FOOD PRODUCTION FAQ
Q: What is the function of the CCUA’s Urban Farm?
A: The CCUA’s Urban Farm is an educational farm situated in the heart of Columbia at 1209 Smith Street. The purpose of the farm is
to reconnect Columbia residents with the importance of food production. Started in 2010, the entire farm is 1.3 acres, with about ⅔
an acre devoted to fruit and vegetable production. In addition to vegetables, there are also laying hens, bees, giant compost piles
and a children’s teaching garden.
Everyone is encouraged to stop by the farm at any time to stroll around the grounds. The farm is filled with interpretive signs and
other educational demonstrations. The CCUA also offers intensive on-farm learning opportunities (see Garden Greenhorn) that
cover the foundations of small-scale sustainable vegetable production via hands-on experience. In addition, we host numerous
volunteer workdays throughout the growing season.
Q: Where does the produce go?
A: The Urban Farm is primarily an educational resource for sustainable food production; however, the by-products of this
demonstration are delicious fruits and vegetables. The CCUA sells its produce at the Columbia Farmer’s Market during the spring,
summer and fall. We also sell to a handful of restaurants, including University Club, Sycamore, Main Squeeze and Uprise Bakery. The
money made from these sales goes right back into the Urban Farm’s operating costs and educational programming.
Beginning in 2013, the CCUA began a new philanthropic initiative called “Planting for the Pantry.” In this initiative, members of the
public make a donation to “sponsor a row” of produce grown at the Urban Farm so that the food can be donated to a local food
pantry. You can find out much more about the Planting for the Pantry program in another section of the FAQ.
Q: How is the food produced?
A: The Urban Farm is not certified organic, however we place high importance on food production methods that are environmentally
and socially sustainable. We have consciously decided not to become a certified organic operation for one main reason: While
organic certification is a great way to quickly inform geographically distant consumers about general production methods, we feel
that our close proximity to most Columbia residents should encourage people to come out and see with their own eyes what a
sustainable production system means. The “Certified Organic” label has become a type of security blanket because urban consumers
often cannot see firsthand the production methods of the rural farms they buy food from. Since we are in the city limits, we want
people to actually travel the few miles if they are curious about our production methods. With actual face-to-face interactions with
our farmers, our customers gain a better understanding of sustainable agriculture.
Important production methods for us are:

Making compost: Our main source of fertility at the Urban Farm is compost that we make from our garden scraps, chicken
bedding, leaves, and food scraps from Uprise Bakery. It takes about a year for a freshly formed compost mountain to turn
into the rich compost that we add to our garden beds and our potting mix. Our proximity to urban food waste streams and
our production methods enables us to produce enough compost for all of our annual needs, a somewhat unique scenario
for small produce farms.

Permanent beds: Unlike most farms, our vegetable beds never move their place from year to year. This reducing the
amount of tilling we have to do. There are a lot of benefits to tilling (quick, easy bed preparation, easy weeding, good soil
aeration, etc.), but there are a lot of drawbacks as well (soil erosion, soil compaction, microorganism dieback, etc.). On a
space as small as ours, the drawbacks of tilling outweigh the benefits. We till about 10 percent of our cultivated land each
year. The foundation of our agricultural philosophy is conserving and building our soils, and reducing tillage is an important
element of preserving soil health.

No synthetic sprays: We mostly rely on predatory insects to keep pest problems to a minimum. We also use physical
barriers to keep pests away when applicable. We have used some OMRI (organic) certified sprays in times of severe pest
infestations, but that has been rare. In addition, we rely on a healthy layer of straw mulch to keep weeds down, and have
never controlled farm weeds with herbicides of any kind. We believe that cultivating strong, healthy plants and not a
regimented spray schedule is the key to a productive garden.

Chickens: We have lots of laying hens at the farm (we have no roosters). The City of Columbia has a chicken ordinance that
stipulates that a household can only have 6 birds. The CCUA received a variance from that ordinance, and we are approved
to have as many as 50 birds at one time. We are also the “chicken pound” of Columbia. Meaning, if a household no longer
can keep its chickens, they can call us, and we will take their birds. We have the chickens because they generate fertilizer
for the compost piles. The chickens also offer us the added benefits of being living garbage disposals (they eat lots of food
scraps), and offer entertainment for all of the school-age children that come to the farm.
Q: Who oversees the farm?
A: We have a paid farm manager, who manages all aspects of production and marketing. The farm manager oversees regularly
scheduled volunteers and Garden Greenhorn Participants.
Learn more about our projects at: http://bit.ly/1udoyap
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