Kula Farm News and
Workshops Announcements
A Lot of Flowers
On Saturday May 15, 2021 we broke ground at the latest expansion of the Farm Without Borders along Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park. The vacant lot owned by the City of Asbury Park is to be transformed into a garden. We plan on growing ‘A Lot of Flowers’. With the help of several local volunteers, we picked up the trash, covered the grass with cardboard, and covered that with mulch. This will prevent weeds from growing and help with retaining moisture. Next we’ll add clean topsoil and mix in compost from our community compost site, also located at the Farm Without Borders. 

We hired Charles that used to live in the apartment complex right across from the lot. He has a green thumb but never really had the chance to really develop it into something bigger. He was hired as part of the Kula Farm Experience, a job training program that the Farm operates.

Many local residents in the area face barriers for employment. We take away the barriers and help them back into the work force. By acting as a stepping stone, even a short term position can help formerly unemployed people find confidence and maybe a steady job elsewhere.

Many participants describes the program as being therapeutic. I’ve often noticed people walk in kind of down, but they soon get their senses tickled with the nice smells and sounds and start lifting up their head. They really enjoy the serene and safe environment at the Farm.

The job training program has been on hold during the pandemic and lost part of its funding. We could really use some more guys/gals working here, it’s a big job to build the new garden and we would like to see it completed sooner rather than later. The Farm gets its revenue from restaurant sales, but of course that came to a halt last April when the restaurants closed. We survived by opening up to the public. Please take a look at our assortment on our website, we could use some support. What we offer is highly seasonal. The only exception is for the greens that we grow in our hydroponic greenhouse these we grow year round.

The Farm Without Borders originated on a vacant lot owned by Interfaith Neighbors. Over the next years it has been expanded several times onto neighboring lots owned by others. Food grown on the Farm Without Borders is free to pick by anyone in need. Soon we’ll have strawberries, gooseberries, blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, melons, spinach, chard, peaches and much more. Few believed that a garden without a fence could work in this area. So far we have had no vandalism or problems of any kind. Our biggest struggle is water, since there is no spigot. However, we have a large 275 gallon reservoir that gets filled up regularly by the Asbury Park Fire Department. It’s super kind of them, without that, plants would dry out during long hot and dry periods. 
Upcoming Workshops and Classes

May 29 - 10:30am - Juicing by Juice Basin
June 5 - 10:30am - Making A Meal From Your Garden
June 12 - 10:30am - Bee Keeping
June 16 - 6:30pm - From Farm To Table
June 19 - 10:30am - Tree Planting & Care
July 10 - TBD - Gardening Class for Kids

---Workshops are free---

Registration required / Donations Welcomed
Please RSVP to info@kulafarm.org
Juicing
Saturday - May 29 - 10:30am

This is a great opportunity to learn about the benefits of juicing and cleansing from Juice Basin’s founder Regine Flimlin. There are many health benefits to juicing and cleansing. Regine is an expert in targeting diverse issues and is open to suggestions from you to discuss certain topics in more detail.
This is a free class, however, a limited amount of tickets are available for $50 admission that includes a $300 electric horizontal juicer as well as a smaller travel sized manual juicer. The same model as used during the workshop. Tickets can be purchased in the Kula Farm Online Store.
Making a Meal from your Garden

Saturday - June 5 - 10:30am
Sean is a certified professional Health Coach who loves cooking, eating well, living a healthy lifestyle and being around family and friends. "I find my balance in this busy world by making food, fitness and fun an important part of my life. I love being creative in the kitchen and cooking for a house full of family and friends."
His daughter Davis will join him in teaching the class, she is a high school freshman who plays lacrosse and golf. She has taken up a passion for cooking and looks for healthy ways to eat.
 
Beekeeping
Saturday - June 12 - 10:30am

Ray Pogwist will bring an observation hive and show up close the comb with nectar, pollen and honey present and of course: the honey bees. He will also connect Kula with all the plants and the importance of honey bees with pollination and will welcome any questions.
 
Ray has been beekeeping as a back yard beekeeper for 14 years, he has a
BS in Environmental Studies from George Washington University and is a Member of the New Jersey’s Beekeepers Association. He works as an Environmental Specialist with the State of New Jersey (NJDEP) in the Air Enforcement Group.
From Farm To Table:
Understanding the Benefits of Good Nutrition on Health and Wellness.

Wednesday - June 16 - 6:30pm
This workshop will provide an overview of how food forms the foundation of health, discussing how our body uses the macronutrients and micronutrients in food to maintain health and how our meal selections are the best form of preventive medicine there is. We will touch upon several of the food items specifically grown at The Kula Farm and their nutritional benefit.
James Montgomery is a Registered Dietitian specializing in weight management, diabetes and cardiac related issues. James believes that making a few lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise can make a big difference to a person’s wellbeing. James obtained a Master’s of Science Degree in Human Nutrition from Eastern Michigan University.
 
Tree Planting & Care
Saturday - June 19 - 10:30am

Tom Pivinski will explain the do’s and dont's for when it comes to planting trees and he’ll explain why it is so important to have good tree canopy. 
Lately, Tom and The Environmental Shade Tree Commission volunteers have been planting "Remember Me" trees. At this point they have planted nearly 50 trees along the lakes. Aside from that he has been beautifying the city by planting and maintaining the 21 gardens throughout town with resident participation. 
At Kula we always have room for another (fruit) tree. We’ll have one ready on the day of the workshop so you can get your hands dirty.  

Space for these workshops is limited.
Please RSVP to reserve a spot!
We'll add more dates if there is a lot of interest.
COVID Precautions
Masks will be required for those who are not fully vaccinated. Everyone is asked to complete a health check/contact/release form. The form will be made available for review prior to arrival.
Greenthumbs
Gardening Classes for Kids
We had a lot of fun with Ms. Nicole last Saturday, May 15th. We hope to have her back soon and host many more classes like this. As a parent you can drop off you kids or stay and help during the class, we'll provide a snack and a drink (for the kids).

Please stay tuned if you are interested in having your children attend a class, many more will follow. At least one class is already planned on July 10th. Please safe the date.

We are excited to be hosting workshops again and to continue our work in educating the community on sustainable practices and growing food.

Our workshops are all free but donations are much appreciated!


For more information, please visit kulafarm.org

Kula Urban Farm
115 Atkins Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-455-0511
info@kulafarm.org
Kula Farm is proudly owned and operated by Interfaith Neighbors