Kyle Hagerty
56th Street (between J And folsom)
Sacramento, CA 95819
-They have a produce stand you can visit and pick up some FREE delicious fruits and veggies.
CookingSociety: How long have you been farming and what is the difference between farming and urban farming?
UrbanFarmstead: I have been growing vegetables for over ten years but only two years to the extent that I am growing now. Urban farming can be any type of traditional farming in an urban setting. There are many things you can farm, just at a smaller scale; beekeeping, backyard chickens, and vegetable gardening.
CS: How did you get into farming? does it run in your family?
UF: I got into gardening from helping my grandfather in his vegetable garden and spending time in the garden with my mom.
So I would say that gardening runs in my family but I am a first generation urban farmer.
CS: What is it that you farm?
UF: I may be easier for me to list the things that I do not farm as I basically try to farm anything that can be planted. The farm is full of fruits and vegetables year-round, we continuously rotate crops and grow over a 100 varieties of fruit, vegetables, and herbs each year.
CS: What are your favorite things about farming?
UF: Truly knowing where my food comes from and being able to share that with the community. The freedom to at least attempt to grow anything that I want.
CS: Do you have a favorite tool or something you must have to keep your farm going?
UF: I don't have a favorite tool but I can usually be found under my straw hat in the garden.
CS: Who were some of your mentors when you're first starting out?
UF: I never really had a mentor for farming so most of what I know has been through trial and error.
CS: Do you have any advice for up and coming farmers?
UF: Get a good mentor.
Peaceful Valley Nursery's instructional videos on www.groworganic.com are an invaluable resource and have helped me answer many gardening questions.
CS: What is your favorite thing to grow and why?
UF: There is nothing more exciting in a garden than homegrown tomatoes, but kale tops my list for my favorite thing to grow because it can flourish in nearly any environment and it's a super duper food.
CS: What is one or two things you want everyone to know about your farm or farming in general?
UF: Live sustainably; buy what's in season from your local farmers and keep small farms alive in America.
CS: What is the hardest crop for you to grow and why?
UF: Tomatoes, because the only one who loves them more than me are the birds, and the squirrels, and the tomato worms, and the rats, and let's face it who doesn't love tomatoes. I have found that simply putting out a bowl of water in the hot summer months will satisfy most of the critters, but the tomato worms can't be bought.
CS: What are your goals for the future of your urban farm?
UF: The birds and the bees. Specifically chickens and honey bees are on my long list of things to add to our urban little farm.
