PG Man Sells Last Known Farm in Beltway

CAPITAL HEIGHTS, Md. (AP) - A Prince George's County man is letting go of what is believed to be the last working family farm inside the Capital Beltway.

Duane Dickerson is selling his 35 acres to a North Carolina developer who is reportedly planning a strip mall with a Giant supermarket.

Many farms still exist just beyond the Beltway. But for many, the sale of Dickerson's farm is piquing local nostalgia for a time when D.C. was surrounded by countryside.

Dickerson tells The Washington Post that he's getting tired of crime from the city spilling over onto his farm. The 63-year-old sleeps with a loaded shotgun at arm's length -- ready for any nighttime visitors who may damage his property. Dickerson has had enough.

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.

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