Koiner Farm is managed by a cooperative team, each bringing their own unique experiences and skill set to the farm.
MEET THE TEAM
_edited.jpg)
Kate Medina
Founder & Executive Director
In addition to managing the business side of organization, Kate helps out at the farm with special projects and upgrades. Kate can be found at Koiner Farm on Thursday mornings and during field trips and events. As a former Biology professor, Kate is particularly interested in the potential to use urban farms as an living classroom and inspiration for project-based STEM education.
Contact: kate@ckcfarming.org
Hannah Sholder
Founder & Director of Operations
As the Director of Farm Operations, Hannah wears many hats for the organization - she manages all on-farm events , as well as internships & volunteerships, Hannah's background is in urban planning with a focus on affordable housing. Hannah likes to share stories about her days working with Charlie Koiner and is passionate about carrying on the practices and traditions of older generations. She can be found at Koiner Farm most weekday evenings.
Contact: hannah@ckcfarming.org
Emily Sells
Head Farm Manager
Emily is an Indiana native with a BA in Environmental Science from Earlham College. Growing her own food has diversified her palate and expanded her love for cooking. She enjoys educating people about how farming has shifted over the past 50 years to support big agriculture, where the taste of food and health of the environment are an afterthought. Emily has hiked 500 miles of the Ap Trail and enjoys exploring the DMV network of park trails. She brings this crazy energy to Koiner Farm by overseeing all aspects of plant care.
Contact: emily@ckcfarming.org
Peter Lewis
Assistant Farm Manager
Peter hails from Trinidad where he spent his childhood climbing trees and eating all of the deicious mangos, mabolas, and hog plums that he could find. Peter is a gardener, artist, chef, barber, farmer, composter and more. He shares his many creative passions with Koiner Farm by overseeing construction projects, churning out nutritious compost, and working with interns. Peter manages all aspects of the Community Composting Program at Koiner Farm. Contact: peter@ckcfarming.org.
Joan Kennedy
Volunteer Crew Leader
Joan is a skilled gardener and long-time neighbor of Koiner Farm. Joan works with several volunteer crews and they get more work done in one evening than most of us get done in a whole day. Find Joan at Koiner Farm on Sunday evenings.
Chris Weals
Volunteer Crew Leader
Cris is a retired and recovering lawyer with a love of gardening. Cris is originally from Ohio, but moved to D.C. about 35 years ago. Cris comes from a long line of plant lovers... his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all horticulturalists. He is happy to be able to continue their legacy and persue his own passions at Koiner Farm! Find Cris a Koiner Farm on Thursday evenings.
Evelyn Jemionek
Volunteer Crew Leader
Evelyn is Koiner Farm's most tenured volunteer. She started working for Charlie Koiner back in the early 2000's. Evelyn now manages the harvest crew on Monday and Thursday mornings. Evelyn is also the inspriation and name sake of the annually awarded Evelyn Jemionek Volunteer of the Year Award bestowed upon a volunteer who exhibits exceptional commitment to the people and plants.
Our Team works alongside Volunteers, Interns, Board Members, Neighborhood Liaisons and passionate community members to ensure that the protected lands under CKC's stewardship are continuously serving the needs and wants of the local community.
This work falls into three core areas...
Food Production
Ag Education
Land Stewardship
...and requires an avenue for community participation and input at each level. ​
​
(1) The Farm Management & Food Production Team was formed in 2019 and consists of professional farmers, volunteers and interns all working side by side to collaboratively care for the farm. They are responsible for taking care of all things related to the soil and crops. Issues, such as, what to plant, how to address soil deficiencies, how to naturally manage pest problem, and who will repair broken equipment, are solved collaboratively. To join the Farm Management Team contact hannah@ckcfarming.org (PLEASE NOTE: we maintain a waitlist of volunteers and interns for Koiner Farm, but we are trying to start a second farm!)
​​
(2) The Ag Education Team formed in late 2021 and is composed of professional farm educators, volunteers and advisors from the community. The Farm Education Team is responsible for fulfilling CKC's nonprofit education purpose. They manage the Field Trips Program, the Learning Hubs Program, the Kids'Corner Program and all on-farm and off-farm Workshops, Tours, and Conferences. The Education Team is seeking participation from active/retired/aspiring teachers. If you would like to contribute to the Farm Education Team contact kate@ckcfarming.org.
​
(3) The Land Stewardship Team consists of East Silver Spring residents, who have come to known as the Neighborhood Liaisons of Koiner Farm. This dynamic team consists of community leaders who hail from diverse backgrounds and poses a strong desire to provide more equitable and functional access to healthy land and food for their community. The work of the Neighborhood Liaisons includes fostering relationships with renters, immigrants, and non-native English speakers, as well as with small local businesses (particularly minority-owned businesses, culturally significant artisans and musicians, and fellow nonprofits). The Neighborhood Liaisons help promote our SNAP/WIC benefits, recruit culturally relevant vendors for our Farm Market, and translate materials to Persian/Dari, Amharic, French and Spanish. To become a Neighborhood Liaison, please contact Hannah at hannah@ckcfarming.org.
​
​
CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FOR MORE KOINER FARM HAPPENINGS!