Senator Sarah Elfreth joined friends and families at Langton Green Community Farm on Sept. 28 to celebrate Ten Years of Growing Together.

Elfreth was delighted to finally visit the Farm. “I’m so privileged to be here today because it’s my first day on the farm. I love so much about what you do as a community asset,” she said.

“You build community, not just with your incredibly important housing programs. You build community, not just by finding meaningful work for people that you work with, but you’ve also built community over these last 10 years right here on the farm. You’ve built another space and there’s nothing more healing. There is nothing more restorative than being in and amongst and working with nature.” – Sen. Sarah Elfreth

Elfreth was joined on the stage by Langton Green CEO Kimberly Breton Iaquinta, who welcomed everyone and shared stories of Langton Green’s founding 40 years ago and the importance of the Farm to its residential programs. She also welcomed special guests in the audience, including Arnie Dordick, former executive director of Langton Green and an early supporter of the Farm.

“Our farm is celebrating 10 years of growing together. And we are the only agency of our kind to own and operate a sustainable, therapeutic care farm that has a residential facility attached to it.  It used to be the other way around, and we’re very happy after 10 years we can call this place home,” said Breton-Iaquinta.

John Iaquinta, director of operations and fundraising, shared the amazing history of the Farm, from its early days as a “really fantastic idea” to the teamwork it took to get it up and running–to become the thriving 13-acre sustainable, therapeutic care farm that it is today. Iaquinta thanked the many folks, including leaders, staff, volunteers, giving partners and sponsors, who helped every step of the way. Bay Ridge Landscaping and Bread and Butter Kitchen sponsored or participated in the farm’s 10th anniversary celebration.

It was a gorgeous afternoon, full of autumn sunshine—a perfect day for a picnic catered by Chef Monica Alvarado of Bread and Butter Kitchen and live music by Pretty Big Deal trio. The performers and speakers had a stunning backdrop: murals by Cindy Fletcher Holden. These murals (made possible by support from the Anne Arundel County and Maryland State Arts Councils) are just one of the many kinds of art growing at the Farm.

“There aren’t a lot of things that we won’t get into,” says Iaquinta. “The art on the Farm is something we felt was important early on; we wanted to have something visually appealing as kind of a whimsical Dr. Seuss’s farm. Now we welcome poets and others here.”

Collette Preis, a retired special educator who has contributed more than 400 hours as a volunteer at the farm, stepped on stage to read one of her Haikus about farm life. Poet Hiram Larew, founder of the internationally recognized Poetry x Hunger, which connects poets and their poems to the anti-hunger cause, shared a poem by Brian James that won the 2020 World Food Day Prize Poetry Prize awarded by the United Nations.

On behalf of County Executive Stuart Pitman, Tiana Parker read a citation for the Farm:

“The residents of Anne Arundel County salute Langton Green Community Farm in recognition of your 10th anniversary of serving residents at the community farm. Thank you for creating opportunities for people to engage in farm-based activities such as harvesting, crops, and caring for animals. These opportunities allow people to not only be outdoors, but to build confidence and self-esteem and give a sense of achievement and community. We extend to you our sincerest congratulations and best wishes for a long and prosperous partnership with the community.”