Summer Lettuce Project at JGTF
Pembroke Hill Students Help New Roots Farmers with New Crop Variety
How does a blackberry measure success?
With the berry-positive feedback it receives! And the feedback in Summer 2024 has been berry-positive indeed.
This year, New Roots has introduced a new focus to farmer education: perennial crops. Through the Kansas Specialty Crop Block Grant, Cultivate KC was able to purchase a variety of fruit bearing trees for the Troup Ave Educational Orchard. Partnering with the The Giving Grove, New Roots farmers will now be able to learn everything they need to know about the maintenance and marketing of these specialty crops.
Blackberries have also been introduced to Juniper Gardens Training Farm’s production planning. While fruit trees will take a few years before becoming marketable for the farmers, blackberry canes are already reaching for the sky, and will likely be offered next year to Farm Share customers.
“A well-tended blackberry patch can live 10-15 years, with one plant providing about two quarts (~3 lbs.) of berries per season,” said Matt Bunch, Kansas City Community Gardens Director of Horticulture. Bunch advised growers on the best technique and planting placement of the bushes at both the orchard and the farm. “Perennial cane fruits are a perfect way to transition from annual intensive vegetables. Perennial crops help prevent soil erosion and do not need to be tilled up every year. Blackberries just happen to provide a sweet, tart, nutrient packed way of doing so.”
Helping Hands from Pembroke Hill School
And there are A LOT of blackberries planted at the farm. How did they get there? Through the helping hands of some graduating seniors from Pembroke Hill School.
“I was originally connected to Juniper Gardens through Catholic Charities–trying to find ways to get students involved with your work!” said Lisa Jackson, Director of Leadership and Community Engagement at Pembroke Hill.
“Juniper Gardens became a viable pathway for my students–and we began with our seniors in spring 2022–spread across Juniper Gardens and Westport Commons Farm (and outside due to COVID!). We added our freshman service project that fall to eventually bookend the experience for freshmen and seniors to begin and end their service projects at the same spot–to see how they have grown and changed.”
Lisa has developed a semester elective called Engage KC, where she has small classes of students who go out into the community and learn by doing.
The Impact of Volunteer Contributions to Blackberries on Juniper Gardens Training Farm
“Twenty-three New Roots farmers and graduates received blackberries. We knew we had a lot of work to do, and we couldn’t do it on our own,” said Molly Baurain, Graduate Support Specialist with Cultivate KC. “The Pembroke students always work hard when they visit Juniper Gardens, and they worked hard planting those blackberries.”
Unlike some larger-scale fruits, blackberries often struggle with long-distance transportation due to their delicate nature. Small farms, with their focus on local markets, can capitalize on this by offering fresher, higher-quality berries that consumers crave.
With their strong market appeal, space-saving growth habit, and manageable care requirements, blackberries offer a wealth of benefits for small farms. They contribute to a healthy farm ecosystem and can be incorporated into a U-Pick model for an additional income stream.
With a little planning and effort, New Roots farmers will be reaping the rewards of this delightful fruit for years to come.
