Last year (2023), the Charles Koiner Conservancy celebrated its fifth birthday! We honored this milestone with a Movie Night on the Farm, fit with popcorn, blankets, hay-bale seating and an outdoor screening of The Arc of Justice (a 2017 documentary about Black Land Loss and the emergence of our nation's first Community Land Trust (CLT).  It was an emotional night, especially for many of our volunteers, who dedicate so much of their time, energy and love to growing healthy food for their community. The shared tears and hugs of this night highlighted the powerful connection that we feel to our land, to our food and to each other.

Through true grassroots efforts, the Charles Koiner Conservancy has spent the past five years working to uphold the values of cooperative land stewardship and sustainable agriculture at Koiner Farm. This has been a tall order for a small farm aspiring to provide equitable access to farmland for urban residents, livable wages for farm workers, educational experienced for furture farmers, and on-farm community programs for our diverse and dynamic neighborhood... all while praticing the highest possible standards of organic farming and keeping our nutrient-rich produce equitably distributed within our community.

We recognize that this work would not be possible without our amazing team of volunteers, interns and staff who are supported by generous neighbors, committed customers and a supportive board. Koiner Farm is a collective effort, demonstrating what’s possible when we all are given the opportunity to actively participate in our local food system. We are incredibly grateful to the friends and neighbors of Koiner Farm who have embraced this opportunity and shown that urban communities should no longer be thought of as a drain on the food system, but rather as a source of power and innovation for building smarter, safer, more just local food systems. Nonprofit neighborhood farms, like Koiner Farm, empower communities to do just this! That is why the Charles Koiner Conservancy is working to support and preserve green spaces for local food production throughout the urban neighborhoods of Montgomery County.

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Thank you to all who have given their time, talents and treasure to the Charles Koiner Conservancy - your gifts have been used wisely and we are proud of the progress and impact that we have made over these past five years. Today, the Charles Koiner Conservancy is strong, stable and excited for all that 2024 will bring!