Speaker 1: In early 2018, the Green Business Certification Program expanded its network of businesses to include farms certified by the USDA Organic or Certified Naturally Grown Programs. Both standards require a full commitment to organic practices, no synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically engineered seeds, and both standards focus on building and conserving soil nutrients through compost, cover crops, crop rotation, and other practices. Certified farmers gathered at the Historic Agricultural History Park in Durwood, along with supportive civic organizations and the county executive to celebrate sustainable farming practices.

Speaker 2: This is good stuff. I mean, this is really what we've all been trying to do, coming together, working together, partnering on initiatives such as this, recognizing good growing practices. Our farmers in Montgomery County do an amazing job of land management, of stewardship of the environment. Recognizing them for that is critical. As the essayist and poet, the conservationist and farmer Wendell Berry has said, it all turns on affection. What does that mean? It means that connection and knowledge of each other, of the land, of our farmers, brings us closer together. That affection makes us care more. That affection helps us to protect what we hold dear. Through programs like this, through understanding our farmers, through connecting consumers more deeply, more knowledgably with where their food is grown, only good can come from it.

Speaker 3: Chocolates and tomatoes, organic methods of feeding the soil rather than the plant, not using pesticides or petroleum-based fertilizers, conserving water and protecting our waterways, working in smart and innovative ways to reduce energy needs, and then using renewable energy sources wherever possible, are some of the ways in which chocolates and tomatoes is a sustainable farm and an active participant in creating more sustainable and resilient communities environmentally and economically right here in Montgomery County, Maryland. Farmers are some of

Speaker 4: the first to experience the shocks of climate change, the unpredictability of weather patterns, damages of rain, rapid droughts, unusual varied temperatures, as well as changing patterns of pests and disease. Many of the sustainable practices that we all employ as farmers may be recognized today by the Green Business Certification Program enable us to increase our resiliency in the face of our irregular growing environment. With such resiliency, we have a better chance of keeping our food supply more secure. Our practice of sustainability can also help to be part of the mitigation in the growth of climate change by both putting less carbon and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and by helping to serve as a carbon sink.

Speaker 5: There's been shown to be extensive health benefits of organic and naturally grown foods. They use fewer synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers. They can fight antibiotic resistance. They can have more healthy omega-3 fats and antioxidants and less heavy metals. Locally produced food can be eaten immediately after harvesting, increasing its nutritional value as well as its taste. It's a product that was grown to be eaten at prime ripeness.

Speaker 6: What I'd like to point out with organic and green is this notion of health. It's a goal of the county to create a healthy community. It's a goal of of our farm to make sure that we're growing healthy food but but let's not forget that there are workers involved in the growing of the healthy food and that one of the reasons we choose to go green or go organic or go sustainable or whatever you want to call it is that we care about our workers and we don't want to put them in harm's way. This is why we chose to go organic. We didn't want to bring onto the farm anything that was unhealthy to try to minimize the dangers in farming and then from there you can extend to the customer and to the environment and that's your triple bottom line. The county's 93,000 acre agricultural

Speaker 1: reserve just outside the nation's capital is unique and special and these farmers are more important than ever in strengthening local resiliency, preserving beautiful landscapes, protecting our land and waterways, and enhancing our quality of life. And our role as residents and consumers is to support these farmers so that Montgomery County remains unique and special. So get to know your farmers, learn about where your food comes from and how it's grown, and delight in fresh nutritious organic produce. To learn more about local sustainable farms go to mcgreenbiz.org and visit the Green Business Directory.