Clagett Farm

Clagett Farm is a working agricultural property in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, operated and owned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The farm occupies approximately 285 acres and is associated with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s environmental-education mission, rather than functioning primarily as a conventional commercial farming business. Its current identity reflects both a historic agricultural estate and a modern demonstration of sustainable farming practices. The property was historically known as Navajo. In the nineteenth century, it formed part of the extensive landholdings associated with Thomas Clagett, a major landowner in the Marlboro area. Thomas Clagett acquired a large tract in 1831 and developed two plantations, The Cottage and Strawberry Hill, with a combined area of roughly 1,000 acres. In 1846, The Cottage was conveyed to his son Charles Clagett when Charles married Mary Mullikin. Charles initially produced tobacco, livestock, and wool. After the Civil War, he discontinued tobacco production and concentrated more heavily on livestock. Around 1880, the Ingleside and Navajo farms were established for two of Charles Clagett’s sons on adjoining land. After Charles died in 1894, Navajo and The Cottage passed to his younger son, William B. Clagett. William continued to live at Navajo, while the farm was leased to a tenant farmer. After William’s death in 1911, ownership passed to his son Charles and daughter Marguerite. For much of the twentieth century, the property continued to be operated through leasing arrangements. A major transition occurred after the death of Charles Clagett on July 7, 1972. Charles, a lawyer who lived and worked in Baltimore, left the farm to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for use as an environmental-education center. Under the terms associated with his estate, the foundation received the approximately 283-acre working farm and an endowment of $600,000 in 1981. The bequest established the basis for the property’s present public-purpose role. Today, Clagett Farm produces more than 60,000 pounds of vegetables annually, along with some fruit, using farming methods intended to support sustainability. Its activities also include the From the Ground Up vegetable-production program, a collaboration between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Capital Area Food Bank. The program is designed to make farm produce available across income levels and to connect agricultural production with food security in the Washington, D.C. region. The farm’s distribution model combines community-supported agriculture with charitable food access. Approximately 60 percent of its produce is sold to shareholders through a CSA program, while approximately 40 percent is distributed without charge to nonprofit organizations and underserved communities. Reported recipient organizations include Melwood Women Shelter and the Capital Area Food Bank. This combination of production, education, conservation, CSA participation, and food donation gives Clagett Farm a distinctive position as a nonprofit agricultural and environmental-education enterprise.

Clagett Farm’s history is rooted in the nineteenth-century expansion of the Clagett family’s landholdings around Marlboro, Maryland. Thomas Clagett, identified as one of the area’s largest landowners, acquired an approximately 822-acre tract in 1831 from the representatives of John E. Berry. Together with other land acquired at about the same time, the property became part of two plantations, The Cottage and Strawberry Hill, whose combined area was approximately 1,000 acres. In 1846, Thomas Clagett conveyed The Cottage to his second son, Charles Clagett, at the time of Charles’s marriage to Mary Mullikin. Charles operated a diversified agricultural enterprise that included tobacco, livestock, and wool. In the period after the Civil War, he abandoned tobacco cultivation and placed greater emphasis on livestock production. He also served for approximately two decades as a judge of the County Orphans Court. Around 1880, two adjoining farms, Ingleside and Navajo, were set aside for two of Charles Clagett’s sons. The property that later became associated with Clagett Farm was then known as Navajo. Following Charles’s death in 1894, Navajo and The Cottage passed to his younger son, William B. Clagett. William remained at Navajo, although the farm itself was leased to a tenant farmer. After William died in 1911, the property passed to his son Charles and daughter Marguerite. Leasing remained an important feature of the farm’s operation for much of the twentieth century. The property entered a new institutional phase after Charles Clagett died on July 7, 1972. Charles had lived and worked as a lawyer in Baltimore. His estate conveyed the former Navajo farm to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation so that it could be used for environmental education. In 1981, the foundation received the approximately 283-acre working farm together with $600,000 from Charles Clagett’s estate. The bequest specified an educational purpose and enabled the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to develop the property as a farm-based center for demonstrating environmental stewardship. Under Chesapeake Bay Foundation ownership and operation, the farm became a producer of vegetables and some fruit, with annual vegetable output reported at more than 60,000 pounds. Its agricultural approach emphasizes sustainable techniques. Clagett Farm also developed a social and food-access role through the From the Ground Up program, a joint effort with the Capital Area Food Bank to grow and distribute a range of produce to people across income levels. The farm’s current distribution model combines paid and charitable channels. Roughly 60 percent of production is sold to CSA shareholders, while about 40 percent is provided free of charge to nonprofit organizations, including the Capital Area Food Bank and Melwood Women Shelter. As a result, the historic estate operates today as a hybrid of working farm, educational site, conservation demonstration, CSA supplier, and community food-access resource. Its public identity is therefore tied less to a packaged consumer brand than to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s nonprofit agricultural and educational programs.

