House In The Woods CSA Blog

For those of you who are interested in the outcome of Nick’s Organic Farm and the School Board vote, the following is two news articles and a letter from Nick. Also for your information, in September 2010, the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, appointed Nick to the National Organic Standards Board. The 15 member board includes only 4 organic farmers from across the nation. Nick Maravell is one of them.

http://mocoalliance.org/2011/03/boe-5-2-in-favor-of-turning-organic-farm-into-soccer-fields/

http://gazette.net/stories/03092011/bethnew205316_32533.php

March 9, 2011

To my customers and supporters,

Thank you for your tremendous support of Nick’s Organic Farm in Potomac.

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted to lease the 20-acre field for ten years to the County to convert it all into soccer fields. However, they will require the County to extend
my lease to January 1, 2012 so that I can complete this 2011 growing season.

The turn-out was both amazing and gratifying given that there were only two full working-days’ notice. The mood of the approximately 50 supporters outside the meeting room was almost festive. Many who came as strangers left having made new friends.

Everyone was wearing some green, and the crowd represented all corners of Montgomery County and several other jurisdictions. Consumers, neighbors, environmentalists, community activists, and local farmers all contributed public comment, organizing effort and their valuable time to help our farm in our time of need.

We are truly humbled and appreciative of the encouragement we received. This show of determination and unity is responsible for the Board’s action to extend our lease for 8 more
months.

In my statement (printed below), my only request was for the School Board to hold an open debate with the community before deciding what to do. The Board declined that option. So our community lost.

Many in the community would like to see an organic farm continue on that site. The location is unique because it is far enough away from other fields that our corn and soybean seed production is not contaminated by insect-borne and windborne pollen from conventional farms growing genetically modified (GMO) crops. It is also unique because the soil has been tended using organic methods for more than 30 years, thus allowing the microorganisms and organic matter necessary for healthy soil to build up over time.

The Board vote was not unanimous. The three lawyers who serve as School Board Members raised issues related to the lack of public notice and lack of public process. A vote to delay the action until March 28 to allow more public input was defeated 5-3, with the three lawyers all voting in favor.

The final vote to give permission to lease the land to Montgomery County for soccer fields was 6-2, with only two of the lawyers voting against it. Montgomery County has said that it will, in turn, lease the field to a private athletic organization, such as MSI, to construct and operate the soccer fields.

These events have happened so quickly over the past few days that I have not had a chance to plan what I will do in the future with the farming operations that I now conduct on the Potomac land.

Thank you for your generous support,

Nick
www.nicksorganicfarm.com
nickmaravell@comcast.net

Statement of Nick Maravell before the Montgomery County Board of Education on the Proposed Lease of the Brickyard Road School site, March 8, 2011

I am Nick Maravell and my home borders on the Brickyard school site. I have leased the site from the Montgomery County schools for about 30 years. Traditionally in this County, farmers have been the stewards of these vacant sites with the understanding that they could be reclaimed by the school system at any time for school construction.

While this site is not slated for school construction, I have been informed just a few days ago that I would not be able to renew my lease. So the tradition has been broken.

A new land use is proposed, and not surprisingly the surrounding community has taken an interest. It expects to be informed and consulted, as has been customary in this County. And I would be hard pressed to make the case this process had been undertaken. So the tradition has been broken.

You hold this land in trust for our citizens. You are not to be unduly influenced by private interests or funds, least that fiduciary responsibility be compromised. Right now the County and the schools are under severe budgetary restraint. The temptation to place dollars over the public interest can be debated in many ways, but the debate must take place, with you the trustees—not the County. If it does not, and I submit that it has not, then the trust with the community is broken.

The community interest you see here is an effort to re-kindle that trust. I urge you to take up the challenge. Do not vote to lease this school site to the County with an almost certain outcome assured. Pause. Have a complete and open discussion with the community. How could this hurt the public interest? If you do not value a discussion, then not only are our traditions broken, and our community trust broken, but, indeed, we have lost the very human basis for reconstructing them.

Nick Maravell
www.nicksorganicfarm.com
nickmaravell@comcast.net

Our friend and fellow-farmer, Nick Maravell is the next farmer to fall victim to Montgomery County politics. He has been leasing land in Potomac for the past 31 years, growing an important source of local organic non-GMO corn and soybean seed. And he was just  given under 3 weeks notice that his lease will not be renewed! Is that ethical? Where’s the public process here, its public land (MCPS). We’re steamed, as this is our second farmer friend to have the rug pulled out from under them. Let’s make sure Nick can stay if they aren’t building a school on the property. Which they aren’t. See more below, first Phil’s note to the school board, and Nick’s note full of details.

