Urban Farming

Asawana Farms welcomed a team of mechanical engineering students from University of Maryland, College Park for an in-depth, on-site visit connected to a proposed Capstone design project. What began as a classroom concept is now taking shape as a real-world collaboration aimed at solving one of the most pressing challenges facing small-scale specialty crop farmers: affordable greenhouse heating.

At Asawana Farms, one of our core missions is to grow culturally significant crops that nourish both the body and the community. One such crop is bitter leaf — a tropical plant deeply valued in many African cuisines and traditional healing practices. While it thrives naturally in warm climates, growing bitter leaf in Maryland’s changing seasons — especially through winter — is a true test of patience, skill, and community collaboration.