Lost post

I wrote a long post last week and it disappeared into the TTA's ether. It makes me nervous to blog on the bus, but I'm getting back on the proverbial bicycle and giving it another try.

This has been a big week for the garden. The asparagus is coming up like crazy; we are harvesting every other day now! Yum yum yum.

The greens are growing rapidly as it warms up, and the radishes are ready. We've been eating delicious salads at every meal.

The drip irrigation system is partially in place. I ran out of 1/4 inch drip tubing, so the project is on a temporary hold. It doesn't really matter yet, as it keeps raining. Speaking of rain, it has been nine kinds of crazy out here. There were over 100 tornados on Saturday in North Carolina. Durham barely got rain, but a few miles away, there was serious destruction and loss of life.

I'm glad for a lot of reasons that the weather stayed relatively sane by us, not least of which is that Will and I picked up the bees on Saturday. I already adore being a bee keeper. Bees are awesome!!! I really really hope they survive. I had words with the bees upon pickup about their duties regarding the cucumbers. Hopefully, this will prompt them to pollinate them! I already want a second hive.

One final note: I went on CFSA's farm tour for the third time this year. I wondered, "will it still be cool? I've already gone twice....". Oh MAN was it cool. I absolutely loved it!! I am so glad that CFSA and the farmers do this every year. It's this amazing chance to see where our food comes from, to get inspired about my own farm, to see baby animals, and to eat amazing food. Thank you CFSA and participating farmers! I'll be attending again next year!

Welcome to the Darko Urban Farm!

This is the inaugural post for the Darko Urban Farm blog. It seems strange to get started in the summer, but I have to start sometime. The purpose of this blog is to document when I plant things, how they grow, what we harvest, the various bug, weather and disease issues we have on the farm and anything else farm related that strikes my fancy.


The Darko Urban Farm is located in downtown Durham, NC. The farm got its start in February 2009. It was great fun but not a great success in its first year. The soil wasn't particularly wonderful but i planted anyway because I wanted to grow my own food. But in the winter I added chicken poop compost from the Rock Shop, put down some red clover seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and waited for spring.

This year the farm is producing like mad. Soil building and mulching are key.

The goals at the Darko Urban Farm are many:
To produce and store enough produce to avoid the grocery store most days and hit up the amazing Durham Farmers Market for meat and cheese.
To grow our own and get some exercise while doing it.
To keep the bunnies fed all year long.
To get rid of all the grass and have a food forest.
to get good enough at farming that I can do it as my job instead of as my hobby.
To occasionally be moved to tears by how amazing plants are and how beautiful hard work can look.