I never expected this fall and winter to bring so many opportunities to Garfield Farm. Our board chair and I were talking yesterday about our intent to keep things small and manageable. We’re not looking to make a big, city wide non-profit or anything. We just want to grow vegetables in and for the neighborhood of Garfield. But, this year we’ll be doing some things that I didn’t really see coming, good things!
First, we’re starting a 10 session field trip program with a variety of local schools. This is run by one of our board members who is volunteering her time. Should be awesome, and next year we plan to expand it and make it a permanent part of our ministry.
Second, we are taking some growing responsibility at The Pittsburgh Project urban farm on the north side. Why? Because our bioshelter isn’t built yet and they have a 60 x 30 foot high tunnel open for our use. We’ll grow all of our seedlings there and lots of micro and demi greens for Salt of the Earth.
Salt of the Earth… with our expanding Garfield gardens and our use of the high tunnel and fields in the North Side we’ll be able to make Cornelius full time and probably hire another part time high school student. That in addition to our interns for the summer. We’ll be focusing a lot more on sustaining the ministry by selling high quality vegetables to Salt and other restaurants. Excited about this.
We’re building a smaller, low cost Polytunnel in Garfield over about a 60 foot section of wooden raised beds. All of our tomatoes will be grown in there. Very excited about this. We start building this week!
We’ve begun work on a “hugelkultur” garden. Basically we’re burying old tree branches, coffee grounds, compost and tree trunks in the ground, covering it all with soil, and we’ll be growing in it. The new garden will have a diversity of plants, both perennial and annual. Also planning lots of flowers and wildlife habitat for that space. Should be beautiful.
Oh yeah, we’re also hiring! If you know someone who is interested in summer work and learning have them contact garfieldcommunityfarm@gmail.com for more information.
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