The UC Urban Farm has a third owner for summer 2011

And it just keeps going, and going, and going year after year! It's very exciting to witness something started in the summer of 2009 continue to the summer of 2011. This project has enjoyed tremendous positive impact on the Westwood Neighborhood!

The UC Urban Farm has a new owner for summer 2010

Check out the blog by Kate Cook who took over the UC Urban Farm as the new owner for summer 2010! She did a great job, and invested a lot of her self in the project!

Mild Summer Weather Impacts Yield

The UC urban farm is rolling through the summer making tremendous progress. We've established a routine for caring for the farm and bringing our produce to market at the Green Corner in Pleasant Ridge as well as the Northside Farmers Market. In many ways, we've entered the long haul of the farming process... watering, weeding, tending, and production. Its gratifying to witness such tremendous progress in such a short time. Its been an interesting summer time weather pattern - to say the least. Mild temperatures, overcast skys, and regular rain have dramatically reduced typical farm yields throughout July and into early August. None the less, we are moving ahead with the preparation of autumn crops in our green house. Seedlings have been started, and fields have been prepared for autumn planting. As we transition from the summertime highs of August to the beginnings of autumn in September, the farm will begin the transformation for winter. We've started plans for autumn visits from schools and for farming exhibits for our Westwood neighbors. At this mid point, its fair to say that the City of Cincinnati Urban Farming initiative has been a rousing success, and that the UC urban farm is a pioneering leader in how to move rapidly from an empty field to a productive farm in a period of just a few months. Its said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step... and the farm has taken a very successful first step.

The Greenhouse Goes Up and First Profits Roll In!

Its been a productive week for the UC Urban Farm. Teams of volunteers are constructing our hoop house (green house), and even more exciting we participated in our first farmers market on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 in the Northside neighborhood. Our first customer was Mark. He was very pleased to hear that UC had started an urban farm project. Kudos to everyone for great work! David is doing a great job organizing the green house, and Debbie was very proud of everyone when we counted up the first days earning of $43.

Progress with Infrastucture

Here are some more photos of the farm, including the newly roofed and painted shed, security lights, the site of the future farm stand and the graded area for the hoop house.

Amazing Progress in June

I've been away working in Tanzania, and when I returned I visited the UC Urban Farm. What a transformation! In just a couple of weeks, the piles of mulch have been spread around the site. The crops have grown by leaps and bounds. Materials for the hoop house have arrived and are being assembled, and we are ready to move forward with the green roof on top of our store. We're just waiting for the solar panels and wind mill to arrive to provide on-site electricity. Its very, very exciting! Schedules have been made for regular volunteer opportunities. Please contact us if you'd like to participate in the farm. All the best.

Ahead of Our Times in Cincinnati

The City of Cincinnati isn't always known for being ahead of the times... For example, Mark Twain once remarked, "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times." Imagine when watching the evening NBC nightly news to witness a story about urban farming, and how urban farm programs across the country are positively impacting neighborhoods. Imagine that the City of Cincinnati and the University are early adopters of this trend. Imagine that the Civic Garden Center has a long and storied history of encouraging gardening throughout the City. This is a very exciting project, and its gratifying to be part of a progressive movement to improve access to healthy, whole foods in Cincinnati.