New Crops, New Faces, New Stories

Produce isn’t the only thing that has been growing over at Splitlog Farm. Over the past few months, our community farm has been undergoing some exciting developments. These improvements were made possible by volunteers from all over Kansas City.

Below is a recap of some of the major changes to Splitlog Farm from March to May.

March

Work at the farm started early back in March. Volunteers from City Year flocked to Splitlog to help clean the sticks, leaves, and other debris that littered the ground. However, the wood they gathered would not leave the farm. Instead, it would eventually be used to implement “Hügelkultur” gardening techniques.

Hügelkultur, which translates to “hill culture,” is a horticultural technique that traces its roots back to Germany. The practice involves using decaying sticks, leaves, and other compost materials to form mounds or raised beds. This enriches the soil and improves water retention so the farm can grow more produce to feed the community!

April

As the weather began to warm, the ground started to soften. The time to begin planting fruits and vegetables had arrived! This year, some of our youngest volunteers came to help out at Splitlog. Two troops from Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northeast Missouri became the world’s smallest farmers as they helped plant tomatoes and watermelons.

Later in the month, volunteers from St. James Academy came to give Splitlog Farm a few upgrades during their SJA Serve Day. The students went to work right away, splitting up their efforts to a variety of tasks. By the time they finished, the fences were fixed, the tables were painted, and two hügel beds were installed. Amazing work!

May

The month of May brought lots of flowers and even more volunteers. Early in the month, students from Park Hill High School came to the farm to do garden work. They also began creating cement tiles to add flooring to the greenhouse.

Later during the month students fromWashington High stopped by the farm to continue the earlier work. The students finished the flooring and moved some bricks onto the farm to be used later. The students formed a human chain to make quick work of their tasks. It was a true team effort.

CHWC is able to make the most out of amazing community assets like Splitlog Farm because of our strong volunteer base. Want to contribute to our living learning lab, help feed urban Kansas City, Kansas, and learn sustainable farming techniques along the way? Let us know you’d like to help!