THE REACH HUB & FARM
AT LOIEDERMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL
WHEATON, MD
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The REACH Hub and Farm located at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School (12701 Goodhill Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20906) is a pilot climate resilience initiative of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in partnership with the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming (CKC). The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman has been designed to offer hands-on environmental education opportunities in an Equity Focus Area (EFA) of Montgomery County, MD. The objective of the REACH initiative is to provide resources and programs to communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate and economic disasters.
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The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman will feature energy-saving innovations, outdoor classrooms, year-round food production, and outdoor community programs. The REACH Hub and Farm aims to empower elementary through high school students to learn about and engage with sustainable practices, while also contributing to their local community.
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To date, the strong partnership between MCPS and CKC has leveraged over one million dollars of funding from local, state, federal, and private sources to build out a significant portion of the farm’s infrastructure. These features include the welcome arbor, much of the one-acre farm, stormwater infrastructure, and utilities (water and electric). MCPS and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are also committed to implementing accessible, renewable, and resilient energy infrastructure to include a 150 KW agrivoltaics array, interactive energy demonstration center located in shipping containers, and mobile charging pods and tables. CKC is committed to operating the farm and running community programs.
These collective efforts position the REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman as one of the more innovative community projects in the country and a template for other school districts to rethink schoolyards as community spaces that can foster climate resilience and land stewardship for students and the greater community.
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Climate resilience and food security are among the top priorities locally within Montgomery County and the State of Maryland. CKC is a key player in maximizing the investments made into these priority areas and making sure that the resilience building infrastructure is used for its intended purpose for the benefit of the community. CKC is working with MCPS to develop a demonstration REACH Hub and Farm that will serve the Wheaton-Glenmont area residents. The REACH Hub and Farm will connect multiple K-12 schools and the local communities to outdoor education resources, culturally significant farm-fresh produce, healthy workshops and recreational activities, and disaster relief services. In addition to the Farm, the Hub will feature outdoor classrooms, agrivoltaics, and building energy retrofit features.
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The REACH Hub will support food production, climate resiliency, as well as serve as an accessible resource for over 17,000 students (90 percent minority) from 20 MCPS schools that are within two miles, including four schools within walking distance. The four schools within walking distance (e.g. approximately one-half mile from the Hub) are (1) the host site, Loiederman Middle School, (2) the bordering school, Weller Road Elementary School (an MCPS Community School), (3) a career readiness school, Thomas Edison High School of Technology, and (4) Wheaton High School, one of Montgomery County’s largest high schools. There are 16 additional schools located within a short driving distance or accessible via public bus routes.​
CKC is actively recruiting Community Liaisons for the REACH Hub & Farm.
Click here to learn more about the Community Liaisons program and to apply!
​As MCPS' urban farming partner, CKC is responsible for providing consistent on-site programs for students, families, and the broader community. These services will include an on-site farmers’ market, internships for high school students, field trips for elementary and middle school students, volunteerships for the broader community, care farming sessions for individuals with disabilities, and workshops/trainings for urban farmers, gardeners and homesteaders.
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Click here for the list of REACH Farm programs that CKC will be rolling out in 2025!
EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTHY LAND & FOOD
The REACH Hub and Farm will provide significant educational and environmental benefits and support the health and well-being of students, families, and the broader community. The REACH Hub and Farm will donate an estimated 50-percent of total produce grown to the Community School pantries at Weller Road ES and Loiederman MS, as well as to the Edison Café at Thomas Edison Tech HS, which is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) school that provides restaurant management programs. Currently, Edison’s CTE program operates a public café that is run by students in the CTE restaurant program. The Farm interns will work with the Edison Cafe’ students to help them source fresh produce from the REACH Farm and ensure that all food scraps from the Edison Café return to the Farm for composting, thereby creating a completely closed-loop student-led micro-food system.
The REACH Hub programs and services will directly serve the community within a 2-mile radius of the site. According to EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening Map, this community is 90 percent people of color, with 80 to 90 percent having limited English and less than a high school education. This community is particularly burdened by disproportionate housing costs and sever lack of health insurance. The REACH Hub and Farm is also located within an Equity Focus Area (EFA), as defined by Montgomery Planning, and within a Low-Income and Low-Food-Access tract of USDA Food Access Atlas.
School grounds are valued and vibrant centers of neighborhoods—used by the community during and after the school day for academic and recreational purposes. Outdoor recreational activities that support nutrition, paired with renewable energy demonstrations, offer numerous educational and health benefits to help disadvantaged communities overcome long-standing environmental threats and public health challenges. CKC’s programs provide hands-on learning experiences that help students gain a practical understanding of ecosystem sustainability and interdependence.
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The REACH Hub and Farm at Loiederman Middle School showcases the viability of urban/suburban food production and clean energy production, while educating students and the public on how they can reduce their own carbon footprints. By actively observing and participating in their local food system and observing sustainability technologies in action, individuals will better understand their role in fostering climate resilience, supporting food system sustainability and improving community health. Together, these efforts position school yards as key opportunities for environmental education, inspiring both youth and the broader community. Furthermore, this project is connecting a cross-sector of government and non-profit partners to support food security and climate resilience. The site will help prepare students, teachers and the broader community for future natural challenges, while promoting sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
ABOVE: FARMS (Free and Reduced-Price Meals) rate within 2-mile radius of REACH Hub and Farm at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School.
See you at the farm!
