Warm greetings from the Duke Campus Farm! 

Though much of our production was stalled for cool weather, we have had a busy winter at DCF! While less in the ground doesn’t necessarily translate into less to do for us, it does provide us with more opportunity to venture farther from the farm.

This year, DCF's full-time staff took advantage of the slower winter season with a learning journey to Western North Carolina. We toured the farm at Warren Wilson College (pictured above), and worked alongside campus farm colleagues, DCF alum, and community members on post-Hurricane Helene restoration efforts along the Swannanoa River and across Warren Wilson's farmed acreage.  It was a sobering weekend that left us with a renewed sense of the importance of climate education, and reflecting on how we might support to our colleagues in an on-going way.

We are heading into the spring energized for the work ahead.

Warmly,

Amy Curran (Assistant Director)

From left to right: Abijah Gattis (CANDOR), Ginger Allison (Baggingit4Kids), Roo Jackson (DCF's very own McGinty Food Security Fellow), Scott Brummel (Root Causes), and Beau Borek (Durham Community Fridges) 

As part of our "From the Ground Up" series, DCF shone a light on the work of community-based organizations addressing food access in Durham. McGinty Fellow Roo Jackson led a discussion on the role of collective action in tackling the challenges of food waste and food insecurity. It was standing room only and we're grateful to perfect lovers for hosting us.  

"Mutual aid is kindness, and we are all capable of it. The more we recognize that we are all connected, the more we'll do for one another."

- Ginger Allison, Baggingit4Kids

Food literate students are our most important crop! Left: Abby Walden reppin' DCF in Ecuador. Right: Chase Locascio with a freshly washed bunch of DCF carrots. 

We're so proud of our students and all that they've accomplished, and we're only halfway through the school year! This spring, we welcomed back field crew member Abby Walden, who spent his Fall semester in Ecuador. Read more about their experience below.

Hey farm friends! I’m Abby (they/he), a part of student field crew. I am a junior from Princeton, NJ studying Environmental Science. I spent the fall studying ecology and conservation in Ecuador, living in a Kichwa community in the Amazon for a month. I studied the impacts of unlined petroleum wastewater pools on both soil quality and crop disease in traditional agroforestry systems called "chakras." Using macroinvertebrates as bioindicators, I found the worst soil quality closest to the pools and a significant association between distance from the pools and cacao disease...it is my hope that research like this can support the fight for justice led by the Loma del Tigre community and similar communities... I am incredibly grateful to everyone who shared what justice looks like to them and taught me so much about their relationships with the land. I’m also grateful to the children who invited me into their joy and play, brought me endless fruit, and helped me take soil samples. I am so excited to be back at DCF this semester and bring with me everything I learned!

Chase Locascio, another student field crew member, has kept his first months at Duke filled with the farm by being enrolled in both the DCF House Course and the Durham County Beekeepers Association's bee school. Read about his experience in the soil + elsewhere!

Hi, my name is Chase! I’m a freshman on the student field crew from Asheville, North Carolina and am studying environmental science. My work and learning as a part of the student field crew at the Duke Campus Farm has been the highlight of my freshman year so far, one of the first groups where I felt like I belonged. As an intended Environmental Science major, my shifts at the farm have taught me about regenerative agriculture practices and ecological processes that directly relate to my coursework. It's also been fascinating to dive deep into learning about [bees] and a great way for me to connect with beekeepers and farmers in the Durham area who have lots of experience to share. All year, I have been a part of the Friday afternoon community workday shifts. These have been a great opportunity for me to develop my leadership skills, as I often find myself teaching community members tasks that I learned in my previous shifts. I’m excited to see how my role at the farm progresses and I intend to be a part of the student field crew during the rest of my time at Duke!

Are you a Duke student staying in Durham for the summer + looking for something to do? Join our small but mighty student field crew! We're looking for 3-5 students to farm with us from May to August. This is a 20-25 hours/week paid position- no prior farming experience needed, just enthusiasm and a desire to learn. Click below to learn more!

A Community Work Day volunteer reaping the harvest of this season's experimentation with overwintered crops.

"Rather than keeping our crops as warm as possible, we found that keeping a stable and steady temperature with good ventilation is preferable [to growing in a heated high tunnel] and actually causes less stress to the plant. The farm had great success with growing spinach (Space), carrots (Napoli), and cilantro (Cruiser)."- Izzy Brace, Farm Manager

 By splitting their time between the farm and Dan Richter's soil lab, our soil fertility fellows experience the full scope of soil health research. This winter, they took a field trip to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's soil lab to learn more about soil testing on a larger scale.

Click here or the image below to view our 2024 Annual Report.

Our work toward food systems change and a restorative relationship to land is possible because of our network of support. Your continued generosity is essential to sustaining the growth of our program. If you are interested in supporting our work, we welcome your financial gift here.

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