Please join us on the first weekend of Fall (Sunday September 25th for a triumphant in-person return of the Ride for the Reserve! That means a return to choosing your own Fall adventure from 6-62 miles and reconvening after for a well deserved picnic lunch. This year we are partnering with Sugarloaf Citizens Association, the ride start/end and picnic will all take place at the SCA's Linden Farm in Dickerson, a great jumping off point for all new routes through the Reserve's Rustic Roads. We went over the routes on our route reveal here.  

The Ride + Picnic ticket window ends 9/21 at midnight so we can get numbers to our caterers. Fear not you spur-of-the-moment folks - you can still ride. After 9/21 (and including day of walk-up registrants) there will be slightly higher "late bird" pricing for just the ride that does not include the picnic. Late bird registrants are welcome to purchase lunch after the ride from one of the vendors at our pop-up farmers market at Linden Farm opening at Noon. 

Riders, families, and everyone else  are invited to the after- ride pop-up market....

Grow and Create

Brown Cow Creamery

Calleva

Earthen Hands at Day Spring - Pottery

Farm at Home

Grateful Gardeners

The Grow House  

Honey Effects Apiary

GotYourSix Farm

Kingsbury Orchard

Locals Farm Market

Passion to Seed Gardening

Slate Greenhouse

Tree Talk Natives

Sustain

Community Farm Share

Owl Moon Raptor Center

Sugarland Ethnohistory Project

Rustic Roads Advisory Committee

Stickbug and West Virginia  Vintage

Celebrate

Culinary History of MoCo

Mr. Softee Ice Cream

One Bite Love- Cupcakes

Smiles 4 Miles Face Painting

Landmade Brewery

Twin Valley Distillers

Tony's BBQ

We were heartbroken to see another tragic and all too preventable death of a cyclist in MoCo last month. Sarah Lagenkamp's family is using her loss to raise needed awareness and funds for organizations promoting cyclist safety. Donations can be made here.

There is a growing drum beat to pause council approval of Thrive 2050, the update to the general plan that will guide MoCo's growth and development for decades to come. Based on in-depth resident review of Thrive (and its many associated documents), this plan isn't ready for prime time - with glaring deficits on equity, environmental protection and much more (lots more background here).

MCA, along with our partners have a sign on letter to the Council to ask that more time is taken to make Thrive a forward looking and equitable plan. So far, this letter is co-signed by a wide coalition of local individuals and organizations. We'd love to add your name (please sign by 9/19 at Noon)

Review the Letter and Add Your Name Here

Take Action: Developers Looking to Turn Frederick Farmland into Huge Data Center - bore under Potomac in 3 places

The Sugarloaf Treasured Management Plan is poised to deliver Southern FredCo's farms and forests the protection they have long needed.  Here at the finish line for plan approval, the County Council seems to be bowing to developer pressure on amendments that would undermine the plan and allow massive development on farmland. Join our friends at Sugarloaf Alliance in signing this petition and calling or emailing the FredCo Councilmembers.