Want to start a farm, but can’t find affordable land in Prince George’s County?
Grow with Us at the New Urban Farm Incubator at Watkins Regional Park!
Application Process
Applications are now open for the 2025 growing season. This year the UFI currently has a single 1/2 acre plot, and a single 1/4 acre plot available.
The application deadline is Friday, December 6 at 11:59pm. Interviews are expected to take place between Tuesday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 17. Ideally final decisions will be made and applicants will be informed by Dec 20, 2024. If application volume is higher than anticipated, then interviews and selections could continue into January 2025. The selected farmers’ use agreement is anticipated to be in place by Feb 1, 2025.
For more information or to request a printed application form, contact the UFI Site Manager, Jon Berger, at Jon@ecocityfarms.org or (301) 807-5887 for more information.
Interested farmers should have:
- Significant agricultural experience and knowledge in their area of interest, which in addition to 2 or more years of farming experience should also include having already completed a Beginning Farmer Training Program or equivalent level of training
- A written business plan, addressing the elements in the rubric, that clearly defines goals for what they hope to accomplish or discover. Pay more attention to the content of plan rather than the format.
- A demonstrated interest in building a viable farm-based business
- Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with others using shared resources
- A commitment to use regenerative and/or certified naturally-grown agricultural standards, following organic best practices
- Available funds for business expenses (travel to/from site, seeds, soil amendments, packing and marketing supplies, and other standard business expenses)
- Ability to commit sufficient time to managing the physical farm site as well as business logistics, and to maintain shared resources on-site, devote to record-keeping, attend regular meetings and/or workshops, and communicate with other site partners. A minimum of 20-25 hours per week is suggested.
In addition, priority is given to:
- Applicants who have completed a Beginner Farmer Training Program or similar level program/apprenticeship with ECO City Farms, Future Harvest CASA, University of Maryland Extension Office, or another local organization or farm
- Residents of Prince George’s County
- Applications for farm businesses with components which in some way address issues of food security, food sovereignty, and/or economic development within LILA (low-income, low food access) neighborhoods in Prince George’s County, Maryland and/or the District of Columbia.
Consideration will also be given to the type of farms operating at the site as a whole, striving for a balance among all incubator farmers to ensure diversity in crops and target markets.
Not sure if this is the right opportunity for you? Take this anonymous 5 minute self-assessment survey to gauge your level of farming knowledge. You can learn more about the policies and guidelines for the UFI in the UFI Policy Handbook.
Anti-Discrimination Statement:
In accordance with all applicable Federal and State laws and beyond, ECO City Farms is committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. Our policy prohibits discrimination based on protected classes such as race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, or any other legally protected class.
