POTOMAC, Md., December 17, 2011 — In a settlement agreement that came just prior to a scheduled court date this week, Montgomery County agreed late Wednesday to allow Nick’s Organic Farm to continue farming at the school land along Brickyard Road in Potomac through Aug. 15, 2012. Nick’s Organic Farm also agreed to drop its case against the Montgomery County Board of Education, which had been pending in Montgomery County Circuit Court and was scheduled to be heard Dec. 15.
The extension, which could be lengthened again until the end of 2012, according to the agreement, is welcome news to thousands of farm supporters, who have been rallying to keep the farm as an educational tool. However, the fight for the farm is not over, as Montgomery County currently still plans to build soccer fields on the site.
“The extension is a positive development,” says Nick Maravell, owner and operator of Nick’s Organic Farm. “The next eight months will give us additional opportunities to show off how well this plot of land could offer agricultural education for Montgomery County kids,” he says. “We still hope to turn this into a place where children can learn about local food, farming and the environment through hands-on experiences.”
For three decades, Maravell had repeatedly won the lease every three to five years during the competitive bidding process, and had maintained the land for the school system while growing certified organic crops, food and seed there. Currently, he produces certified organic GMO-free heirloom food-grade corn and soy seed, some of which he in turn sells to other organic producers in the region. In March, however, without any open public debate, the Board of Education unexpectedly turned the lease over to Montgomery County amid plans to construct and operate soccer fields by a private athletic organization. Maravell then secured a license with the County to farm the land, but only until the end of this year
Nick’s Organic Farm LLC (www.nicksorganicfarm.com) has certified organic operations in Potomac and Buckeystown, MD, producing row crops, grass-based livestock, vegetables, seed, and animal feeds. Farming organically since 1979, Nick Maravell, its owner, is nationally recognized and has been called on to testify at federal and state levels. He has been active in national and state development of organic legislation and standards, organic research priorities, and organic marketing issues. Late last year, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed Maravell to serve on the National Organic Standards Board, a panel of unpaid experts established by Congress to set organic industry policy
Nicks Daughter
Information for article provided by Kristi Janzen
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