Dearest farm friends,

The summer is winding down, as felt by the oddly cool rains and overcast days. Last Friday, we hugged our summer crew goodbye (though luckily some will be returning in a few weeks as part of our academic year crew). Read more about the summer from Lauren Ballejos (Student Field Crew Manager, GLS '26), and field crew member Yiwen Gao (M.S. in BME, Pratt '26)  below.

On our horizon are the liveliness of freshman orientation and the changes of fall. We'll be opening up work trade positions and, in partnership with the Nicholas School and the Duke Soils Lab, three Assistantships to work with our soils both in the field and in the lab.  

The last summer community workday was August 14th! We'll be taking a quick break from community workdays as we welcome hundreds of incoming first year students to the farm, but we'd love to welcome you back to the farm for our first community workday for the upcoming academic year, September 5th. If you can't make it out to us, you can still get a taste of what we're doing via Instagram or Facebook (@dukecampusfarm). Or send us a note: dukecampusfarm@duke.edu. We're eager to hear from you! 

Cheers,

Christina Ferrari, Sloss Fellow

The cherry of our eye! Yiwen and the first of our cherry tomato harverst.

A note from summer field crew member Yiwen Gao:

As a rising second-year Biomedical Engineering master’s student, spending the summer at the Duke Campus Farm has been one of the most unexpectedly rewarding parts of my time at Duke! I initially got involved because I wanted to start a little balcony “farm” of my own, but what I found at DCF was a whole ecosystem of learning, community, and care. After relocating from Ohio, I’ve really come to appreciate the beauty of North Carolina’s landscape (and, yes, the very real heat), and I’ve developed a much deeper respect for the food we grow and eat. This experience has helped me feel more grounded and involved in the place I now call home.

Outside the fields, the farm has inspired a ripple effect in many other parts of my life. I’ve been cooking more thoughtfully, often centering meals around the produce I bring home. Thanks to the amazing chefs and bakers on the farm team, I’ve tried so many delicious recipes and shared them with friends and lab mates. I’ve also found creative ways to carry the farm into other interests, from making farm-inspired pottery in my ceramics class to preparing healthy, veggie-packed meals for my foster dog, who’s become a huge fan of the fresh harvests.

While I’ll be stepping away from the farm this fall due to other commitments, the experience has left a lasting impact. I’m looking forward to carrying these lessons into the final year of my program, with plans to grow my own balcony garden and stay engaged with food, sustainability, and community wherever I go.

- Yiwen Gao

This summer, field crew members Lauren Ballejos (GLS '26, left) and Abby Walden (T'27, right) followed their mornings on DCF's acre with internships at Other America Movement and Farmer Foodshare. Offered through the Duke Community Affairs Office, these positions focused on food redistribution and access, giving Lauren and Abby the opportunity to engage in food systems work beyond production and connect with the community they serve. These internships function as critical context for the produce DCF harvests - where it goes, who it impacts, and how this fits into broader questions of food equity and food access. 

A note from summer field crew member Lauren Ballejos:

I worked for Other America Movement (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization doing business as B.A.G. & Company) This organization hosts the [re]DINE initiative—a project that rescues food waste and provides free monthly community meals. B.A.G. & Co also operates a Homestead/Agrilab that grows produce for [re]DINE and hosts educational workshops surrounding sustainable agriculture for the Durham community.

My work has included assisting with [re]DINE, coordinating a fundraiser/speaker panel, creating administrative infrastructure to recruit and coordinate volunteers and donors for the program, a website overhaul, creating a crop plan for NCCU community garden, and working in an administrative capacity for the organization. 

Lauren's Final Presentation

Summer field crew's last photo together on the farm! We're hiring for fall work trade and assistantships- take a look at the links below.

Join us for community work days in the fall! Starting on September 5th, volunteers are welcome to join us on Wednesdays from 9am-12pm and/or Fridays from 1-4pm. Our students, volunteers, and staff consistently say that their most memorable memories at DCF are the conversations they shared over a wheelbarrow of mulch or while tackling weeds in a bed of carrots together.

Absolutely no farming experience is necessary, and all are warmly welcomed to attend.

HOUSECS 59: Regenerating Food Systems

DCF's House Course, taught by student crew to provide an overview of sustainable food systems and farming.

ENVIRON 295: Inventing the Environment

New this semester! Stefani Engelstein looks at the environment through a literary lens, including trips to the Duke Gardens, Bluestem Cemetery, and DCF. 

ETHICS 190FS: Imagining Climate Futures: Moving Beyond Despair

FOR DUKE FRESHMEN- As part of the "It's Not Too Late to Build a Better World" Director Saskia Cornes will bring climate hope to the classroom. 

FRENCH 308S: Manger: Foodways and Food Systems

This fall marks our fifth semester of working with Laura Florand's French class, which focuses on our connection with food through the study of global French narratives.

Field crew member Abby Walden, Professor Dan Richter, and Duke graduate student Tullis Davis install a soil climate station to monitor the temperature and moisture in our crops. The station was part of a SCALe mini-grant to to engage Duke students, staff and faculty with real-world sustainability and climate challenges that exist within the context of Duke’s campus.

We're hiring for Fall Work Trade! 

In exchange for farm fresh veggies and farm training, work traders must commit to one 3-hr shift/ week (same time & day each week) for the entire fall semester (August 25- December 5). 

You are required to work at least one Community Work Day before you will be considered for a work trade position. If you haven't done so already, please sign up for the next upcoming workday on our website. 

Nicholas School Assistantship Positions

This applies to first year Nicholas School students with assistantships. If you know someone who might be interested, pass this along!

Through the Nicholas School Assistantship program, we're hiring one to two Soil Fertility Fellows and one Field Crew Member. 

Undergraduate Soil Fertility Fellowship

We're looking for one undergraduate student with an active curiosity about soils, plants, rhizobial communities, sustainable food systems and/or regenerative agriculture. No prior experience needed! This project takes a unique approach, combining a comprehensive biogeochemical approach to soil fertility with hands-in-the-dirt learning. 

At the Duke Campus Farm, we seek to catalyze positive change in the food system. In addition to offering healthy, seasonal, sustainable produce to our community, we work to grow climate and food systems  leaders with the tools to navigate a quickly changing landscape.

Now more than ever, we rely on the generosity of our community to continue offering sustainably grown food, and food systems education, to those in our network. If you are interested in supporting our work, we welcome your financial gift here.

Stay in touch with the Duke Campus Farm by following us on socials.