Garfield Community Farm

Young Urban Farming Initiative – February Lesson

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:03:05 +0000

This was our second lesson with our fourth graders at Fort Pitt Elementary in Garfield!

We did a lesson on the life cycle, we started some of our seedlings which the kids will take care of in the classroom and will later in the spring be able to transplant at the farm which will grow veggies to go to local families!

We also had our friend Jenna from the Union Project come do a pottery lesson, teaching the kids where clay comes from and how to make a small pot which we’ll fire at the school and some of the seedlings can go into in a couple months!

Thanks to Christy, Lisa, Jenna and John for all your work!!

FOOD, INC. – Movie Discussion and Dinner!

garfieldcommunityfarm — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:21:46 +0000

Want to know more about exactly where your food comes from? How much do we really know about the food we buy at our local supermarket and serve to our families? What other options are out there?

Watch the movie in community. Discuss the reality with local farmers. Experience a meal of local organic meat and produce.

Cost: $10 for an amazing dinner!

Please register by emailing John Creasy at john@pghopendoor.org.

Space is limited so please do not only respond via this facebook invite.

FOOD, INC. flyer

2010 Pilot CSA

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:33:02 +0000

The mission (unofficial wording here) of Garfield Farm is to get healthy, organically grown vegetables into the hands of people who live in the Garfield neighborhood. We’ve been successful at that to some degree over the past two years, but we can do much better as our growing capacity increases. Last fall Kelly had the idea of doing a small CSA to more effectively impact the people we are trying to serve. A CSA model of farming usually looks something like this. Farm has people buy shares for a season’s worth of vegetables. People come to the farm to pick up their veggies weekly. People support the farm by buying all their vegetables from that farm and by volunteering at the farm. Pittsburgh already has some great CSA farms. We will be different. We will be focusing half of our shares on lower income families in the Garfield Neighborhood and half of our shares on middle income families from Garfield and surrounding neighborhoods. The lower income families will have opportunity to buy in at 25 – 50 percent of the market cost, others will support the farm by paying a full market value for their veggies. We’re really excited about this opportunity to get lots of veggies to some of the people who need them most in our neighborhood.

If you would like to support us and get some awesome produce all summer and fall, contact garfieldcommunityfarm@gmail.com

We have very limited space for those who want to support us by paying full price, so respond early. Your spot will be reserved with your first months payment. Email for details.

Farming with Fort Pitt Elementary School

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:14:09 +0000

Yesterday was a great day! It was our first time teaching a 2 period block at Fort Pitt Elementary School right down the street from the farm. We’ll have a monthly two hour block with 4th graders through the winter and spring, ending with field trip to the farm. It’s a relationship we’ve been hoping to create for over a year now. Yesterday I brought one of my chickens to the class, taught about soil and it’s importance in sustaining life on planet earth, and we made a “worm terrarium”. All in two hours! It was a lot of fun. I owe Christy and Kelly for making it possible, they did all the leg work, the meetings with the principle, and the many emails to work schedules. They’ll also be doing the majority of the teaching over the coming months. Stay tuned for pictures and news on the amazing kids from Garfield who are in our 4th grade class.

Eating Meat This Winter

garfieldcommunityfarm — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:27:30 +0000

Many of us over the years have made the decision to not eat meat due to ethical, environmental, and health reasons. I (John) was a vegetarian for around 10 years starting when I was a freshman in college. Over the past few years I’ve begun reintroducing meat into my diet. First seafood then chicken, turkey and on from there. My reintroduction has been a slow process as we seek out sustainable farms and grocers where we can purchase grass fed, free range, organic meats. In the beginning it was very hard, but recently is been getting easier and easier to find healthier, and much more ethically produced food. When we eat whatever meat is cheap and available I believe we’re making choices that harm the environment and our bodies. Free range, pastured animals are happy animals that produce healthy meat. The alternative is less healthy and a very sad reality on many counts. Check this video out on Chipotle restaurant and Polyface Farm. http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7857921

Taking the time to research where your food comes from can be a lot fun, it is for me and my family. It can also cost more money than we’d like to spend. At Garfield Farm we want to make vegetables accessible to all people in our neighborhood, we also want to let people know where they can get less expensive, ethically raised meats. Chipotle is one of the first opportunities. Pastured meats will never be as cheap as meat from confined, concentration camp style, industrial farms, but there are many opportunities that we hope to share and make more available in the future.

November Update at Garfield Community Farm

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:47:07 +0000

November has been a great month. In partnership with Open Hand Ministries we had around 30 volunteers working at the farm and at a local home rehabilitation project. 30 people working about 7 hours accomplishes a lot of work at the farm. We’ve been able to prepare to triple our growing space for 2010! We have a new fence up around both of the expansion sites already. With our 2010 expansion we are planning new and exciting ways to get organic and locally grown food into people hands in the Garfield neighborhood. Not only will be do our farm stand outside Penn Aiken Dairy next year, we’re also developing plans to do a real CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. Our CSA will include lower income families as well as families who buy into it at a market rate. We’re really excited about this possibility for next year. Special thanks to Public Allies and all of our Open Hand and church partners who have made our expansion possible through their volunteer labor.

Work Night Tonight! Fall Harvest Cookout Saturday!!

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:05:29 +0000

Hi Friends!

We’ll be working at the farm tonight from about 5:30-6:30 to get our space ready for Saturday’s Fall Harvest Cookout! Please come out if you can and help.

Also, please join us and bring friends to the Fall Harvest Cookout, this Saturday October 31st from 2-5pm. The farm is located on the corner of Wicklow and Cornwall St in Garfield. You can link find a map below.

It’s a family friendly block party style cookout where we’ll be hearing stories from neighbors, playing games, pumpkin carving, serving chili and cornbread and lots of goodies!

Any questions? Feel free to email us or call 412.874.8231.

Hope to see you tonight and Saturday!

Kelly and GCF

A Busy Week at Harvest Time

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:29:20 +0000

Here’s what’s happening today the rest of this week…

- Whole Foods Farmer’s Market 4 – 7pm, come to whole foods and get as much local produce as you want! We’ll be there and so will many other farms from around the area.

- Garden work, tonight and every Wednesday, 6 – 8pm, corner of Cornwall and Wicklow in Garfield, as long as it’s not pouring down rain!

- Thursday, 4 – 7, Garfield Farm Stand, outside Penn Aiken Dairy. We close up shop if it’s a heavy rain, otherwise come see us! Lots of veggies still to be had.

- Saturday, Shadyside Presbyterian Church Volunteer day at the farm. 9 – noon, email me if you want to join us, john(at)pghopendoor.org

Work at the Farm, 9/23

garfieldcommunityfarm — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:24:45 +0000

Tonight you are all invited to come out to our little farm, do some work, and bring home some veggies. Same as every Wednesday from 6 – 8pm (as long as it’s not raining).

Tonight we’ll be working on three things…
1. spreading mulch
2. building beds for our little green house
3. weeding, weeding and more weeding

Hope to see you!

Alternative Gift Giving for 2010!

garfieldcommunityfarm — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:55:01 +0000

Check out this year’s brochure, the front cover tells many stories of how last season’s gifts propelled the ministry of the farm.