BALTIMORE — Black Yield Institute’s mission to provide fresh and affordable produce to the Cherry Hill community will continue.
The city has agreed to allow them to stay on the land at 900 Cherry Hill Road until the end of the year.
“Using fertile land in the city to farm and grow fresh produce is a virtuous and necessary undertaking, and we applaud the mission,” said Janet Abrahams, President and CEO of the Housing Authority of Baltimore.
Earlier this month, we reported the organization was fighting to save their farm after it received an eviction notice to vacate.
RELATED: 'Why now' The fight to save a community garden in Cherry Hill
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) said it was because the lease on the city-owned land had already expired when they took over in 2018.
“That was one of our goals. That was one of our intentions that we stated that we wanted to finish out the growing season,” said Jordan Taylor with Black Yield Institute. “So, we are grateful for that decision.”
Under the agreement, Black Yield Institute will donate excess produce to Cherry Hill residents and provide volunteer opportunities. The organization has also agreed to teach cooking and gardening classes.
Taylor said they’ve been doing many of the things in the agreement for the past couple of years but look forward to working with the neighborhood and their partners to expand their reach in the community.
“We’re still continuing the same things. We have the pop-up market the first and second Saturday of the month at the shopping center which we been doing since March of this year. We recently had the grand harvest. That’s just an example of the kind of community type of events that we throw.”
HABC said Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration is working on a solution for a long-term site for the Black Yield Institute to operate their farm.
"It's a blessing," Taylor said.
