Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming (CKC) celebrated their vegetable gardens and solar charging stations at the A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in Silver Spring with a ribbon cutting Friday.
As a light rain fell, students, representatives from local and state government and the community walked amongst the growing beds of spinach, lettuce, broccoli and other vegetables that will be consumed by the community.
“I love that it is raining, because we do need water,” said Councilmember Natali Fani-González as she showed off her boots.
“This is the future. This is the way we are going to survive in a warming planet,” declared Maryland Delegate Lorig Charkoudian. “We will have fresh food right here, and we have done it as a community.”
This Resilience, Education, Action, Climate, Habitat (REACH) Hub, one of several throughout the county, is a one-acre farm geared to teaching students where their food comes from and how it grows. Koiner Urban Farming personnel, which oversees the farm, will host weekly community farmers markets featuring the food grown here.
“The REACH Hub farm is more than a farm. It is going to be a site where our students, our staff, our families, can come and learn,” said Principal Megan McLaughlin.
“Our true measure of success,” explained Kate Medina, founder and executive direct of Koiner Farm, “is how many people are being reached through this one urban farm.”
Within a two-mile radius of Loiderman Middle School, more than 18,000 students from 20 schools participate in the urban farm. Nearly 90% of these students from Weller Road Elementary School, Thomas Edison High School of Technology and Wheaton High School are people of color.
“This is really a project that speaks to the moment. It is what we are as a community,” proclaimed MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor.
Celebrating the launch of the Urban Farm and Solar Charging Stations at Loiederman Middle School!! The one-acre urban farm is operated in partnership with CKC. Thank you to the State of Maryland, Pepco, Montgomery Green Bank, and many others for the amazing partnership!
— Natali Fani-González (@natalifg.bsky.social) May 9, 2025 at 10:07 AM
An amazing celebration of the REACH Hub & Farm at Loiederman Middle School. It’s all the things – sustainable, healthy food; outdoor education; a resiliency hub; clean energy; & community! Congrats to all the partners who made this a reality. @MCPS pic.twitter.com/PyF9tAVg0C
— Lorig Charkoudian (@LCharkoudian) May 9, 2025
