Sparks Farm Wins Battle Vs. NIMBY Transplants

[demopublican]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,7192836.story

For 17 generations, members of Catherine Webb's family have worked or lived on Springfield Farm in northern Baltimore County, where chickens and turkeys roam the hilly ground and, three days a week, Webb sells eggs and chicken meat from a farmhouse garage-turned-store.
In Webb's view, such direct-to-consumer sales will sustain the farm's operation for future generations, which include her two daughters and her sister's children.
But neighbors have fought a 2006 proposal by her parents to build a farmer's roadside stand inside a three-level barn. The plan sparked a years-long zoning battle and put farm upgrades on hold, Webb said.
This month, the family got word that a decision by Maryland's second highest court could bring the family's vision closer to reality. In an opinion issued Feb. 6, the Court of Special Appeals reversed a Baltimore County Circuit Court decision that denied the request to run the roadside stand.

[demopublican]

The modern family farms in the semi rural areas that have been encroached by suburban developments need retail operations of some sort to survive. They can't compete against the corporate farms because of scale. Many use the fall harvest/Halloween theme for tourism. Springfield choose to use a retail farm store. We live their products and the family atmosphere at the "store" and I look forward to the new barn.

[demopublican]

Here is a much more informative article.

http://www.examiner.com/article/spri...onsumer-tables

David Smith did not start out as a farmer. He served two tours in Vietnam and a third in France where he met his wife. He has traveled extensively with the Army and as a civilian with Raytheon including living in Germany, Tunisia, Belgium, the Middle East, Du Bai and several other countries, taking his family with him. Coming back to Maryland, he decided to stay in 1990. He had met Joel Salatin (of Polyface farms and Food Inc. movie fame) at a seminar called ''You can farm'', and after two intensive days, Smith decided that free range livestock was the way to go. In 1999 he launched Springfield Farm. David says he had plenty going for him as ''the demand for local had exploded.''


He researched how to raise his animals symbiotically with the land so that the best use was made of the natural resources without adding hormones, antibiotics, or adding unnatural food sources into the animal's diets. His livestock is rotationally grazed, and the land is utilized by several types of animal at different times and for different benefits. For example: Grazing in one specific area by cattle and lambs gives them healthy grass and plants and in turn returns manure to the soil. These animals tend to pick one area to use constantly for their waste. Moving them to a new pasture rests the earth. When the paddock is grazed almost to the roots, the animals are relocated and chickens are moved onto the same site. The chickens eat the fly larvae that have hatched in the manure and break it down into better fertilizer for the land. As the grass and natural plants grow back, the cattle and lambs are returned to repeat the cycle.

[Steveg85321]

These farmers sound like very forward-thinking food producers, a needed alternative to processed, genetically modified, mass-produced foods that we have become accustomed to but are not really good for us. The area, and the wider marketplace, has a lot more need for responsible, enlightened farmers like them than attorneys and selfish suburbanites who like to push small businesses around.

[Phineas Finn]

The modern family farms in the semi rural areas that have been encroached by suburban developments need retail operations of some sort to survive. They can't compete against the corporate farms because of scale. Many use the fall harvest/Halloween theme for tourism. Springfield choose to use a retail farm store. We live their products and the family atmosphere at the "store" and I look forward to the new barn.

Let's hope things continue to evolve in the family's favor. When I try to empathize with the view that a small retail opperation in a barn could be a problem, I come up empty.

It's not directly related, but this reminds me of the Mt. Vernon crowd that fought to keep The Buttery a deterioriating eyesore rather than let an evil 7/11 open on that corner.

[jonsensback]

Considering the push by state and local pushing the maryland "Buy Local" program, it would have been extremly stupid to allow the denial to go through.

This case was classic buy local and just what the term should mean.

Good for them and I will plan a Sparks road trip to the new store once it opens.

[Brohan]

The modern family farms in the semi rural areas that have been encroached by suburban developments need retail operations of some sort to survive. They can't compete against the corporate farms because of scale. Many use the fall harvest/Halloween theme for tourism. Springfield choose to use a retail farm store. We live their products and the family atmosphere at the "store" and I look forward to the new barn.

Scale is part of the problem, massive gov't subsidies to large coprorate farms is why family owned farms struggle.

Corporate farms are the largest recipients of corporate welfare in the US.

[SonOf Scribbler]

Bumper sticker from the past:

DON'T CRITICIZE FARMERS WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL

[demopublican]

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...er-smith-farms

Here is an article that gave voice to some of the opponents.

Opponents of a northern Baltimore County farmer's plan to build what could be the county's largest roadside stand say they are likely to continue their more than two-year fight against the project, which has won preliminary zoning approval.

Michael McCann, lawyer for neighbors of Springfield Farm on Yeoho Road in Sparks, said Tuesday that "my sense is that we're going to appeal," but he said he and his clients would have to see the Board of Appeals' written opinion before making that decision.

I cant imagine the shock for these poor suburbanites when they moved to the county and found themselves living near a farm.

[bmore_ken]

When I try to empathize with the view that a small retail opperation in a barn could be a problem, I come up empty.

The only thing I saw in the story was increased traffic

[demopublican]

The only thing I saw in the story was increased traffic

It is a small road with a one lane bridge and a lot of hills and tight turns. Not a great street for high traffic volumes. But I really doubt enough people will come up there to cause a problem.

[Struds]

IIRC the opposition was largely built on the size of the structure which some neighbors feel will become too large an operation for the narrow winding road.

Hopefully, the family will remain good neighbors by sticking to selling farm goods and avoid "events" such as concerts or "petting zoo days".

[demopublican]

i just hope they remain profitable and keep farming.

[bmore_ken]

So do I. I've never been there, but maybe I'll start going

[demopublican]

We got a fresh turkey for thanksgiving. Huge improvement over frozen from the store

[Downunder]

So do I. I've never been there, but maybe I'll start going

See you are going to part of the problem, another car on the road

I've never been either, but put the address in my cell phone so I can check it out in spring

[boink]

As long as the Smiths follow zoning regulations, it shouldn't be a problem.

I've been involved with enough zoning battles to know what happens when the camel gets his nose under the tent.
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"Additionally, they worried the Smiths would run a distribution facility out of the barn and sell products produced elsewhere, according to the court papers. Zoning regulations require that most products sold be produced on premises or on nearby farms."

[demopublican]

As long as the Smiths follow zoning regulations, it shouldn't be a problem.

I've been involved with enough zoning battles to know what happens when the camel gets his nose under the tent.
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"Additionally, they worried the Smiths would run a distribution facility out of the barn and sell products produced elsewhere, according to the court papers. Zoning regulations require that most products sold be produced on premises or on nearby farms."

You can bet that the neighbors will be out looking for every little violation.

[sigmalady]

You can bet that the neighbors will be out looking for every little violation.

I'm sure you are right on that.