Firmly Planted: Honoring the Work & Resistance
of the Black Woman Farmer
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🍿 A Film Screening Event on November 15th 🎥
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Join us at the historic Parkway Theatre on Friday, November 15th, from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM for an evening of powerful film screenings and engaging discussions.
The night begins with a pre-screening reception, leading into the showings of two impactful films: Farming While Black and The Aunties. These films shine a light on the incredible impact of Black farmers and the ongoing fight for Black land sovereignty, showcasing the vital role these women play in shaping our food systems.
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After the screenings, engage in a panel discussion featuring the stars and creators of the films:
- Leah Penniman, Author of Farming While Black, Soul Fire Farm
- Mark Decena, Director of Farming While Black, Kontent Films
- Paulette Greene & Donna Dear, The Aunties, Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms
- Charlyn Magdaline Griffith-Oro & Jeannine Kayembe-Oro, Directors of The Aunties, Wholistic. Art
- Karen Washington, Rise and Root Farm
- Samaria Marley, Junipers Garden
- Blain Snipstal, Black Dirt Farm Collective
This is a rare opportunity to hear from visionary farmers and filmmakers who are advancing the fight for food justice and uplifting the stories of Black women in agriculture.
🎟️ Tickets include popcorn and a drink! 🍿 This event is just around the corner, so mark your calendars and get your tickets today!
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We’re excited to announce that by early December, Farm Alliance will have a new home! Our future address will be:
1500 Union Ave, Suite 2700
Baltimore, MD 21211
View on Google Maps
We’re thrilled about the new space, located next to Artifact Cafe (one of our favorite restaurants and a proud buyer of Black Butterfly Farm produce!) and conveniently close to the Woodberry Light Rail stop. Please continue to use our current address until we confirm our new location is fully up and running—we’ll be sure to let you know when we’re all settled in!
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You know what’s just around the corner along with our move date? Giving Tuesday! 🎉 As we wrap up the year, your support can make a big difference. Every dollar counts and will help ease the burden of our moving costs this year. Together, we can keep empowering Baltimore’s vibrant urban farming community!
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Note: Given our address transition, online donations are preferred over mailed checks. Thank you for your support!
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A Fungi-Filled Finale to Field Days
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Violet shares insights on indoor mushroom cultivation (top), Farmer Clayton drills holes into logs for inoculation (bottom left), and Executive Director Pertula George-Redd highlights Acres for Change's mission and exciting news about their recent land purchase (bottom right.)
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Our final field day of 2024 was a hit! Our member, Acres for Change, and their mushroom project, Charm City Caps led a super engaging workshop on mushroom cultivation.
Violet showcased their impressive indoor growing setup, where Lion’s Mane and Oyster mushrooms thrive in a converted shipping container. We learned about the crucial roles of sterilization and humidity control for successful growth.
Pertula shared A4C's mission and exciting news about their recent land purchase, while David explained the fascinating methods of mushroom inoculation and cultivation. We then ventured into the woods to try our hands at it—attendees drilled holes into a freshly fallen tree near a stream (mushrooms love moisture) and filled them with inoculated plug spawn, sealing the holes with wax. With a little patience, we’ll soon have fruiting logs!
If you’d like to get your hands on some mushrooms, Charm City Caps has them available for purchase. Follow @charmcitycaps.a4c on Instagram and find them at our stand at the 32nd Street Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7 AM to 12 PM.
Special thanks to ALL of our attendees and field day hosts for making this season of learning in the field so memorable!
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Black Butterfly Bulletin: Behind the Harvest
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Our trusty FAB van ready to hit the road (top) A lush field of fall greens, grown with care (bottom left). Loading Calabaza pumpkins, cultivated specifically for our Maryland Food Bank recipients (bottom right).
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At Black Butterfly Farm, we’ve established strong partnerships this year, enabling us to double our harvest and bring fresh produce to more Baltimore residents than ever before. Here’s a closer look at our operations!
At a Glance: Every week, our dedicated team harvests hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of pounds of produce, which we sort and package in our shared refrigeration space. Using our FAB van, we deliver high-quality, fresh produce to local pantries and community organizations. Through our partnerships with the Maryland Food Bank, the Y in Central Maryland, and The Common Market, we’re able to reach families throughout Baltimore.
How it Works: Grown entirely in South Baltimore at our Black Butterfly Teaching Farm, our produce is hyper-local and fresh. We shape our crop and harvest plans based on feedback from recipients, ensuring we provide the produce they want while maintaining reliable sales outlets for our harvests. This approach allows us to ensure steady revenue and manage peak yields effectively. Our Market and Sales Coordinator carefully prepares and organizes orders, managing four to five deliveries to local organizations per week. These deliveries include the same items you'll find at our market stand, as well as additional offerings for local restaurants.
Why it Matters: This program is about more than just fresh produce—it’s about building resilience. With a dependable distribution outlet, we can buffer the effects of fluctuating market sales and prevent bumper crops from going to waste. This is just the beginning—we’re setting our sights on a larger vision: leveraging these partnerships to create pathways for our members and establish an urban food hub and aggregation point for even more community-sourced produce. Our partnerships extend beyond food, connecting us with organizations deeply embedded in Baltimore’s neighborhoods. Together, we’re creating a stronger, more interconnected local food system that Baltimore can rely on.
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Join us at The Black Butterfly Farm
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Join us this Saturday, November 9th, at Black Butterfly Teaching Farm (3901 West Bay Ave.) to wrap up the season and share in our fall harvest!
Volunteer Work: 10am-1pm (Volunteer spots are full)
Community Produce Giveaway: 1pm-2pm (all are welcome!)
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We’re looking forward to celebrating the harvest with you! Grab some fresh produce and connect with neighbors. See you there!
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- 11/14 The 6th Branch Hoe Down Fundraiser, 6-8pm, Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St.
- Pre Order Mushrooms from Charm City Caps - Enjoy Baltimore-grown oyster and lion's mane mushrooms, available for pickup or delivery. Every order supports Black land ownership. Order here!
- Microgreens from Day 1 Supply - Fresh, non-GMO purple rambo radish, sunflower, and pea microgreens are perfect for holiday dishes and soups. Find them the Mt. Washington Farmers Market Sundays from 10am- 2pm or order online.
- 1/16 -1/16 Future Harvest Conference, Silver Spring, MD
- 2/5 - 2/7 PASA Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Lancaster, PA
- 3/15 Baltimore Free Farm Seed Swap & Give Away, 10am-1pm St. Luke’s Church, 800 W 36th St. Mark your calendars now and more details will be forthcoming!
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Our partners at The Druid Hill Y, need volunteers for their Fresh Mart program! The pantry serves 60-80 neighbors per shift and is open Mondays 10-1, Tuesdays 3-6, and Saturdays 11-2. Volunteers assist with intake, help neighbors select food, and stock shelves. To sign up, create an account at ymaryland.volunteermatters.org and search "fresh mart."
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We're gearing up for a move, and we need your help to lighten our load!
We've just added new discounts to our quality merchandise. Take advantage of our sale, support urban agriculture and snag your favorites while supplies last!
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Your support helps us cultivate powerful communities and build a more resilient Baltimore.
With 48 members strong and growing, we are strengthening Baltimore's network of urban growers. Thank you for your generosity!
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