By Joan Wojcik

Many of us suburbanites moved into a metropolitan environment to escape the weekly mowing of the grass and pruning of the fruit trees in our suburban yards. But as the years have gone by, there is an urge to again feel the soil between our fingers and to grow produce from our gardens that doesn’t exist in an urban setting.

There is, however, a place Downtown where you can re-experience your desire to have a backyard garden; it’s called SMARTS Farm.

SMARTS Farm has been located in East Village for more than three years and has been very successful in bringing urban gardening to Downtown at its original location on the corner of 15th and F streets. Residents rent garden boxes to grow flowers, tomatoes, fruit trees, vegetables, and other produce.

Unfortunately, it also occupied a lot that is part of the master plans for Makers Quarter and because Makers Quarter will be developing the SMARTS Farm lot within the next year, Downtown’s only urban garden had to find a new home.

On Nov. 21, SMARTS Farm moved to its new location on Broadway between 13th and 14th streets, the future home of the new East Village fire station, but in the interim it will be the setting for Downtown’s urban garden.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to grow within our local community,” said Susan Madden Lankford, SMARTS Farm CEO and founder. “Our new location will be able to serve as a hub for neighborhood activation through various events, meetings and evening performances, while we continue to build on SMARTS Farm’s mission — connecting nearby residents, families and underserved youth to gardening practices and academic enrichment programs.”

The new site will offer urban gardeners the opportunity to rent a garden box in the size of their choice for a reasonable monthly fee, which will also include soil and water usage.

In addition to the community garden center, the site will also include a production farm, a farm stand, and a children’s learning center. And if you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry — SMARTS Farm will be growing produce to sell to the public at their onsite farm stand, where tomatoes, flowers, lettuce, and even eggs will be available.

The farm’s learning center is Madden Lankford’s pride and joy. Children from Father Joe’s, YWCA, Kipp School, UDA and e3 Civic High School will all be taking part in the youth programs sponsored by SMARTS Farm. The students will be exposed to all aspects of horticulture, including growing healthy organic vegetables, cooperative community gardening and raising poultry.

On Dec. 17, SMARTS Farm will have a holiday open house from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and there is a suggested donation of $5 for each participating adult, but children are free.

The morning will include DIY wreath making, arts and crafts, education on seed planting, complimentary hot cocoa and bites from the SMARTS Farm pizza oven, and holiday tree decorating.

So get out your rusty trowels and old garden gloves and start gardening again.

For more information, visit humanesmarts.org/farm.

— Joan Wojcik is the president of the East Village Residents Group. Learn more about the EVRG, contact Joan at [email protected] or visit evrgsd.org.