• 1981

  Farm and estate funds are bequeathed to the foundation

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The Chesapeake Bay Foundation received the approximately 283-acre working farm, formerly known as Navajo, together with $600,000 from Charles Clagett’s estate for educational purposes.

• 1972

  The Chesapeake Bay Foundation becomes the intended steward

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  After Charles Clagett died on July 7, 1972, the property was designated for transfer to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to support environmental education.

• 1911

  Ownership passes to the next generation

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Following William B. Clagett’s death, Navajo passed to his son Charles and daughter Marguerite. The farm continued to be leased for much of the twentieth century.

• 1894

  Navajo passes to William B. Clagett

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  After Charles Clagett’s death, Navajo and The Cottage passed to his younger son, William B. Clagett. William continued to live at Navajo while the farm was leased to a tenant farmer.

• 1880

  Navajo farm is established for the Clagett family

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The adjoining farms of Ingleside and Navajo were set aside for two of Charles Clagett’s sons. Navajo became the historic name of the property now known as Clagett Farm.

• 1846

  The Cottage is conveyed to Charles Clagett

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Clagett conveyed The Cottage to his son Charles Clagett when Charles married Mary Mullikin. Charles subsequently operated the estate with tobacco, livestock, and wool production.

• 1831

  Thomas Clagett acquires the tract

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Clagett purchased an approximately 822-acre tract associated with Beall’s Chance and Green Spring from the representatives of John E. Berry, expanding the land base from which the later Clagett family farms developed.

• From the Ground Up program supports regional food access

  [1]Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Clagett Farm and the Capital Area Food Bank collaborate on a vegetable-production and distribution initiative intended to provide produce to people across income levels.

A nonprofit working farm and environmental-education operation that uses sustainable agriculture, community-supported agriculture, and food donations to connect Chesapeake Bay conservation with regional food access.

• Farm produce

  Fresh vegetables

  Vegetables are Clagett Farm’s principal agricultural output. The farm is reported to produce more than 60,000 pounds of vegetables annually using techniques intended to support sustainable farming. Produce is divided between CSA sales and charitable or reduced-price distribution.

• Farm produce

  Fruit

  In addition to its vegetable production, Clagett Farm grows some fruit. The available reference material does not specify particular fruit varieties or the scale of fruit production.

• Agricultural subscription

  Community Supported Agriculture shares

  The farm sells approximately 60 percent of its production to shareholders through a Community Supported Agriculture program. The CSA model connects participating households with seasonal farm output and provides a paid distribution channel for the nonprofit operation.

• From the Ground Up

  Washington, D.C. metropolitan area · Maryland

  From the Ground Up is a joint vegetable-production and food-access effort involving Clagett Farm and the Capital Area Food Bank. It aims to grow a range of produce and make it available to people across income levels, including through nonprofit distribution.

  Outcome. The program supports free or reduced-price produce distribution and complements the farm’s CSA sales. A precise launch date and independently quantified campaign results are not specified in the available material.

  Source

• 1972

  Conversion to an environmental-education centerStrategy

  Background

  Charles Clagett’s death and estate planning created an opportunity to place the former Navajo farm under nonprofit stewardship. The stated purpose was educational use rather than continuation solely as a private family farm.

  Action taken

  The property was conveyed to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, with the estate’s later 1981 bequest including the working farm and $600,000 for educational purposes.

  Aftermath

  Clagett Farm became part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s environmental-education and sustainable-agriculture work.

  Estate funding accompanying the farm bequest. $600,000 (1981)

  Source

• Adoption of a blended CSA and food-access modelStrategy

  Background

  As a nonprofit working farm, Clagett Farm combines agricultural production with community and educational goals.

  Action taken

  The farm sells approximately 60 percent of its produce to CSA shareholders and distributes approximately 40 percent free of charge to nonprofit organizations and underserved communities.

  Aftermath

  The model allows the farm to maintain a revenue-generating CSA operation while directing a substantial share of production toward regional food-access efforts.

  Source

1. 1Clagett Farmen.wikipedia.org