Our Story
Emerald Street Urban Farm Project is a neighborhood urban farm and garden founded in 2009. With the help and support of our neighbors we were able to reclaim 5 vacant lots on the corner of Emerald and Dauphin Streets. The space was originally filled with trash, a broken VW van and overgrown with weeds.
Before:
AFTER:
Now more than half the space is used as community farm. We also have a community garden for neighbors to have their own individual plots. In 2009, we cleaned out the space and built beds for the community farm. In 2010, we built more beds and created a community garden, hoop house and a cob oven. In 2011 we finished building the last of our beds and will be completing building projects for an outdoor community kitchen, wash station, tool shed and much more! We are also working on developing a new site – The Fairgrounds – in partnership with the Little Berlin Gallery and Viking Mills we hope to transform another parcel of vacant land in our neighborhood into a community sculpture garden and berry patch.
Where does the food go?
June- October we have affordable farm stands every 2nd Saturday of the month on location, 10- 2pm; we will be selling our produce at the Kensington Community Food Coop’s Table at the Norris Sq Farmers Market every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.
We donate produce weekly to the St. Francis Soup Kitchen on Kensington Ave.
In 2009 we began to sell a small % of our produce to local restaurants: Johnny Brendas, Honey’s, Leotah’s Place and Almanac Market.
Pick your own! We also encourage our neighbors to come in to harvest veggies for dinner, anytime everyday.
We also host many events: workshops, music, art and more!
Through community outreach and education, ESUF hopes to directly connect people to the food they eat and the neighbors they share it with.
Our project is run by community for community. We attempt to be self sustaining but we also depend on the generous donations of our supporters to keep growing!
Love is in the Veggies! Come grow some Love with us!
