Kinder Farm Park is named for the German-born Kinder family who, over the course of 75 years, expanded an initial modest land acquisition into a large-scale agricultural operation. The Kinder Farm complex began in 1898 when German-born A. Gustavus Kinder purchased 41 acres from George E. A. Koether of Baltimore City. Over the next half century the Kinder Family would purchase surrounding property until Kinder Farm was approximately 1,100 acres in size.
In the late 19th century, farming in Anne Arundel County was almost exclusively truck farming. The region was especially suited to this form of agriculture, dedicated to the production of fresh fruits and vegetables, due to the lighter sandy soil. Kinder Farm benefited from two operating rail depots located within one mile of the farm which transported the production to market in Baltimore. After World War II, Kinder Farm changed from truck to cattle production. This was caused by the decline of rail transportation and the dawn of the refrigerated truck which made travel to local markets less dependent on area harvests, as produce could be brought from farther distances. It was also during this time period that the Kinder Family began to sell parcels for residential development. In 1979 the Kinder Family sold a 288 acre parcel to Anne Arundel County which is now Kinder Farm Park. |