School Board Members,

I have a small organic farm on the edge of the Montgomery County Ag Reserve, I have fed many families of Montgomery County Residents for the last 12 years.  I work with the Poolesville High School Global Ecology program to provide senior projects and field trips.  I rely on Nick Maravell’s organic GMO FREE seed and feed for my operation.  Nick grows organic seed at the Brickyard road site,  this site allows his seed crops not to be tainted by GMO seeds from other farms, because it is seclusion from other farming operations.   I can tell you from experience, it takes many years to create a site for organic farming, beneficial insects/bacteria… must be cultivated for years to make a successful operation.   A organic farm is not easily relocated like a private ball field might.    Nick has sustainably farmed this site for 31 years, but without ANY warning you have decided not to renew his lease?  The school board knew the county executive wanted this site in June 2010, but still you did not notify this renter of 31 years?   I wonder why the lack of transparency? Who is the secret private partner for the “ball fields” ?.   Why wasn’t Nick notified?  Are these “ball fields” open to the public, or a private enterprise looking to profit from the affluent residents of Potomac ?  Is the private partner funded by a producer of GMO seeds or a GMO lobbying organization?  If you were a neighbor and not a government organization, you would be embarrassed about how this has been handled, each of you on the School board needs to look at this situation as if he/she where human being and do the right thing, do not bow to the pressure from the county executive’s office, maintain the 31 year relationship with this good renter and valuable member of the community.  I will be at the Tuesday board meeting  in support of Nick.

Phil Freedman

House In The Woods Farm

———————————

Here is the notice from Nick himself, to his customers (among them, us):

March 4, 2011

Dear Customer/Supporter,

Normally we only contact you when it is time to place an order for our products.  I am sorry to have to contact you now to ask for your help.  I have two locations, one in Potomac and one in Buckeystown, MD.  Just yesterday, I found out that I am about to lose my lease on the Potomac farmland in two weeks.  I still own my house in Potomac which borders on the farmland.

I have been farming organically for 31 years at the Potomac location under a lease from the Montgomery County Public Schools.  This location is being held for future school construction.   My lease will not be renewed, but not because the land is needed for school construction.  It is proposed for ball fields not needed by our local community.

The community has not been given any advance notice or an opportunity to provide input.  Councilman Berliner and Del. Frick have both written to the School Board requesting a delay to make the facts public and allow the community a chance to comment. However, the School Board said it is not required to give public notice, and it plans to proceed with its vote.

In Potomac, I raise organic seed for sale. My beef and poultry products will not be affected.

This action could completely terminate my seed business where I grow non-GMO certified organic corn and soybean seed for sale to other farmers and small seed companies.  This site is unique for organic seed production because it is miles away from conventional farms whose corn and soybean fields could contaminate my seed crops from their insect-borne and airborne GMO pollen.  I maintain heirloom and hard to find organic seeds, and some of this genetic diversity could be lost.  Certified organic farmers are not permitted to use, or sell as organic, GMO seed.

If you would like to support me on this issue, please attend a half hour meeting on Tuesday 10:05-10:35 a.m., March 8 at the Board of Education, Room 114, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville MD to show your support for respecting the community’s wishes to leave the site in farmland or make it into parkland to serve the local community.  Please wear a green shirt to show your support and unity.  I may have a few extra green t-shirts on hand.  If you have any extra green shirts, bring them along.

Sample letter:

“I strongly oppose the construction of ball fields on Brickyard Road. Our community previously decided during the Potomac Master Plan process that we did not want anything other than farmland or a park at that site.  Our County needs to increase the number of local farmers, let us not make the situation worse. Please vote against the proposed lease to the County, or vote to delay action until the community has an opportunity to view the facts and voice its concerns.”

Contact me if you have any questions.

Nick Maravell

Nick’s Organic Farm

nickmaravell@comcast.net

Montgomery County Board Of Education:

To
address the entire board: boe@mcpsmd.org

Montgomery County Council:

To address the entire council: county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov

County Executive:

Ike Leggett ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov
240-777-2500

State Delegates:

William Frick Bill.frick@house.state.md.us
301-858-3457

Susan Lee Susan.lee@house.state.md.us
301-858-3424

Ariana Kelly ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us (301) 858-3642

Senate:

Brian Frosh Brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us
301-858-3102

For more background information:

·        
There is an
agenda item this coming Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at the Board of Education
general business meeting “Lease Agreement-Brickyard Road Site” http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/agenda/2010-11/2011-0308/030811.pdf
    

·        
The action item
for the School Board to vote on is presented in a memorandum from
Superintendent Weast to the Board of Education http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/agenda/2010-11/2011-0308/4.2.5
Brickyard Land Lease.pdf   

·        
For more
detailed information about the current situation and its history: http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/search/label/Brickyard
Middle School site

·        
For recent local
newspaper articles: http://www.gazette.net/stories/03042011/montnew184852_32567.php  and http://connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=348811&paper=70&cat=104

·        
For more on what
happened with these public-private playing fields in Virginia, click here: http://connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=247674&paper=68&cat=104
and http://connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=278583&paper=68&cat=110.