A Visit from Maury Elementary

Yesterday, the farm was happy to host a large group of first grade students from Maury Elementary School. The students received the usual tour complete with bees, farm chores and composting, and had plenty of time to harvest produce as well.

They were also lucky enough to work side by side with new OSSE School Garden Specialist, Sam Ullery. Who is a very laid back guy, but will still enforce the hand-washing-before-lunch rules on the farm.

Would you like to bring your school group over for a field trip? Please see the guidelines and sign-up information on our Field Trips page. Just click on that tab above. We would love to welcome as many students as possible to the farm.

The Farm Debuts at NoMa Farmers Market on Wednesday, October 5

The NoMa Farmers Market at 1200 First Street NE is open every Wednesday from 3:00pm until 7:00pm, and offers local residents some wonderful choices for locally grown produce, dairy, meats and baked goods. There are chef demos most weeks, and the market aims to make its offerings more accessible to all in the community by accepting food stamps in the form of WIC (Women, Infants, Children) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). This is a vibrant program that is drawing an ever-expanding crowd in this its first year of operation.

The Farm at Walker Jones is proud to announce that it will make its debut at the market this week, October 5. We will be bringing over spicy mustard mix, red Russian kale, dino kale, Swiss chard, gourmet baby lettuces, snap peas, pumpkins, collards, basil and herbs. There may even be a few of the beauties you see above still left. All produce was grown on our farm with the assistance of our great students, and all profits will support our urban gardening project. So stop by, say hi, and take home some beautiful produce that was organically raised in your own neighborhood.

Chez Poulet

We have been talking about getting chickens for a long time, entertaining a variety of different options yet never quite satisfied with any plan. And then these drawings for Chez Poulet came along. Stunning. A poultry palace. And just the type of beauty piece we are looking for as we march forward in the development of the farm. Take a look at these details from the website of designer, Heather Bullard.

Many of our students are very excited about adding chickens to the possibilities of the farm just because they appreciate them as animals. Once some of them (especially our first graders) realized that we will be adding eggs to the list of edibles our farm produces that excitement really intensified. Manure as compost is still creating more than a few wrinkled noses and skeptical looks but this is a process. Knowledge is a powerful thing and their poultry education is just beginning.

The cost of materials will probably be over $1,000 for the project. The rest will come from what designer Bullard identified as “sweat equity.” Anyone wanting to participate in the process, please email Farm Operations Director, Sarah Bernardi at sarah@wjfarm.org and/or Farm Executive Director, Frances Evangelista at frances.evangelista@dc.gov.