Raleigh City Farm

10/25/2024

Today is a BIG day because we’re officially launching our 🌱Future Farms Fund🌱 to seed the expansion of our second location. This is our largest fundraising campaign since our founding in 2011 and will help to ensure a sustainable financial future for our nonprofit urban farm.

We’re seeking support from Farm Friends like you, who care deeply about urban green spaces that connect and nourish the community. Please consider joining the generous donors who’ve helped us raise 30% of our ambitious year-end goal of $200,000. Your investment will:
➖ increase our team capacity focused on emerging farmers
➖ advance programming that educates and engages the community
➖ support site design, soil remediation, and other regenerative practices
➖ fund infrastructure, equipment and other operational expenses

Since May, we've increased our footprint by 20% with the expansion into the Blount/Delway lots – and we’ve made great progress!

You can donate directly to our Future Farms Fund: givebutter.com/rcf-future-farms. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved and start diggin’!

Thank you for your continued support and for growing with us. The power of community is so strong 💚

08/07/2024

🧑‍🌾 Friendly reminder that Farmstand is *closed* today due to inclement weather 🌧️

BUT we still want to celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week! Celebrate with us this Saturday for a special pop-up Pay-What-You-Can Farmstand:

🗓️ Sat, August 10
⌚️9 am - 12 pm
📍Raleigh City Farm
800 North Blount Street
Raleigh NC 27604

Pictured is what fresh produce we have this week *excluding blueberries 🥒🍉🫑🌶️

More helpful info ⤵️
▪️We accept credit cards, cash, or Venmo
▪️Either pay the suggested price, less than the suggested, or pay it forward to support RCF 💚
▪️Harvest amounts are limited so it’s a first come, first serve basis

See you Saturday!

08/06/2024

🌀🌧️ Due to the impending weather conditions all of our events scheduled this week are cancelled to take precautions and to keep everyone safe.

We’ll be donating a lot of the harvest to our Farmshare partners. Thank you for your understanding and support. 💚

Please stay safe out there, Raleigh!

07/25/2024

Join our Board of Directors and help nourish our community through regenerative agriculture.

We’re looking for 4 more individuals with diverse backgrounds who are passionate about regenerative and sustainable farming, community education, and/or food insecurity and access. Any experience in fundraising and strategic planning is welcomed!

Folks on our board will:
◽️ be key advisors to our Executive Director Lisa and Farm Manager Maria
◽️ serve a 3-year term (and can serve up to two consecutive terms, up to 6 years total)
◽️ set the strategic direction of the organization, ensuring compliance and fiscal responsibility
◽️ *not* be required to have a green thumb 💚

Ready to make an impact? More details → https://raleighcityfarm.org/becoming-a-board-member

**This is an unpaid, volunteer position.

07/02/2024

Our summer plants are growing and thriving at the farm including basil, cukes, eggplant, and squash 🌿🍆🥒

Come see us at our weekly Wednesday Farmstand to pick up these up along with blueberries harvested from our partner farm Bella Blues.

About our Farmstand 👨‍🌾🤲🌱

We open the stand from 4-7 pm every Wednesday between April - November. Stop by the farm and you can purchase produce grown right here on our urban farm along with beautiful flower bouquets, curated goods, RCF merch, and items from our partners.

Be sure to follow us for the full harvest list every week! 💚

04/22/2024

Happy Earth Day! 🌎🌱💚

Our 13th Bearthday celebration on Saturday was one for the books! We welcomed so many old and new Farm Friends, and thanked so many generous folks, including presenting sponsors Murphy's Naturals and North Hills Innovation District and others, and talented artists and musicians. We enjoyed family-friendly activities and demos and ate incredible food from Figulīna downed with beverages from Standard Beer + Food Wine Authorities and Tribucha Kombucha and admired our beautiful, bountiful one-acre site. 🥬🌸😎

But today, we’re talking trash. Specifically, how little we accumulated during an event for over 150 people. We collected less than 1/2 a bin, the rest will be composted and recycled with cans heading to The Great Raleigh Cleanup. We thank CompostNow, Lynda Chambers, Carly Demler and every else for doing their part to honor this year’s Earth Day theme: Planet vs Plastics. 🌎🚮♻️

04/03/2024

Spring has sprung at Raleigh City Farm and we're in the final planning stages for our annual Bearthday fundraiser and need more hands on deck! If you can help out, please fill out our Google form. https://ow.ly/trh350R7HlG

There are still tickets available if you wish to attend as a guest. https://raleighcityfarm.org/bearthday-tickets/bearthday-meal-2024

Either way, we'd love to see you on April 20th. Thanks in advance for your continued support! 💚🌎🥳

03/29/2024

Here's a natural solution for managing pest pressure on our beautiful spring veggies: plant a trap crop!

A trap crop attracts certain pests away from the target crop. We're using mustard greens in our food forest to attract harlequin bugs and protect our plants inside the high tunnel.

