Vinaka Urban Farm

Farmer

Franklin County, OH 43227

Vinaka Urban Farm

Farmer

About

We're a tiny urban farm located in the township of Whitehall, Columbus. We grow all our produce on less than 1/10th of an acre, using intensive market-farming techniques that use predominantly hand tools and almost zero gasoline (less than half a gallon per year on the farm, and less than a gallon on transport per trip to market). We specialize in salad greens, root crops, microgreens and a few summer favorites (aka cukes and tomatoes). aim for year-round production using just passive solar energy combined with row covers for season extension. We're also hyper-local, selling exclusively at markets within a 15-mile radius of the farm.

We also believe plants can be beautiful, and that every urban/suburban lawn is both a potential garden and a potential paradise waiting to happen. Our front yard is meant to demonstrate this potential, integrating dwarf fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers in a non-linear, naturally flowing way. We hope eventually to be able to host classes to teach people simple principles to help them build productive paradises instead of gas-guzzling lawns in their front/back yards.

Programs and Partners

Production Practices

Extended Growing Season Use Only Organic Materials Crop Rotation No Till

Our season extension practices entail home-made low tunnels (think three-foot high, long greenhouses), starting seedlings indoors (in my now-crowded - and very green - office!), and the lean-to greenhouse we built off the south exit of our suburban house in Whitehall. We use only organic materials to amend our soil and nutrients, primarily compost. We also practice no-till techniques which, in tandem with our consistent use of organic soil-building practices, builds up soil health and microbial activity over time without creating salt accumulation. We don't have any official certifications because those are very expensive to acquire and we're a tiny farm, but anyone interested is welcome to contact us and come see how we do what we do for themselves. We also believe plants are beautiful, and aim to grow ours in a way that is both productive and aesthetically lovely so that our home and our neighborhood is made more beautiful at the same time that it makes our lives more productive and healthy.

Location

Columbus, OH

Located near the corner of Livingston and Hamilton in Whitehall, Columbus, about a mile north of the Hamilton Road exit off 270.

Manager

Dave
I fell in with growing plants when I lived in South Korea and grew cilantro and other American herbs on my apartment rooftop to get a taste of home when feeling nostalgic. Little did I know that my future travels would end up placing me in Fiji and spending six months helping a family build a farm, which would eventually serve as the inspiration for my own urban farm back home in Ohio. I absolutely love growing vegetables and experimenting with techniques that get the absolute maximum productivity and quality central Ohio's climate and a tiny growing area will allow, while being minimally invasive and require minimal energy consumption.

Contact

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