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7. Goal: Green Economy

Foster a stable and competitive business climate providing opportunities for the current and future work force to live in Montgomery County.  Encourage new and existing businesses that complement the County’s strengths and serve the County’s needs.

b. Agricultural Indicators

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Farm land

Harvested cropland

Nursery products sold

Preserving farmland ensures that Montgomery County will have agriculture in the future. Moreover, having farms in the county contributes to the overall quality of life in the region. While most farms grow commodity crops, the 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve also provides some fresh produce to area residents at pick-your-own farms, orchards, and farm stands.

The Reserve serves as a "green lung" for the metropolitan area, cooling and cleaning the air.  Properly managed farmland and open space protect groundwater, drinking water supplies, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed while providing critical habitat for plants, and wildlife. 

The Reserve provides children with the educational opportunity to visit farms, a wealth of recreational and historic opportunities such as Underground Railroad routes, and 18th and 19th century homes, barns, mills and schools.

The Reserve offers numerous economic benefits to the County, as farming employs 10,000 people on 577 farms and 350 horticultural enterprises and contributes $252 million to the annual economy.

Comment on this indicator

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1. Are the agricultural indicators appropriate measures for gauging progress toward a green economy?

2a. What is the story behind the trend lines for the agricultural indicators? The "story behind the trend lines" should be a list, in order of priority, of those root causes that have the greatest influence, positive and negative, on the trend lines for the indicators.  Please bullet and prioritize the top 3-5 root causes.

2b. Assuming there is no substantial change in policy and factoring in any significant variables that might impact the agricultural indicators, what is a reasonable trend forecast?

3. Who are the key partners with a role to play? "Key partners" are those stakeholders (from all sectors and levels of government) with a role to play in addressing the root causes identified in the story behind the trend lines and, thereby, in "turning the curve" of the trend line for the indicators.  Please identify what you think are the top 3-5 key partners and the respective roles you think that they can play.

4. What will work to make a measurable difference? “What will work” means those strategies – actions and policy options – that would work best to change or accelerate the curve of the trend lines for the indicators.  Presumably, policymakers and other stakeholders will be interested in strategies that address the most important root causes identified in the story behind the trend lines, and therefore, will have the most impact on the trend lines of the indicators.  At the same time, they will consider the feasibility of each strategy.  Please bullet and prioritize the top 3-5 strategies.


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