In honor of our community values blog post series, we started with our regenerative farming practices blog post, and are now going to segway to our mutual aid priority, and offer some transparency about this core value of ours. One of our main goals at Juniper Farm is to to build a thoughtfully designed and operated gathering space in our community field where everyone is welcome to comfortably rest, play, learn and collaborate. Since moving to the farm in the fall of 2022, we have been hosting various events including our popular monthly summer picnic series that features seasonal produce, healthy food, and local makers. The goal of this is to uplift other local chefs and businesses and to showcase all of the amazing talent within our Baltimore community. We also hope to soon have a farm stand which will feature other local vendors, workshops, pop-ups, barter and exchange opportunities, and a community pantry of “pay-what-you-can” herbs, tinctures, flowers and produce.

people having a picnic in our community field

We are determined to establish our farm as a place where community and land are equally nurtured. As we continue to expand our reach, Juniper will build broader relationships with buyers and consumers throughout the area, while growing our revenue in ways that support culturally appropriate channels and investments in Baltimore city food and agriculture.

In addition to donating 15% of our annual revenue to local mutual aid, Juniper intentionally diverts purchasing power from large suppliers to local and regional suppliers. Funneling funds back into local growers, local printers, local small businesses, local restaurants, and community members is a priority. Sustainability and caring for the earth in and around the Baltimore community is paramount to Juniper’s existence. Additional means of accessibility and inclusion of the Greater Baltimore community in Juniper’s work includes a pay-what-you-can pricing option, seasonal events, and inclusion of internships as a means of collective growth. We also provide any community member with marginalized identity free or discounted use of our space—so far this has included artists of color, nonprofit organizations, and local educators.

flowers and eucalyptus available at our farm stand

Perhaps the most important piece of this, is that we are continuously open to listening and learning to what our community members want and need from us. More accessible herbal workshops? More inclusive event design? We want you, as our community members, to feel heard, valued and respected, and will always do our best to nurture a business where you feel safe to share your thoughts and feelings with us!

Thank you for all that you do, so we can continue to live out our dream of establishing a business that truly supports both people and the planet!