See if you can spot them the next time you visit! 🥬💚

03/21/2024

Have you seen our Bearthday menu from Chef David Ellis Figulīna? You can purchase meal packages on our website that also include a beverage from Standard Beer + Food, Wine Authorities, and Tribucha Kombucha, and a tea towel from Spoonflower! Join us on April 20th to celebrate our birthday, Earth Day and support our future growth! 🌎👩‍🌾💚https://ow.ly/hCA250QYAt2

03/01/2024

Bearthday tickets are now on sale! Join us for our annual fundraiser to celebrate our birthday and honor Earth Day. We’re excited to partner with Figulina and give you a taste of one of Raleigh’s hottest new eateries with produce sourced from the Farm. Enjoy beverages from Wine Authorities, Standard, and Tribucha Kombucha and toast to another year of growth! 🌎🍽️🍺🍷 https://raleighcityfarm.org/events/bearthday2024

Gather with family and friends, tour the site, participate in hands-on art and children’s activities, enjoy live music and plein air artists, learn from sustainable vendors, sing Happy Birthday and eat FREE cupcakes! 🎵🎨🧁💚

Pre-order your meal today on the events page of our website. A limited supply of meals and an endless supply of coffee, beverages and friendly faces will be waiting for you! Much gratitude to presenting sponsors Murphy's Naturals and North Hills Innovation District and a host of other Fabulous Farm Friends. 👏👏👏

Art: ZenLapseStudio | Design: Carly Gelfond | Website: Goodness | Tea towels: Spoonflower

We’re excited to gather on the Farm to celebrate our birthday and honor Earth Day. Free to attend, Open to the public! Join us for delicious food and beverages available for purchase; tours of newly developed areas of the site; children’s activities and educational demonstrations; plein air arti...

12/21/2023

We're still recruiting interns for the spring season! If you're interested, head to the link on our website for more information. https://raleighcityfarm.org/internships

This message is brought to you by fall intern Mia McDowell. 👩‍🌾

12/01/2023

Did you know that December is a great time to sow poppy seeds? They like cool soil in a sunny location. You can direct sow them into your garden and resist the urge to cover them with soil or mulch since they need light to germinate. You'll be rewarded with beautiful blooms in early spring! 🌸💚

10/27/2023

This year, we had a bumper crop of the striped green kershaw/ cushaw squash aka cucurbita argyosperma. This heirloom has a strong connection with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, NC and is prized for its slightly sweet, rich buttery flavor with notes of nuttiness and spice. Come get yours at our Pay-What-You-Can Farmstand in November on Wednesdays 11/1, 11/8 and 11/15 from 10am-1pm or Saturdays, 11/4 and 11/18 from 9am-Noon.

09/22/2023

We're excited for the arrival of fall and the continued growth of our leafy greens. So are the harlequin bugs who are eager to eat their fill. This season, we're using small vacuums to extract them from the plants and interrupt their life cycle; this is known as "mechanical pest control" and is an excellent alternative to pesticides. Controlling the population before plants are stressed will ensure a healthier brassica crop and a more extended harvesting period. We'll monitor our new plants for eggs, nymphs and adults over the next few weeks. 🥬💚

09/15/2023

We're excited to host our annual Harvest Dinner fundraiser on October 8th and welcome chefs Andrew Ullom of Union Special and James Sampson of Corner Boys BBQ 🍽️

Easter Maynard and Spoonflower present this year's special event with additional support from fabulous farm friends, including art by Julia Einstein. 🎨

We'll sip beer and wine from Wine Authorities and Fullsteam Brewery and bid on silent auction items. Music and art will complement the farm's autumnal glow. Then, we'll dine under the stars and celebrate another successful season of growth. 🌠

A limited number of tickets are now available on our website; thanks to all our sponsors and partners for your generous support! 💚

09/01/2023

The majestic monarchs begin their migration to Mexico this month. Traveling 50–100 miles daily on their 3,000-mile journey takes two months to complete. Amazing.

Due to pesticides, development and climate change, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated them as endangered. They need our help.

Common milkweed, aka Asclepius syriaca is the primary food source of the larvae or caterpillars. Adults feed on the nectar of many flowers. We’re pleased to offer an abundance of these plants on the Farm and wish them a safe journey. 💚

08/23/2023

We're thrilled to welcome our Fall Intern Crew. L-R: Mia is a senior at NC State majoring in Environmental Science, minoring in Agroecology, who has passion and experience in addressing food insecurity by bringing healthy, sustainable food to those who cannot afford it. 🥬

Drew is a seasoned sustainability professional and entrepreneur with experience in construction and home remodeling. He is finishing his BS in Horticultural Science, specializing in Landscape Design & the Urban Environment. 🍅

With an MS in Urban and Regional Planning and a concentration in Community Food Systems from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Talyr brings a solid dedication to the farm’s vision of expanding the impact of urban agriculture in our community. 🌻

Say "hey" when you see them on the Farm!

07/21/2023

We're covering our tomatoes with Aluminet, a highly reflective shade cloth, to help ward off birds who like to sample our harvest before our Farmstand customers. This is our first time doing this, and it's working like a charm! ✅

We also use Aluminet inside our high tunnel and greenhouse to regulate light and temperature. It's better than traditional shade cloth since it doesn't retain heat, and its lovely, shiny strands allow for better light diffusion. 🔆