Exploration of Micro-Economics on the Modern Small Farm. Community Outreach through Advanced Gardening in Protected Culture.

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: alley cropping, cover crops, crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, drought tolerance, grafting, greenhouses, irrigation, no-till, season extension, shade cloth, water management, water storage
• Education and Training: study circle, youth education
• Farm Business Management: farm-to-institution, farm-to-restaurant
• Soil Management: composting, soil analysis

The primary piece of this project is a summer internship at our
school that will demonstrate intensive high-tunnel vegetable
production. One of our research components is tracking water
input of the production in order to assess the need and potential
viability of installing some catchment on nearby buildings. While
we plan on donating the produce from these efforts, we will be
tracking the monetary value in order to demonstrate the potential
economic independence of the project. The end goal is to set up
the framework for existing infrastructure to be maintained and
utilized during the summer break at the school.

1. Offer urban based learners the
   opportunity to see a working farm with its possibility for
   ongoing professional opportunities and proximity to their
   current lifestyle.
2. Support ongoing interest with
   an advanced summer vegetable production program.
3. Provide examples of greater
   community connections by partnering with an established food
   security outreach program.
4. Provide an opportunity to
   volunteer in the marketplace where they can share what they
   have learned and see first hand the impact of their
   efforts. 
5. Increase the impact of our
   existing program with supplementary funding for sustainability
   initiatives. ( Farm to table cafe support, pollinator garden
   materials, and beneficial insects.)