Research Triangle Park, N.C. - BASF Agricultural Solutions launched a pilot sponsorship of Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm (PPHUF) in Baltimore, MD, at this year’s Juneteenth Celebration (17th June 2023) and tandem launch of the AgriHood Baltimore Farmers Market.
“Promoting agriculture education and training the next generation of farmers is a priority for BASF,” said Max Moncaster, BASF Manager of Public and Government Affairs Manager, Agricultural Solutions North America.
The pilot mission is to support PPHUF’s summer 2023 programming and identify future alignment opportunities.
“We are excited about this summer’s pilot sponsorship from BASF,” said Farmer Chippy, founder of PPHUF.
Plantation Park Heights was founded with the goal of transforming the quality of life for the Park Heights community by creating the nation’s first “AgriHood,” where agriculture and food production can provide healthy meals, education, and employment opportunities for those who were left out prior to COVID-19.
“It takes a village to transform our food system. BASF is joining a great group of community partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maryland Farm Bureau, University of Maryland, Morgan State University, and Rite Aid to be a part of that village. BASF’s expertise we believe will play a critical role in our current and future operations,” said Farmer Chippy.
BASF’s presence at the event included a booth with agriculture-focused activities and giveaways geared toward school aged children. In addition to a butterfly coloring project, kids visiting the booth were introduced to a vegetable growing kit that provides all the resources they need to grow tomatoes and bell peppers at home over the summer.
“PPHUF is cultivating a new talent pipeline for the agriculture industry which aligns BASF’s award-winning STEAM education programs: Kids Lab, Tech Academy and Teen’s lab which all provide hands-on learning helping students become the innovators and leaders of the future. BASF is grateful for the opportunity to fully support this endeavor,” said Moncaster.
BASF will continue to partner with PPHUF to onboard new farmers at each farmers market during the summer 2023 season. In addition, BASF is committed to supporting the activities and programs for kids on Wednesday evenings (3:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) at Druid Hill Park and Saturdays (4 p.m.-9 p.m.) at the Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm.
For more information, visit www.basf.com.