Breaking New Ground!
ECO City Farms is getting ready to embark on a major new phase of life at our flagship farm in Edmonston, Maryland. After a long process of community input and collaboration with our partners at the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Town of Edmonston, we are happy to announce we will be expanding our operations to include the former tennis courts adjacent to our existing farm! Our plan is to utilize this new space to increase and diversify vegetable production, as well as bring an added educational capacity to the community.
We will incorporate several major new components into the expansion, to further develop our model of urban agriculture.
Commercial Processing Kitchen: We received a grant to construct a commercial kitchen for the purposes of processing, packaging and storing of produce grown on the farm. The idea is that small, sub-acre farms can be economically viable with the ability to produce value-added products. This kitchen will be built from an upcycled sea-shipping container and will host capabilities for washing, processing, canning, fermenting, dehydrating, etc… including a walk-in cooler for cold storage.
Outdoor Classroom: A donated pavilion will be constructed to house outdoor classroom activities such as workshops, training programs, potlucks, summer youth programs, and other activities, making our farm more available to the community and enabling us to better share our resources.
Hoophouse 2.0: We will construct a larger multi-use hoop house that will feature a veggie oil heating system for year round production, carefully designed spaces for microgreens and expanded nursery, a fully loaded aquaponics system and upgraded vermiculture bins.
FarmStand: A small farm stand on-site will allow us to sell produce, eggs, CSA pick-ups and gardening supplies on our farm, enabling us to market healthy, local food directly to our neighborhood.
Depaving: We will host a workshop on depaving in which we will selectively depave sections of the former tennis courts for future growing. Our plan is to utilize small moveable low-tunnels on the site over these runs of freed soil for expanded season extension.
Small Orchard: We will plant a diverse variety of fruit trees and perennials that will make our farm maximize the edible landscape. Apples, peaches, figs, sour cherry, hardy kiwi, grapes, blueberries and asian pears will round out the mix among other perennials we hope to cultivate.
Learn More! We will embark on this new phase with our same commitment to sourcing local and used materials, finding creative and low-tech solutions, sharing knowledge and experience, and turning waste into wealth. Please consider making a monetary donation to ECO City Farms to make this vision possible, we also have a wish list on our website for those who may have other resources to contribute to the cause. Keep an eye out for updates on our progress and opportunities to volunteer or attend a workshop. To learn more about the farm’s plans for expansion, please come for a Q&A session to be held during our fall harvest party and mural unveiling on October 21st.
-Adam Schwartz
