Nonprofit Also Added Capacity and Programming This Year
The JK Community Farm, a 150-acre farm in Purcellville, Virginia that grows crops and livestock and donates them to nonprofits, capped off another great year of fighting food insecurity in the DMV, donating over 247,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce and protein to local food banks.
“We are grateful to our volunteer workforce and donors who have helped us meet the growing needs of our community. We continue to grow and evolve as part of our commitment to being a great partner in ending hunger as well as an educational resource about chemical free farming,” explained Samantha Kuhn, Executive Director, JK Community Farm.
This season, over 6,700 volunteers contributed more than 20,000 hours of service. The farm also hosted over 75 companies from across the US and as far away as Ireland for corporate team building events. Amid a hot, dry summer with a lot of deer pressure, the volunteers persevered and helped plant, weed, and harvest, playing a vital role in putting healthy meals on tables. In all, the farm harvested and donated over 67 varieties of produce including broccoli, kale, peppers, cabbage, cauliflower, watermelon, summer squash, butternut squash, kohlrabi, lettuce, and potatoes. In June, the farm had a record harvest of nearly 23,000 pounds.
The farm also planted its first orchard of 100 fruit trees (apples, pears, persimmons, cherries), added 22 new perennial raised beds, and trialed a new regenerative herb plot. As part of its work to alleviate food insecurity and reduce chronic disease, the farm educates people about food justice and healthy eating. This past year the farm developed a hands-on food education program to help kids and their families understand the connection between soil, plants, people, and health. The curriculum complements the farm’s field trip program which sprouted during COVID and is now a staple for many schools.
Each year the farm has expanded its capacity, adding plots, raised beds, and high tunnels to increase production. In 2023, the farm hit a donation milestone, pushing it past the one million pounds mark. The farm relies on a staff of three and teams of volunteers. With support from local companies and nonprofits, the farm meets the community’s expanding needs. Major donors include JK Moving Services, Truist, Charlson Bredehoft Cohen &Brown, Joseph E Roberts Charitable Trust, Joyce Van Lines, Virginia Easement Exchange, and more. In addition, the farm hosts an annual Plant-A-Thon, which raises needed funds as teams of volunteers planted nearly 30,000 seedlings that provide 100,000 nutrient-dense meals.
JK Community Farm, a nonprofit started in 2018 seeks to have a lasting and healthy impact on struggling families within the Washington, DC region by growing and donating chemical free, healthy produce and protein to those struggling with hunger. As the nation’s largest chemical-free community farm with 100% of its yield donated, the Farm’s food is distributed by nonprofit partners: Loudoun Hunger Relief, Food for Others, Arlington Food Assistance Center, and DC Central Kitchen. www.jkcommunityfarm.org
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Contacts
Shawn Flaherty, 703-554-3609
