca Brewing Company is The Inn at Tusculum Farm, a bed and breakfast nestled on a 500-acre working farm where crops are grown and horses, alpacas and chickens roam. The original farmhouse—which still stands today—was built in 1747 by Henry Griffith, a judge who witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Since 1964, Tusculum has been run by the Freeman family, the most recent in a chain of owners dating back to before the American Revolution.

In addition to farm tours, hook-and-release fishing and film screenings inside the hay barn, Tusculum’s inn offers overnight guests a magical place to stay in a historical setting. The suites in the main house, which are currently under renovation, will be reopened in 2019, but the carriage house and coop are available now. There are additional lodging options on the reserve, including more than 200 hotel rooms in the Gaithersburg and Germantown areas, the C&O Canal lockhouses and an ever-growing number of short-term rentals.

The Inn at Tusculum Farm (Photo credit: Visit Montgomery)

“Visitors from big cities want to have an agricultural experience,” said Schechtman, the farm’s director of operations. “In addition to the cool activities we have here, we’re close to Butler’s Orchard and Rock Hill Orchard and Woodbourne Creamery, so people can go pick fruits, vegetables and flowers, get homemade ice cream, and enjoy the splendor of the reserve with Tusculum as a base.”

Weekend guests can round out a trip to the reserve by paying a visit to some of the historical sites, like Seneca Schoolhouse, where folks can experience a typical school day in 1880; the Button Farm in Germantown, Maryland’s only living history center that depicts 19th-century slave life on the plantations; and the Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, a 19th-century stone barn in Sandy Spring, where you can learn about agricultural history, the Underground Railroad and the Quaker experience.

“The agricultural reserve is a special place,” said Davies, the longtime private farm owner. “When I bought my property in 1980, I was sure the developers would convince the politicians to let the development come in. But we’ve held it. It has flourished all these years and I’m hoping that it will continue to hold.”

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