Regenerative Agriculture
City Green’s urban farms are the heart of the organization and consist of two separate food production farms: the City Green Farm Eco-Center in Clifton and the City Green Farm at South Branch Preserve in Mt. Olive. City Green grows 145 varieties of vegetables and herbs that are not only culturally appropriate for the communities they serve, but also healthy, local, and delicious. Each farm adheres to organic and regenerative growing practices to ensure healthy soil, healthy farm workers, and a healthy habitat
for wildlife.
Regenerative farming methods include crop rotation, cover cropping, natural pest management, hand weeding, erosion prevention, natural soil amendments and planting disease-resistant crop varieties. These practices have led to enhanced soil biology, increasing both organic matter and biomass to help mitigate the effects of climate change all while providing a great environment for nutritious veggies to grow.
The Farm-Eco Center in Clifton has fully transitioned to a no-till farm. No-till farming does not disturb the deeper layers of soil and the beneficial communities of insects and microorganisms that live there. This practice builds healthier soil, prevents erosion, and helps lower weed, pest and disease pressure on the farm!
At both City Green Farms, fields are rotated each year, meaning 2023’s tomato beds might be 2024’s zucchini beds! Instead of remaining empty, fields not in use are planted with cover crop for a season, maintaining healthy soil structure and allowing the field to regenerate valuable nutrients for next season’s veggies
Rotational grazing is the practice of moving animals through pasture to improve soil, plant, and animal health. City Green’s chickens graze on the Permaculture Hill to help remove invasive weeds while eating pests and adding fertility to the land. The chickens also benefit from a healthy diet and livelihood!