By MG Intern Pela Soto
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| Students fill raised beds at Loiederman School Farm. Photo: Hannah Sholder |
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) launched the Resilience, Education, Action, Climate, Habitat (REACH) initiative in response to the MCPS Sustainability Policy adopted in July 2022. The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman Middle School in Aspen Hill is a pilot project of this initiative. The information about this project was provided by Kate Medina, Executive Director of the Charles Koiner Conservancy (CKC) for Urban Farming.
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| REACH Hub and Farm's two-mile radius. |
The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman is a unique site where students, families, teachers, administrators, and the greater community work together under the direction of staff from the CKC to support a more equitable, sustainable, and accessible micro-food system. The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman has been thoughtfully designed to support food production and climate resiliency and to serve as an educational resource accessible to thousands of individuals from local schools and the greater community within a two-mile radius. The 20 public schools within this radius educate some 17,000 students, with a majority participating in the Free and Reduced Meals system (FARMS). The REACH Hub and Farm is also located within an Equity Focus Area (EFA), as defined by Montgomery Planning, and within a Low-Income and Low-Food-Access tract of the USDA Food Access Atlas.
The community programs offered at the REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman include (1) Community Liaisons who help build partnerships; (2) Farm Volunteerships for neighbors who want to help in the gardens; (3) Farm Internships for high schoolers who want to learn about sustainable agriculture and food systems; (4) Farm Club for middle schoolers with an emphasis on art, cooking, and nutrition; (5) Care Farming for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to practice their motor skills and job readiness; and (6) Farm Markets featuring local vendors, food assistance services, workshops, concerts, and more for the public.
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| The Teaching Plot at Loiederman School Farm. Photo: Hannah Sholder |
There are many volunteer opportunities at the REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman that can be found on their website (although most do not qualify for MCMG volunteer hours). In addition, MGs may also want to attend one of their Urban Homesteading Workshops, some of which may qualify for MCMG continuing education credit; watch for opportunities on the MCMG Continuing Education listing (updated monthly) for approved events.
