The Urban Farm at Stapleton

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FARMFEST: SAVE THE DATE — September 18, local bands will play their music at The Urban Farm to raise money for TUF programs.  Gates open at 1:00 with activities for the kids; music is from 3:00 – 7:00.  Ticket prices range from $5 — $20, children under 5 are free. Silent auction items will include a Thanksgiving turkey, urban trail ride, birthday party at TUF, etc.  Contact austinsirus@yahoo.com for more information.  Bring your own lawn chair.

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FALL EMBRACING HORSES CLASSES — The Fall session of riding classes begins September 13.  Only a few openings remain at this time.  Contact info@theurbanfarm.org to register your child. :: Click here to Sign up

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ANNUAL HAY CHALLENGE — A $3000 challenge has been committed to buy hay for animals at TUF. The challenge is to match this sum within two weeks.  For the better part of 2010 we were paying $10.50 per bale of hay.  We have been working with a farmer who has agreed to sell an entire hay field to us for $5.00 per bale.  A $100 donation buys 20 bales of hay– enough to feed all the TUF animals for one day.  Join the hay challenge today.  Send a check or make a donation through Paypal (go to www.theurbanfarm.org).  As of today, we have received $940 toward the hay challenge.  We need $2060 more to meet the challenge!

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4-H@TUF — Kids from the Urban Farm just finished Adams County Fair last week.  As in past years, we will take a break from 4H meetings for the remainder of the month of August.  The next 4H meeting will be September 9 from 5:45 – 7:00 pm.  This will be an end of the year meeting mostly focused on wrapping up Fair.  The first meeting of the new 4H year will be October 7 from 5:45 – 7:00 pm. :: Click here to view the 4-H Meeting Calendar

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MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH TUF — There are so many ways
to make a difference in kid’s lives.  Volunteering at The Urban Farm is one of those ways.  We are looking for volunteers to fill specific jobs/roles at TUF this Fall.  Do any of these jobs appeal to you?  If so contact donna@theurbanfarm.org to discuss your interests.

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4-H LEADERS — We need adult leaders for goats, sheep, poultry, dogs, and gardening.  The new 4-H year starts in October.  You don’t have to be an expert in any of the areas, just be willing to learn and to help kids with their projects and record books. Contact donna@theurbanfarm.org to discuss your interests.

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EMBRACING HORSES CLASS ASSISTANTS — Our beginning-level riding classes need adults to help out. Classes meet after school for two hours and volunteers work hands-on with children and horses.  We need volunteers on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday.  Volunteers are asked to commit to one specific evening class per week for a whole 12 week session. Contact donna@theurbanfarm.org to discuss your interests.

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OFFICE ASSISTANT — If you spend anytime at TUF you know that we are organizationally challenged at times.  We are sure that someone breaks in at night and adds more pieces of paper to the overflowing “to be filed” boxes.  Joking aside, we could really use some extremely well organized individual to help around the office. Some data entry would be nice too. Contact donna@theurbanfarm.org to discuss your interests.

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SATURDAY MORNING ACTIVITY COORDINATOR — Saturday mornings at TUF are chaotic to say the least.  There may be as many as 100 people on The Farm on a slow day!  Classes are going, visitors are dropping by for tours, work days are ensuing, birthday parties are happening, etc, etc, etc.  A patient, outgoing person is needed to help keep the flow of activity going, make sure waivers are signed, collect donations and fees, and send people to the right place. Contact donna@theurbanfarm.org to discuss your interests.

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TUF WISH LIST — This is our wish/need list for Fall.  Let Donna or Rick know if you have or know of someone who has and will donate any of these items.

• Perennials (herbs, ornamental, fruit, vines) and spring bulbs.
• 1 ton or ¾ ton newer model, road-worthy pick-up truck with no more than 150,000 miles on it (must have a towing package and class 4 hitch).  Children and animals will be passengers in this vehicle.
• Larger tractor with implements (eg. bucket, snow plow, rototiller, mower, harrow, etc).
• Sheets of plywood to repair animal shelters.  Need 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch plywood.  No particle board please.

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NEWS FROM THE URBAN FARM – April 2010

The Urban Farm gets a facelift. TUF held a spring cleanup weekend on April 10 and 11^th.  More than 130 volunteers showed up to clean, reorganize, and spruce up The Farm.  Rocky Mountain Excavation donated a full day of road grading and crowning to address water runoff and pot hole issues.  The new look from Sand Creek Trail is astonishing!  Thank you to all those who helped make a difference.

Chipoltle holds fundraiser for TUF and Feed Denver. April 11^th, friends and neighbors converged on Chipoltle in Stapleton for a delicious time of good food and lively conversation.  The restaurant donated half of the receipts from the evening to TUF and Feed Denver.  Well over a hundred people enjoyed the concept – eat dinner and help The Farm at the same time. Thanks Chipoltle.

28 school days till summer break! It’s not too late to sign up for summer workshops at The Urban Farm. TUF still has some morning workshop and evening class availability for children and youth ages 4 – 18 years. Offerings include Embracing Horses classes, Storybook Farm and I Want To Be A Farmer workshops.  Contact info@theurbanfarm.org or 303-307-9332 for more information.

Adults can take classes too! Adult riding classes are available.  Feed Denver is launching a series of classes on Urban Agriculture – class offerings include Culinary Herbs as Healing Herbs, Keeping Chickens in the City, Introduction to Permaculture, Fiber Arts, and others.  Online registration can be completed at www.FeedDenver.com.

Youth Corps teaches sustainable food production. — Recently, four youth were selected by Feed Denver at The Urban Farm to participate as part of a national Youth Corps to teach other kids about sustainable food production.  The kids have spent several months learning the Growing Power model being replicated at TUF (ie growing soil, vermicomposting, year round food production, aquaponics, etc) and are now going to other cities around the country helping schools and youth groups establish their own projects.  Over spring break the kids and TUF staff travelled to New Orleans to help establish an aquaponics project in the 9th ward.

Free Farm tours for Stapleton friends and neighbors. May 8^th between 9:00 and noon, Stapleton residents are invited to come over to The Farm for a free tour.  TUF Kids and adult volunteers will show people around the Farm – introducing them to the animals (we may have new lambs by then) and showing them around the gardens.

Summer Farm Market.  On May 8^th we will also launch a summer “farm market” which will be held each Saturday morning from 9:00 am till noon.  Fresh greens, fresh eggs, and other delectables will be available for purchase.  Pony rides for $5.00 will be available during the market.

Please note that you can subscribe to our google calendar, when you have a google account.