Updates:
As always - we are praying! See more on our Prayer Corner page.
Agriculture is an essential business, and we are still hosting volunteer events throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Almost 10,000 people joined us throughout 2020!
Through engineering, God’s grace, and some ingenuity, we reworked our potato cutting and planting system to require 1/3 of the people needed - and completed this monumental task in 1/2 the time! Click here to see a video of this process in action.
Working with farms in the Lancaster PA area, we purchased over 250,000 lbs. of potatoes for donation. Click here to see the distribution!
We have been supported by grants that will allow us to act immediately on some urgent assistance for people in need, as well as allow us to harvest our produce mechanically if needed in later months.
First Fruits Farm is incredibly grateful to have received a very generous grant from The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment for our Greenhouse Initiative. Greenhouses on site at the Farm allow for increased productivity and a longer growing season to meet hunger needs throughout the mid-Atlantic region - likely an additional 20,000 lbs. of fresh tomatoes during three peak growing cycles from March-December! By using this grant to fully fund this program, we can not only feed more vulnerable populations in Baltimore and beyond, but can also provide educational programming and volunteer service opportunities throughout the year in an indoor environment.
People have joined our mission of feeding the hungry by making donations - thank you!
We have been blessed to receive a $30,000 grant from Point Breeze Credit Union that allowed for the construction of a 6,000 square foot greenhouse at the Farm. We have already planted tomatoes and are aiming for the first harvest in May. This greenhouse will effectively double our tomato harvest for donation, add a new volunteer environment that is under cover in case of rain, and allow for expansion of our educational programs for students. Thank you Point Breeze!
A display of crosses has been installed on our hill - a beautiful sight in the community (and on our social media) that is giving people hope!
Our educational programs have started to thrive amidst challenging circumstances! Classes in nutrition, cooking, STEM, biology, and applied agriculture have been a bit hit with students and teachers alike.