Eastport Community Farm
A neighborhood farm and greenhouse in Eastport, built by the people who live here, with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA).
Built by this community, not for it
Eastport is rich in what matters: generations of lived experience, neighborhood leaders, skilled hands, and young people hungry for opportunity. It is also a food desert, as classified by the USDA; the nearest grocery store is more than a mile away.
On what was an empty, littered field in Annapolis’s largest public housing neighborhood, neighbors, young people, and volunteers built a 34,000-square-foot farm: 5,000 square feet of in-ground beds and a 4,000-square-foot greenhouse. We cut the ribbon in May 2026. More than 300 people came to the farm this year, about 50 a day over the summer, and we grew more than 2,000 pounds of produce for neighbors and food pantries. The build was paid for by 49 neighbors and supporters, who raised $47,062, beating our $45,000 goal.
The farm is not being built for this community. It is being built by it.
What’s here now
The greenhouse
Our classroom, kitchen-in-progress, and soon our winter growing space.
The garden
5,000 square feet of in-ground beds inside an 80-by-100-foot deer fence: vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
The nursery
Starts and native plants for the farm, our neighborhood gardens, and neighbors’ yards.
The harvest
Greens, squash, tomatoes, beets, herbs, and flowers, shared with neighbors and food pantries.Who’s here
Kareem, our Farm Manager, runs the farm day to day, and Randall Pitt Sr., our Greenhouse Manager, runs the greenhouse. Eli leads our building projects. Kareem, Eli, and Joy serve through Maryland’s Service Year Option. Meet the Service Year team.
Yessenia Ayala, our Program Coordinator and Chesapeake Bay Trust Climate Corps member, runs our education and community programs.
Eight New Village Academy interns come to the farm each week for project-based learning. About the internship.
Winter programs for youth and neighbors are taking shape in the greenhouse now.
The build: what’s done and what’s next
Updated October 2026. Every unfunded item can be given toward, or sponsored by a business.
| What | Cost | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rainwater and growing beds from 100 IBC totes Our biggest need right now. We’ll catch rain off the greenhouse in some totes and cut others into raised beds, so we can grow inside the greenhouse all winter. Preparing and plumbing them is a big build project, and the beds need potting mix to fill them. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $6,000 for the totes (100 at $60), plus plumbing and potting mix | Needs funding |
| Greenhouse heat Two heat sources, propane and wood, so growing and classes go on all winter even if one fails. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $10,000 | Needs funding |
| Electrical Basic wiring for lights, fans, and heating controls. We’re looking for an electrical supply partner. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $3,500 | Needs a partner |
| Compost system Turns restaurant and neighborhood food waste into soil for every garden. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $5,000 | Needs funding |
| Kitchen A working kitchen for community meals and youth culinary programs. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $5,000 | Needs funding |
| Cold storage A walk-in cooler, so harvests stay fresh until they reach neighbors and pantries. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $5,000 | Needs funding |
| Wash-and-pack Upgrading our current station for washing and packing produce. Give toward this · Sponsor it | $1,000 | Needs funding |
| Greenhouse sides Enclosing the greenhouse for winter. | In progress | |
| Greenhouse floor Leveled and packed. Carpet still to come. | Almost done | |
| Outdoor classroom A shaded space for summer classes. | $5,000 | Next year |
| Garden beds 5,000 square feet of in-ground beds in an 80-by-100-foot garden, all planted. | Done | |
| Deer fence and gate An 8-foot fence around the garden, with a gate. (We’ll keep improving the gates.) | Done | |
| Greenhouse structure Just under 4,000 square feet, built by neighbors, youth, and volunteers. | Done | |
| Picnic tables Built by youth in our Building Club. The best way to start: a place to sit and connect. | Done |
Can you give materials instead? Lumber, tools, IBC totes, potting mix, and electrical supplies all help. Tell us what you have.
Help us keep the greenhouse open
Our goal is to open the greenhouse every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so neighbors always have a place to come. To get there we need volunteers who can hold the space for a few hours a week. A weekly open house is coming soon.Help us finish the farm
Your gift is doubled through GivingTuesday, December 1, thanks to Craig Cussimanio.