Photo Credit: MocoMag & CKC Farm
Tucked between the busy streets and growing skyline of downtown Silver Spring sits a quiet but powerful reminder of Montgomery County’s agricultural roots, a one-acre urban farm that has become both a symbol of resilience and a model for the future.
Known today as Koiner Farm, this historic green space exists because one man refused to let farming disappear from the Montgomery County he loved — and his name was Charles “Charlie” Koiner.
For nearly 40 years, Charlie Koiner protected and maintained the farm in the heart of Silver Spring located on Grove & Easly St., Charlie did this long before “urban farming” became a movement or "sustainability" became a national conversation.
While urban development rapidly transformed the surrounding area, Charlie stayed committed to the land, paying residential property taxes on five individual parcels without any incentives or financial support. He farmed for one reason alone — because it was who he was.
Born in November 1920, Charlie grew up on a 33-acre fruit and vegetable farm in Montgomery County. His childhood reflected a very different era of local life and farming was not simply an occupation for Charlie; it was woven into his identity from the very beginning.
Over the years, Charlie witnessed the County transform from luscious green farmland into suburban and urban development. He experienced firsthand the heartbreak of watching his family farm sold to make way for commercial growth in what is now the Pike & Rose area.
Yet even as farms disappeared around him, Charlie remained rooted in agriculture. Charlie’s greatest legacy began in 1983, when he established what would then become Koiner Farm in downtown Silver Spring.
Family farms were disappearing, and suburban development dominated the landscape. Yet Charlie cultivated fruits and vegetables, preserved green open space, and created a welcoming place where neighbors, children, and volunteers could come connect with the land.
As Silver Spring continued to grow around the property, developers repeatedly approached Charlie with lucrative offers for the land, sometimes worth millions. He never sold.
That decision would ultimately shape the future of urban agriculture in Maryland.
Following Charlie’s passing in January 2019 at the age of 98, his daughter, Lynn Koiner, worked alongside with Kate Media & Hannah Sholder to establish the Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming (CKC) to ensure the farm would remain protected forever.
Later that year, in partnership with the Maryland Environmental Trust and the support of Montgomery County Council, Koiner Farm became the first urban farm in Maryland to be permanently preserved through a conservation easement dedicated to urban agriculture.
The easement not only protects the land from future development, but also preserves its role as a public educational and agricultural space for generations to come.
Today, CKC Farming manages the property, hosts educational programming for schools, community groups, and continues Charlie’s vision through volunteers, interns, and neighborhood engagement.
The story of Charles “Charlie” Koiner is ultimately about more than just farming. It is about stewardship, perseverance, and the belief that even in the middle of a growing city, green space, community connection, and being a good neighbor still matter.
Charlie Koiner may never have considered himself a pioneer, but his quiet determination helped inspire an entire community and a new vision for urban agriculture across the region.
Thanks to his lifelong commitment to the land, future generations will continue to experience a small but extremely extraordinary piece of Montgomery County history — right in the heart of Silver Spring.
Learn More:
Charles Koiner Center - Montgomery County Council