"Urban farms should no longer be considered a temporary or interim use for vacant plots. They are the future and need to be protected."
- Hannah Sholder, CKC Founder and Director of Land Stewardship
PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES
The food system upon which we depend is unsustainable for farmers, consumers and the planet. Solving the agricultural problems of our lifetime requires innovative, healthy, caring individuals, armed with the experience and understanding to tackle these challenges by 'working locally and thinking globally.'
​
Alongside our partners, CKC is working to protect urban greenspaces that function as fundamental community-led, nature-sensitive, socially responsible assets that are geared towards addressing these problems (read our call to County Council to include a comprehensive green infrastructure plan as a core priority of THRIVE 2050). Specifically, CKC is actively pursuing land for a second urban farm that would support the nutritional, educational and social-emotional well-being of low-income and low-food access neighborhoods in Montgomery County, MD (read the Executive Summary of our Unsolicited Proposal for Disposition of County Land here).
​
In order to maximize the benefits that protected greenspaces provide, CKC focuses specifically on community-led food production in urban neighborhoods. We do this through three programs areas, including (1) Land Protection, (2) Farm Management and (3) Education & Outreach.
These three program areas are inter-dependent and collectively provide unique opportunities for people to connect, explore, discuss, learn and innovate in the pursuit of a safe, smart and sustainable local food system.​
CORE PROGRAMS
Markets
Koiner Farm Market is every Thursday at 5:00pm - 7:00pm, April thru October
Loiederman Farm Market is on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 5:00pm - 7:00pm, May thru Oct
Live the locavore life by shopping at our weekly Farm Markets. These are small produce stands, designed for walkers and bikers to stop by their neighborhood farm for some hyper-local mid-week produce. While there, you can swap your compost bucket and chat with your friendly neighborhood farmer.
We also host monthly Farm Concerts. These are special nights on the farm, featuring some of the best local musicians, artisans, cottage food businesses and food trucks that MoCo has to offer.
Subscribe to our Market newsletter for weekly emails, containing updates on seasonal produce and recipes, plus a featured list of musicians, artisans, food trucks and more. ​
​
Internships
Koiner Farm on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:00-6:00pm
Loiederman Farm on Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
Are you a high school or college student looking to get outside, learn a life skill, meet new friends, and give back to your community? Then apply for an Urban Farmer Internship at Koiner Farm or Loeiderman Farm today. Both farms are easily accessible by public transportation and staffed by knowledgeable professional farmers.
​
These are paid internships for those who apply through the Montgomery County Department of Recreation's TeenWorks Employment Program. Non-TeenWorks Interns can receive up to 144 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours per year or one Montgomery College course credit per semester.
​
.jpg)
Koiner Farm's volunteer slots are now full for 2026
Loiederman Farm is still accepting letters of interest for the Wednesday AM volunteer crews - send your letter of interest to cj@ckcfarming.org to join!
"Koiner Farm is my gym."
- Josh, Koiner Farm Volunteer​
Our farm volunteers have now been together for several growing seasons. Outside of their farm work, they have dinners together, exchange holiday cards, babysit each other's kids and support one another in good times and bad. Growing a connected community like this has always been our dream, even when we started the Volunteerships program back in 2017, before CKC was even incorporated.
This 2025 growing season is special because it marks the innaugural Volunteership program at Loiederman Farm.
​
Care Farming
Thursdays, 10:30am-12:30pm at Koiner Farm
Coming soon to Loiederman Farm
The Care Farming program is for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Care Farmers serve an important role on the farm, while also practicing their workplace skills in a safe, supportive and healthy environment. Care Farming sessions are offered every Thursday, April through October, from 9:30am-11:30am at Koiner Farm.
​
<< Learn more about Care Farming here >>
Link coming soon!
Farm Club is a Fun-on-the-Farm experience for Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB) students at both Koiner Farm and Loiederman Farm. EBB is an afterschool program of the Montgomery County Department of Rec for elementary and middle school.
_edited.jpg)
Koiner Farm's Workshops on Urban Homesteading are offered monthly, and Yoga Classes are offered weekly, from March thru October
Loiederman Farm's Workshops and Classes are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, at 5:00-7:00pm, from May thru October
These Workshops & Classes are an opportunity to share unique skills and knowledge with the broader community! Topics range from hot sauce making to flax spinning to garlic planting.
​​​​