Acres 4 Change

Acres4Change (A4C) is a non-profit stewardship program, mushroom farm, and ethnic garden (growing okra, jute, peppers, and callaloo) housed on 8.5 acres at the Green Street Academy in Baltimore, MD. Pertula George-Redd founded A4C in November 2020 in response to the growing racial wealth disparities in the US and the continuing history of Black land loss. She decided to tackle these issues from the angle of agricultural land ownership and healthy food access. A4C's mission is to assist their Stewards with obtaining land security and initiating the start of generational wealth.

Acres4Change offers Stewards training in food production as well as legal assistance, mentoring, and business development. "We foster a more harmonious society by promoting education, food sovereignty, and property ownership while bringing diverse individuals together to challenge wealth inequality, food insecurity, and systemic racism."

In 2022, A4C received a SARE grant which provided reimbursable funding to be used in repurposing a shipping container as a mushroom cultivation facility. However, grant funding was not actually received when expected, creating an operational lag. Foodshed Capital supported A4C with a 0% loan to fill the gap and cover monthly expenses.