Empowering Maryland

Cultivating Community,
Fighting Hunger

Founding and nurturing community gardens across Maryland to build sustainable local food sources. Through our Shared Harvest model, a portion of the harvest goes to the Maryland Food Bank, and a portion goes to our volunteers.

Get Involved Our Projects

Our Shared Harvest Model

We believe in a reciprocal approach to community farming that tackles food insecurity while directly benefiting our local volunteers.

Supporting the Food Bank

A dedicated, major portion of everything we grow is donated directly to the Maryland Food Bank to help provide fresh, nutritious meals to families facing food insecurity.

Rewarding Volunteers

Sweat equity pays off in fresh produce. The remaining harvest goes home with the dedicated volunteers who generously give their time to plant, tend, and harvest the gardens.

Current Projects

See where we are breaking ground and track the progress of our community gardens.

Flagship Project

Project BWI

Transforming an underutilized lot near Baltimore/Washington International Airport into a thriving community oasis. This inaugural project serves as the blueprint for our statewide initiative.

Project Milestones

1. Project Pitch
Completed
2. Preliminary Approval
Completed
3. Project Planning
In Progress
4
4. Site Design
5
5. Site Approval
6
6. Partner Sponsorship
7
7. Bed Preparation
8
8. Plant Selection
9
9. Planting
10
10. Bed Tending
11
11. First Harvest

Grow With Us

Whether you want to get your hands dirty in the garden or just stay informed about our progress, there's a place for you in our community.

Volunteer Sign-up

Join us on site! We need help with soil prep, planting, watering, and general maintenance.

Mailing List

Can't make it in person? Sign up for our monthly newsletter to see photos, milestones, and impact reports.

Join our Discord

Connect with other volunteers and share gardening tips.

Join Server
Jake Snellings

About the Founder

Hey there, I'm Jake Snellings.

I started Cultiv8 MD after hearing so many accounts of Maryland Food Bank usage rising due to high prices at the grocery store. The last few years I've really gotten into home gardening and love the feeling of growing my own food. It helps with a feeling of independence as well as a source of relaxation from the daily grind.

However, not everyone has the space, money or ability to have a large home garden. My solution is to help start community gardens with a Shared Harvest model. A portion of the harvest goes directly to the Maryland Food Bank to help those in need. The rest of the harvest gets split between the volunteers of each garden.

If you want to help out your fellow Marylanders, meet some like-minded neighbors, and grow some great food in the process please join us!