New Pavilion for Events at Campus Farm
Duke community members can schedule group outings
Lots of growth took place at the Duke Campus Farm this summer, but it wasn't necessarily sweet potatoes or corn sprouting up.
Construction crews worked weekdays at the one-acre farm from July through September to build two new structures to improve the agricultural venture - a tool shed and pavilion to host events. As the Duke Campus Farm continues to get more involved in providing produce to sell at local farmers markets and on campus, the new buildings help create a greater sense of community, said Emily Sloss, the farm's manager.
Read More"We started the farm three years ago under this idea of 'one year, one acre' to see what we could provide to Duke and its students and employees," Sloss said. "It's exciting to see that we're cementing ourselves in the Duke community and investing in what we do to make the farm run better."
While the shed will provide ample space to store equipment like tillers, hoes, rakes and other materials, the pavilion is something all Duke community members will be able to enjoy. Sloss said the pavilion will be free for students, faculty and staff to use for retreats, team building or other events at the farm at 4910 Friends School Road in Durham. It's now available for use and Duke community members can schedule the pavilion by contacting Sloss at emily.sloss@duke.edu.
The roughly 1,700-square feet pavilion and 144-square feet shed cost about $75,000 to build, with some funding provided by the Duke Endowment. Additional money was donated by Keith and Brenda Brodie - Keith Brodie served as Duke's president from 1985 to 1993. Brenda Brodie said that supporting the Campus Farm is important, as it serves as a place where volunteers are able to learn about agriculture and become more mindful eaters.
"You can never fully design a sustainable human world, but with work and determination you can create something meaningful and lasting," she said. "The spirit of the Duke Campus Farm participants will be part of them for a lifetime."
The new spaces will allow the Campus Farm to upgrade other facilities. A greenhouse that’s partially used as storage space will be rebuilt after items are moved into the new shed, and an older, smaller storage shed is being converted into a "coolbot," an enclosed space kept at temperatures around 50 degrees to store produce.
"When we harvest produce, we have to deliver it immediately, so having flexibility with storing items would be wonderful," Sloss said. "It's great to be able to make these changes."