OUR STORY
Wild Kid Acres is owned by a Minority, Veteran and Beginning farmer, Gerardo Martinez. The 5 acres Anne Arundel county farm property was purchased in 2019. Upon purchasing the property; Gerardo and his family set out to convert the unofficial dump into a thriving homestead using Climate-Smart Agricultural practices. The family built the home and all the infrastructure surrounding the farm by hand. Originally from the inner city and migrant families themselves, Gerardo and his family also wanted to ensure that their new homestead could serve as a model for other young families looking to find alternative ways to redevelop properties.
Due to the onset of COVID19 and their unique location within a suburban environment, the family was bombarded with curiosity and demand to visit the farm property. In 2020 the family made a choice to open its farm doors solely for the purpose of community agriculture enrichment. This led to explosive growth in demand for programming and by 2021 they had named their farm Wild Kid Acres. Wild Kid Acres identified three main goals for the farm: To inspire the community; enhance local economic development; and enrich the local ecosystem with Climate-Smart Agricultural practices. As 2021 began, the family more proactively involved the community in their learning experiences and growth. From there, the farm not only became an educational venue but also a refuge for animal therapy clients both young and old.
It became a way for inner city minority teens to witness a farmer who looked like them and was from the same background care for animals, regenerate the land, and seek out agricultural resources from existing institutions. In just a few months Wild Kid Acres became a focal point for agricultural education, access, and inclusion. Throughout 2022, the family set out to learn as much as they could from the local agricultural community, expand the infrastructure of the farm to include an aggregate farm market and production kitchen processing facility, formalize youth and family programming, develop diverse income streams, and ensure sustainable partnerships with all their different audiences.
