Suburban Homestead: A Primer on Best Practices and Management

This guide is intended to provide municipal officials and interested local residents with a primer on residential agricultural land uses and how best to manage them. Residential agriculture, as defined by this guide, is any non-commercial small-scale farming for personal consumption that takes place on private residential property. The Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) has noticed a local trend toward more diverse private residential land uses such as keeping bee hives and chicken coops. These uses carry with them concerns for public health and general well-being. However, when properly managed they can be beneficial to both the resident and community as a whole. There are many myths surrounding these uses, and this guide explains both the benefits and potential drawbacks of these practices.