Over 400 Plant-A-Thon volunteers sow 16,000 seedlings at JK Community Farm

JK Community Farm kicked off the growing season at its annual Plant-A-Thon with 410 volunteers, including teams from area companies, civic groups, and individuals of all ages planting 16,000 seedlings to help end hunger. The May 22-23 event—“Help Something Wonderful Take Root”—will ultimately yield more than 53,000 healthy, organic meals for families in need.

The event also raised close to $50,000 toward the farm’s 2021 goal of growing 230,000 pounds of chemical-free, nutrient dense produce and protein for its food pantry partners, including Loudoun Hunger Relief, Food for Others, and Arlington Food Assistance Center.

The need in the Washington area grew exponentially in 2020 with the pandemic. The JK Community Farm saw food insecurity skyrocket. According to Samantha Kuhn, executive director of the farm, “Food pantries suffered as they faced an increased demand while grocery store donations diminished as a result of supply chain issues and stock piling. The food we were growing was more important than ever to our community in need. Seeing the increased needs of our community, our board asked, ‘If you had the funding, what could you realistically accomplish in 2021?’”

The organization set a new and ambitious goal: to double produce production, increase the farm’s herd of cattle from 25 to 45, bring 25 chickens on site, and expand distribution into Washington, D.C.

The JK Community Farm has also expanded their food education programming, working to increase understanding of nutrition and agriculture with the goal of reducing chronic disease in our community.

“With the support of our board, our volunteers, our annual partners, and our community, we think we can raise the funding to grow 230,000 pounds in 2021. But,” Kuhn added, “we’ll need the support of about 4,500 volunteers through the season.”

Since it broke ground in 2018 with land donated from JK Moving Services, the JK Community Farm has not lacked for help, with 8,112 volunteers since the farm’s launch turning out to plant, weed, and harvest. Much of that support comes from community members, local groups and company team building events.

Sponsors have played an important role in advancing the farm’s mission. Among those supporting the Plant-A-Thon and raising awareness of regional food needs were Greenfare, CARFAX, Ted Britt Automotive, EagleBank, Northwest Federal Credit Union, Sonic Promos, o2kl, KLNB, and Kuhn Aviation.

Support the JK Community Farm’s mission by making a donation or registering to volunteer at www.jkcommunityfarm.org.