AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON ~ 2024

The fall issue of PLENTY is packed with must-read articles! Enjoy stories of indigenous local wisdom and the importance of being good stewards of our sole source aquifer. Delve into understanding the true cost of food and what is being done about it locally. Discover some lesser known treasures of the C&O Canal and take a bike ride down its entirety in four days time. And get a close-up look at three different farm enterprises and the people who made them happen.

SUMMER GROWING SEASON ~ 2024

Summer is a fantastic time to get out and explore the Agricultural Reserve, and the summer issue of PLENTY will help you appreciate all there is to see and enjoy. Discover its rustic roads and bike trails, take in the beauty of its fields, forests and wildlife, and gain perspective on preservation and agricultural issues and programs that are making a difference in our community. It's all here...and more!

SPRING SOWING SEASON ~ 2024

Spring has sprung up all around us in the Agricultural Reserve, but there is “plenty” happening below ground, too! You’ll read Part 1 of our story on Montgomery County’s sole source aquifer that supplies water to a third of the county, as well as a fascinating article on the abundant life in our soil that makes spring such an amazing season. Stories about music, the arts, gardening, a neighborhood bear (oh, my!) and much more fill our colorful Spring Sowing issue.

AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON ~ 2023

The bounty of the Agricultural Reserve takes center stage from cover to cover in our fall issue, and yet many struggle with food insecurity and food access disparities in Montgomery County. You’ll get up to speed on these issues, as well as enjoy reading stories about building community through a variety of ways, from the performing arts, historic preservation and volunteering, to growing grains and the efforts of a next generation farm family.

SUMMER GROWING SEASON ~ 2023

Variety is the name of the game for PLENTY’s summer issue. Are you interested in whitewater kayaking, the efforts of some of the animal resue organizations in the Ag Reserve, gardening with native plants, a new cidery to pay a visit to, or maybe a great summer recipe with fresh herbs? You will be once you start reading! And did we mention, that PLENTY has pretty great advertisers you will want to check out, too!

SPRING SOWING SEASON ~ 2023

PLENTY bursts onto the scene this season with a dazzling cover of spring tulips. Inside you will be treated to stories about plans to reinvigorate a farm incubator program in the county, what it’s like raising sheep, the latest offerings from our local CSAs, and fascinating articles that delve back into some great musical history, the B&O Railroad, and the Montevideo estate. And that just scratches the surface!

AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON ~ 2022

The fall issue of PLENTY is perfect reading for the harvest season with a host of farm-focused stories, including building community through healthy food and resurrecting an old family farmstead. You’ll discover why black vultures are great for the environment, personal forest stories, solutions for a picky eater, healing and renewal in the Agricultural Reserve, and much more.

SUMMER GROWING SEASON ~ 2022

Summer has arrived and the latest PLENTY is filled with a variety of stories that will take you from farm to table, past to present, and thinking little to big! You will go behind the scenes meeting people who are creating a thriving sense of community; folks with a passion for farm markets and artisanal meats; flower farmers who grow dahlias with aquaponics, and much more! Enjoy!

SPRING SOWING SEASON 2022

This issue of Plenty is full of heart, from mending our relationship with the Earth and the food that nourishes us, to saving raptors, befriending coyotes, and working in harmony with and experiencing the benefits of being in Nature. And, as usual, so much more!

FALL HARVEST SEASON ~ 2021

The Fall Harvest iisue of PLENTY is filled with though-provoking articles that shine a light on caring for the earth and each other from the heartfelt sharing of earth’s bounty and cultivating youth’s bonds with nature to providing caring for our frontline workers and providing sustenance for our wild animal friends. We also explore efforts and ways that foster community through baking bread, reviving the fiber industry, kayaking, and farmland conservation.

SUMMER GROWING SEASON ~ 2021

In this issue of PLENTY we focus on building community through gardening projects to feed others, supporting and enjoying the summer bounty of our local farm markets, and how when we care for the land, the earth takes care of us. You will also find stories about Cooper’s hawks and enjoying nature more fully in our parks and on the water.Check out opportiuniuties with MoCo’s LandLink Program and some fun discoveries when you Shop the Reserve!

SPRING SOWING SEASON ~ 2021

From cover to cover, PLENTY's first issue of 2021 speaks to the joys of spring as we enter a more hopeful year ahead. How to think about our home landscapes differently as sources of food and community for humans and animals, how we can build a more sustainable culture of caring and food security through agriculture, and how we might appreciate the cultural heritage of this land are explored by PLENTY’s thought provoking writers.

AUTUMN HARVEST SEASON ~ 2020

In spite of the challenges of 2020, the year marks a bright spot in the history of Montgomery County: the 40th anniversary of its 93,000-acre Agricultural Reserve. This issue celebrates that achievement with stories that take us into nature, into our gardens, visiting farm markets, and guiding us on tours of wineries and breweries. We also look back to the time of slavery and the development of post-slavery African American communities in Montgomery County.

SUMMER GROWING SEASON ~ 2020

PLENTY's contributing writers and photographers for our summer 2020 issue bring to life engaging stories about a new generation of farmers, the vital role of pollinators, soil health, regenerative farming practices, success stories of food distribution and how to take care of yourself by relying on nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever our farms and wild lands in the Ag Reserve must be preserved as we navigate this challenging time.