Growing at CUF

By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator

I remember a few months ago when we looked at this empty plot and thought, “Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to grow a few veggies here?” Well, nature took that personally!

When we first stared at the vacant lot that is now our CUF Restoration Site, it looked more suited to growing weeds than veggies. But thanks to an incredible collaboration with Central State University and participants in our Market Garden Program, our market garden is legitimately thriving! We have officially transitioned from hoping something green pops up to frantically finding boxes and bags for the weekly harvest.

The plants are thriving so much they're getting arrogant. The cucumbers are heavy on the vines, new spaces are being created so that the melons can explore, and the peppers have more attitude than we know what to do with. We set out to teach people not only how to participate in a farmers’ market but to grow a high yield successfully. So far, so good.

The numbers to date:

• Weeds pulled: Approximately 2 million

• Sun tans acquired: Just enough to wear like a badge of honor

• Produce harvested: Over 400 pounds!

We are incredibly grateful to every single person who picked up a shovel, hauled compost, or just cheered us on from the shade. Together, we turned a dusty dream into literal crates of fresh, hyper-local food. Summer favorites are peaking, and we are already plotting our fall favorites!

You can learn more about our CUF Restoration Site here.