July 5, 2005
No More Farming Inside the Beltway
Depending on your sentimentalities for the agrarian age, today may be a sad day. The last-known operating farm inside the Beltway has been sold off and being prepped for a Giant supermarket and strip mall. Duane Dickerson, who has grown tired of defending his Prince George's County farm from increasing crime in the county, decided enough was enough and sold it to a North Carolina-based developer, the AP via WTOP reports.
But Prince George's County Council Chairman Samuel Dean says the sale means progress for the area. He says it will bring the community the kind of business development they desperately need.
Once DCist reader from Prince George's County writes us: "It makes me very sad. I only hope Cherry Hill Farm isn't next (they have the BEST doughnuts in the area - by far!)"
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There's still Urban Oasis, I think, though it's a different sort of operation.
There are still lots of community gardens operating in the city, e.g. off of North Capitol near the MD border is a parcel at least 2 acres big with lots of mostly elderly gardeners. Urban Oasis likes to say they're a farm, but sadly, the more community-based gardens are a whole lot more productive than this educational mini-garden.
Crime? Was he afraid that people would try to sneak away with a few melons?
did you read the article? his barn got burned down, a llama was killed and a horse injured, drug dealers and homeless people were holing up on the land...it actually sounded kinda bad.
whoops, sorry, i meant did you read the WP article? which can be found here.
I have very bad news for you. Cherry Hill Farm is closing. The couple currently running the farm are both having health problems and, evidently, no one else in the family wants to take over the farm and store. I've been going to Cherry Hill Farm (called Gallahan's locally, after the family's last name) all my life, picking strawberries, peaches, squash, and so forth. I'll miss eating ice cream on the porch. For some months now, the rumor was going around that they were pulling out the peach trees in favor of something more lucrative, but we heard about the closing from the clerk at the store last week.
" I only hope Cherry Hill Farm isn't next, they have the best doughnuts..."
Give me a break, seriously, if that's what you want from a "farm", I think you may want to get out of the city for a break.
Maybe all you really need is another strip mall, gas station, and Krispy Kreme.
Czzar: Well, the locals (like me) know that CHF has great produce, ice cream & baked goods. They're homemade doughnuts are excellent. Perhaps you should go there. It's ony 5 miles from town.
I have all the strip malls, gas stations & KK's I can stand. Speaking of gas stations, there is a great old one on Old Fort Rd. (near CHF) called "Friendly Market" (a.k.a. "Dingess Deli") Check it out & cheer up.
There is nothing like fresh peach or strawberry ice cream from Cherry Hill! I hope the closing is just a rumor.