Real Food Farm is Civic Works’ innovative urban agricultural enterprise, located on six acres of Clifton Park in northeast Baltimore. Using high-tunnel hoophouses (low-cost, low-input greenhouses) and sustainable farming methods, Real Food Farm is producing vegetables, fruits, and herbs to address the community's food access issues and promote farming as a serious future for the city.

In October 2009, RFF teamed up with the Safe Healing Foundation to build Hoop Village, the first stage of education and demonstration hoophouses.

Real Food Farm Project Goals Include:

1. Improving Community Access to Organic, Wholesome and Real Food: Abetting Food Deserts and Promoting Healthy Living
As desire for high-quality, organic food is increasing across the country, access to it is becoming more difficult in many neighborhoods in Baltimore. Real Food Farm seeks to decrease the “food deserts” of Northeast Baltimore by supplying fresh, delicious food for residents.

2. Localizing Baltimore’s Food Consumption: Decreasing the carbon footprint, improving the watershed and increasing community development
More than $7 billion of food is consumed each year in the Baltimore area and it is estimated that less than 2% of that food was produced within 150 miles of Baltimore City. If a viable urban agriculture industry was created in Baltimore City that percentage could increase to 10%, resulting in an increased local economy and the creation of a substantial number of green jobs.

3. Promoting Experiential Education Opportunities: Providing real, experience-based learning, and connecting students to their food system, environment, and health choices
A Real Food Farm curriculum will be developed in partnership with Baltimore City Schools to teach disciplines including biology, horticulture, chemistry, and business fundamentals to local students. Real Food Farm will become a “farm park” – an educational destination within Clifton Park informing Baltimore residents about environmentally responsible food production and watershed conservation.

4. Becoming Sustainable and Replicable: Providing jobs and establishing agriculture as an economic engine for Baltimore
Real Food Farm will become self-sustaining in three years, demonstrating that urban agriculture is a viable career path for Baltimore City residents.