When City Schools’ Food Service Director, Tony Geraci, discovered in 2008 that City Schools owned a piece of farm property it was barely using, visions of a farm and educational center took shape, that would allow children to connect deeply to the sources of their food—and commit to leading their communities towards a healthier, greener future. It was the launch of Great Kids Farm, and the launch of the school system's farm-to-school food reform program.

Turning an overgrown, abandoned site into a thriving farm was no easy task. In November 2008, the transformation began. Thousands of students, along with skilled volunteers, put in countless hours, often in the cold, to pull weeds, prepare beds and build beehives. Goats helped clear the fields. Financial supporters stepped forward to make the work possible.

By September 2009, three acres were under cultivation, bees were buzzing, chickens were laying eggs, fruit trees were taking root, greenhouses were overflowing with plants and thousands of worms were creating compost. Since then, these crops and animal populations have continued to grow, reaching more and more children, and inspiring more and more volunteers and donors to get involved.

Once home to the Bragg Nature Center, Great Kids Farm continues the site's rich tradition of agriculture, nature study, education and community-building.

The 33-acre farm property just off Route 40 in Catonsville was originally founded in the early 20th century as a school and foster home for African-American boys by Rev. George Freeman Bragg, a civil rights advocate and Episcopal priest. In addition to traditional academic training, the boys received instruction in agriculture, animal farming, carpentry and other trade skills. Using stone from the property, they helped construct the buildings that stand today as a monument to the meaningful roles young people have played at this site over the years.

In the 1950s, the property was sold to City Schools to house the Bragg School and educate Baltimore City's youngest residents about the natural environment. By the early 1970s, young people were blazing trails through forested areas to watch birds, study water quality and discover a natural world beyond their urban neighborhoods.

The most recent transformation of the property into a working farm where students learn about - and prepare for careers in - the science of food, animals and agriculture - starts yet another chapter in the life of the site. And Rev. Bragg would no doubt be pleased by its renaissance as a place where Baltimore's young people connect to the land, becoming stewards of healthy bodies and a healthy environment.