History

CityFARM was founded in 2012 by Stewart W. Beal. CityFARM currently operates out of the Ann Arbor Office and is able to provide service throughout Washtenaw County and beyond.

Mission Statement

CityFARM’s mission is to help save the world by furthering the urban agriculture movement. We strive to improve our community by educating the public about the benefits of urban farming and transforming open spaces into aesthetically pleasing edible gardens. We are determined to provide the highest quality of work and environmentally sound business practices for our customers.

Vision Statement

To be the leading provider of urban farms and gardening and support our social mission of fighting hunger in Michigan.

Management Team

Lauren Maloney, “Farming Genius”

Lauren Maloney has been an organic vegetable farmer for 8 years. She began farming in 2005 at Colchester Farm a 7 acre CSA in Galena, Maryland. Here she learned all aspects of organic farming and truly recognized her passion for sustainable agriculture. She then moved to Vermont to work for Shelburne Farms as a field trip educator during the winter months. She taught farm based field trips like animal tracking, maple sugaring, and lambing to K-12th grade students. As soon as spring arrived she started working at Shelburne Farms’ Market Garden and grew food for the Shelburne Inn on the same property. She learned the dedication and hard work that is needed for farm management and to grow organic food successfully. In 2007, after a season of Vermont’s cold winter, she moved to St. Eustatius in the Netherland Antilles, Caribbean to be a Botanical Gardener. Here she identified, planted, and maintained tropical plants and trees. She designed and developed a ½ acre fruit tree garden and located and cultivated an endangered morning glory only found on the island. She organized volunteers and gave tours of the garden to the public.

Lauren’s love to travel inspired her to become an Agriculture Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa. Here she lived and worked in a rural village. She learned Zarma, a local African language, and carried buckets of water on her head due to the lack of running water and electricity. She promoted sustainable agriculture and natural resource management in her village and helped the local women’s group plant a 1,000 Moringa tree plantation. She learned traditional farming and grew local crops of Niger including millet, sorghum, hibiscus, cow peas, peanuts, and okra. After spending two years with the Peace Corps she returned to America to attend graduate school.

She moved to Ann Arbor in 2010 and started working for Brines Farm in Dexter. She helped grow organic vegetables in passive solar hoop houses and sold them at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on Saturday Mornings. Currently she is earning her Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from School of Natural Resources and Environment at University of Michigan. She is very passionate about sustainable agriculture and loves to help others grow their own food.

Stewart W. Beal, “The Man with the Plan”

Stewart W. Beal is an aggressive serial entrepreneur who brings extensive management, marketing, and leadership abilities to any project. Mr. Beal has been actively involved in real estate, construction, acquisition, development, and management since 1997. Mr. Beal founded Beal Properties, LLC in 2002, Beal Incorporated in 2006, LaborNOW Inc. in 2010, Vigilant Inc. and MeritHall in 2011, and CityFARM in 2012. Beal Properties has purchased 70 properties in the past 8 years in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Toledo, and downtown Detroit. Beal Incorporated is a construction contracting company with annual revenue over $7 million per year and 197 employees. Under Mr. Beal’s leadership Beal Properties and Beal Incorporated have won numerous awards at local, state, and national levels culminating with Inc. Magazine naming Beal Incorporated the 191st fastest growing privately owned business in America in 2010.

Mr. Beal’s past management experience also includes serving as Vice-President (and founder) of Burns Lawn Care and Landscaping Inc. and managing member of both Go Downtown! LLC and Historic Equities Fund I, LLC, both real estate holding companies established to develop luxury lofts in historic buildings. Mr. Beal has a degree in Business Management from Eastern Michigan University and has served on the boards of Ypsilanti’s Chamber of Commerce and Ypsilanti’s Downtown Development Authority.

In 2007, Crain’s Detroit Business included Stewart Beal in their “20 in their 20’s” feature, an annual article about rising entrepreneurs in Southeastern, Michigan. In 2010 the United States Small Business Administration named Stewart Beal their “Michigan Young Entrepreneur of the Year” and their “Midwest Young Entrepreneur of the Year.” Also in 2010 the Ypsilanti Jaycees named Stewart Beal their “2010 Michigan Rising Star” and both Beal Inc. and Beal Properties were honored with Washtenaw County Fast Track awards, with Stewart Beal being the first entrepreneur in the awards history to be President of two companies on the same list.