Great Kids Farm, a site rich with both history and opportunity that has long been underutilized by the school system, is part of a larger transformation underway in City Schools under the leadership of CEO Andrés A. Alonso, An outgrowth of City Schools’ Department of Food and Nutrition Services and its Office of Learning to Work, Great Kids Farm belongs to all Baltimore City school children and their families and communities. Our staff is small and so we rely heavily on the efforts of many people - City Schools families and staff, and the farm's many partners, volunteers and friends. See how you can get involved with Great Kids Farm, and check out the many volunteer opportunities with City Schools.

Great Kids Farm Staff

• Farm Manager - Greg Strella - 410-744-5349
• Farm Educator - Beth Mathie - 410-744-1096
• Community Engagement Manager - Kathy Shulman - 410-744-5381
• Coordinator for Schoolyard Outreach - Jill Wrigley, Open Society Institute Fellow (and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Growing Connection)
• Work Based Learning Program Coordinator - Patty Lazos - 410-744-0875

Baltimore City Schools' Leaders

• Director, Office of Learning to Work - Michael Thomas
• Director, Department of Food and Nutrition Services - Tony Geraci

Interns and Youth Leaders
Baltimore City’s young people play an important part in the Great Kids Farm mission and operation. The farm equips young people with the life knowledge and career skills to lead their communities into a more sustainable future based on local, healthy food sources. Our interns work in the fields and on the grounds - planting seeds, harvesting food and bringing the bounty to market. Many also serve as student ambassadors, spreading the word about the farm and its mission.

Great Kids Farm Advisors
Great Kids Farm’s Advisory Committee, whose members span Baltimore’s many, diverse sectors - from local farms and restaurants to schools and universities - provide invaluable guidance to farm staff. They are:

• Ned Atwater - Owner, Atwater’s Restaurant
• Spike Gjerde - Head Chef/Owner, Woodberry Kitchen
• Jack and Becky Gurley - Owners/Farmers, Calvert’s Gift Farm
• George Mayo - Middle School Visual Literacy Teacher, Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation
• Joan and Drew Norman - Owners/Farmers, One Straw Farm
• Roni Neff - Research and Policy Director, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Kate and Mike Primm - Founders, The Green School of Baltimore
• Michael Thomas - Director of Learning to Work, City Schools
• Jon Traunfeld - Director, University of Maryland Extension