The Ag Reserve today is home to 580 farms and 350 horticultural enterprises that employ 10,000 to 15,000 people. Most farms are family-run and less than 200 acres. 

Over the past two decades, farming in the Ag Reserve has become more diversified. Horse farms, vineyards and wineries, family farms growing table crops, and pastures with grazing sheep, llamas, and alpacas have joined traditional beef and dairy farms, and commodity crop farms growing corn, soybeans and wheat. 

The Reserve is also a recreation and rural getaway area for all county residents, with hiking, biking, birding, and horseback riding, all an hour from downtown D.C. 

The pandemic reminded many of us of the psychological value of getting into nature, even if just for a few hours. Sugarloaf Mountain draws nearly a quarter of a million visitors each year, for example.  From the summit, hikers gaze upon a pastoral patchwork of farms and villages little changed since in the past 100 years.  

And getting there, or anywhere in the Ag Reserve, will take you past historic Civil War sites, Underground Railroad routes, and 18th and 19th century homes, barns, mills, and schools.

The Ag Reserve comes most alive in the summer. County and D.C. residents visit to pick fresh berries, peaches, apples, corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables, or purchase local wine, wool and other products at the area’s stores, artisan shops, and farmers markets.  

All year long, of course, the Ag Reserve provides essential habitat for deer, small mammals, birds, and other wildlife. The area is also host to several hunting preserves. 

In recent years it has become clear that the Ag Reserve will play a critical role in the county’s response to climate change. It already serves as a “green lung” for the county and surrounding areas, including heavily developed northern Virginia. Ag Reserve forests and pastures sequester carbon, and its low-density land keeps pollution at bay in the county at large.

While the county’s climate change policies are still evolving, with detailed plans to come in the next few years, officials are already discussing the following: 

Incentivizing farmers to grow more table crops for local consumption to reduce reliance on vegetables and fruits shipped from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Initiating experiments and pilot projects in regenerative agriculture techniques that use fewer petroleum-based chemicals and which foster better soil management and sustainable land use .

Securing Seneca Reservoir as a vital part of the area’s water supply for the future.

Using non-arable land in the Ag Reserve for alternative energy technology, such as solar and wind.

Putting aside non-arable land in the Ag Reserve for recycling and ecologically sound waste management, such as composting.

A popular bumper sticker in the Ag Reserve is “No Farms, No Food.” That speaks volumes.  But the Ag Reserve today is more than that. It’s a priceless counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of Washington and its suburbs, and a critical component of the overall wonderful quality of life in our metro region.