Community Partner : Whitelock Community Farm Intern : Laís Santoro Site Supervisor : Kimberly Raikes
What is Whitelock Community Farm ? Whitelock Community Farm is a vibrant open space that grows food and activates community to promote social equity in the neighborhood .
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Assisted in farm management tasks such as planting , harvesting , and co-running weekly Saturday farm stand Created and updated Standards Operating Procedures to ensure a safe workspace across the farm Organized research materials in collaboration with Master Gardeners and experimental heat tolerant plants Performed outreach for CSA program to ensure timely pickup and built connections with CSA members Implemented committees for volunteers and community members to join and sustainably support the farm in ways that they enjoy
My experiences with urban farming before Whitelock were plentiful , but I had never spent nearly every day of the week for multiple hours on end doing it . While I was nervous before starting there , I knew I would be having an unforgettable summer as soon as I stepped onto the farm for the first time .
Throughout my time here , I ’ ve been met with nothing but genuine kindness and care in a way that I haven ’ t really seen before . The conversations I ’ ve had while planting or harvesting have been so great and memorable . From talking about critical race theory , Hopkins ’ problematic role in Baltimore , capitalism , and personal experiences with racism , all the way to nerding out about the power of mushrooms and how fungi talk to each other , or in-depth contemplations on what we should order from Soup ’ s On on a Friday afternoon after harvesting .
One of my greatest achievements during these past few weeks has really just been learning to listen to people and have conversations about what needs to be done against certain social issues . I was the only non-Black person really on the farm , besides a few volunteers . I didn ’ t know the most about soil health or how a hoop-house works , but being surrounded by and led by mostly Black women was so important for me , especially in an environmental field . I ’ ve always wanted to help people and communities through food access and food sovereignty , and I really think one of the main ways to achieve that is truly listening to community demands , building trust , and sticking to your word , no matter if there is profit or other opportunity elsewhere . Food justice is racial justice , climate justice , and so much more .
Whitelock has taught me so much , but I am still learning and educating myself on environmental justice issues . I ’ m still going to keep coming to the farm regularly because I made a commitment to do so . The connections and knowledge I ’ ve gained here will not end , and I am so excited to continue this partnership into the future . Thank you so much Ms . Kim , my supervisor , and everyone else at Whitelock !!!