Charm City is farm city: How Baltimore’s urban farms might be the best weapon against rising food costs

By Beverly Norman-Cooper
Special to the AFRO

The cost of everything is going up, and Americans in small towns, big cities and everywhere in between are feeling the squeeze.   

During his 2024 campaign, President Donald Trump promised to “immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One.” But the administration’s head-spinning, tit-for-tat tariff war with global trading partners has disrupted supply chains and roiled financial markets. 

And although inflation has slowed since the pandemic, prices are still going up—not down. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose 2.4 percent over the past year, so a $100 bag of groceries now costs almost $103. For some families, $3.00 is bus fare, money toward medication or household essentials.

Experts don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, either. Most U.S. economists and analysts expect food prices (especially for fresh fruits and vegetables) to continue rising through 2025. 

Baltimoreans are feeling the pinch

“My customers are definitely telling me they are seeing the cost of food go up,” said Candace Montgomery, owner of Sable Greens, which specializes in hydroponic greens, roots and fresh herbs and focuses on bringing more affordable, sustainable and fresh, quality produce to urban spaces. 

Nearly 20 years ago, forward-thinking city leaders laid the groundwork for a local food revolution—one that now serves as a vital buffer protecting Baltimore residents from the sharp edge of rising food costs.

“I think Baltimore is a leader in our urban agriculture work and has been for a long time,” said Najahla Olumiji, a food systems planner in the City of Baltimore’s Department of Planning.

While cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., have similar programs, Baltimore stands out for its long-standing commitment to urban agriculture. The city has created an ecosystem built on a formal policy, strong public-private partnerships, a focus on food equity and sustainable land use.

Currently, there are about 40 urban farms across the city and a little over 60 community gardens, said Olumiji. Many are in what the city considers “healthy food priority areas,” she said, adding, “These are areas where residents may have access to fast food restaurants and corner stores but low access to healthy, fresh food and fruits and vegetables.” 

Demand drives supply, as Baltimore’s urban farmers focus on crops that are both culturally relevant and responsive to local food wants and needs. 

“We listen to the community, and residents tell us what they want and need,” said Tiara Matthews, a farmer with the Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm in Northwest Baltimore, roughly 5 miles northwest of downtown.  

The city’s farms and gardens provide residents with leafy greens, root vegetables, fruits and herbs, from collards and carrots to berries and basil, cilantro and mint.

“A lot of farms don’t charge for produce,” said Olumiji. “They give it away. For example, the Sixth Branch [does] weekly produce giveaways, at no cost, on a first-come, first-served basis. And many farms and gardens also support local food banks, she added.

For some, urban farms are not just about growing food. “It’s about growing people, and providing a place where they can feel spiritually connected to the land and the community,” said Richard Francis, also known as “Farmer Chippy.” 

He and a group of volunteers converted vacant lots in Northwest Baltimore into the 10-acre Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm. His team also runs the Druid Hill Park Agrihood Farmers Market, which he “singlehandedly kept open during Covid,” says Olumij.

Imani Edmond credits Farmer Chippy and the community around him with helping her get her life on track. “I was going through a rough time in my life, physically, spiritually and emotionally,” said the 22-year-old. “The farm provided food that made me healthier, gave me a place to belong to, and people who believed in me.”

Baltimore can trace its urban agriculture roots to World War I.  Around 1917, the U.S. government began promoting “Liberty Gardens” as part of a national effort to get citizens to grow their own food to ease pressure on the food supply and support U.S. troops. Baltimore residents participated by planting gardens in backyards, schoolyards and vacant lots.

“Victory Gardens” expanded on this effort during World War II. By then, Baltimore—like many American cities—saw widespread participation, with gardens popping up in neighborhoods, parks and even factory grounds to supplement food rations and boost morale.

Mayor Sheila Dixon is widely credited with launching Baltimore’s modern urban agriculture movement. In 2008, she created the city’s first Food Policy Task Force to address public health, sustainability and neighborhood revitalization. This led to the 2009 Sustainability Plan, which prioritized food equity and repurposing vacant land.

Successive mayors built on that foundation, building what would become a nationally recognized food policy framework. Under Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the city launched “Homegrown Baltimore,” its first comprehensive urban agriculture plan, and formalized the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. Her administration also hired the city’s first food policy director and advanced zoning, land access and cross-sector partnerships to expand urban farming citywide.

In 2022, Mayor Brandon Scott directed $11 million in funds from former President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to expand food access in Baltimore’s historically disinvested “Black Butterfly” neighborhoods. That same year, Baltimore issued its first Urban Agriculture RFP, inviting proposals from individuals, nonprofits and businesses to develop farms on city-owned vacant lots—a landmark move to formally open municipal land for urban agriculture.

“Urban agriculture is vital for building a more resilient and equitable food system in Baltimore and across the country,” said Denzel Mitchell Jr., executive director of Farm Alliance of Baltimore. “The work we do is about empowering communities to grow their own food, learn new job skills, create entrepreneurs, and transform underutilized spaces into productive green areas.”

Olumiji said she is not at all surprised that Baltimore farmers are stepping up, once again, in this time of need. “Our farmers have always stepped in and said, ‘Where can I help?’” she said. “They shoulder the needs of the community.  They’ve always been the ones to support the community—long before it was even part of any policy.”