Tucson Village Farm (TVF) is an educational urban farm designed for youth with a mission to reconnect young people to a healthy food system, teach them how to grow and prepare fresh food, and empower them to make healthy life choices.
Continue reading to discover what exciting events are taking place on the farm this month.
Happenings in May
Field Trip for Grown-Ups
Thursday, May 2 from 10 – 11 a.m.
It’s a great time of year to be outside in the morning sunshine and we’d love for you to join Jess for our monthly community farm tour. You’ll have an opportunity to learn some farm history, gain new community resources, find out about all of our fantastic programming, learn fun facts, and even try a farm-fresh snack!
We ask for a suggested donation of $10 for the tour (cash or card).
This will be our last tour featuring a field trip in action, as the school year is coming to an end. If there’s ever a tour to join, it’s this one!
RSVP by emailing Jess at JCL2@arizona.edu. Once you RSVP you will be sent an email with more details including where to meet.
Volunteer with Tucson Village Farm
We have volunteer opportunities out on the farm, in our commercial kitchen, and educating during our school field trips. Want to get involved? Visit the TVF website under “Lend a Hand,” and fill out the volunteer intake form. From there, you will be sent an email every Friday with volunteer opportunities for the following week. If you’re working outside, please remember to wear closed-toed shoes, bring sun protection, and don’t forget your water bottle!
Have you checked out our weekly Tuesday Market yet?
Every Tuesday from 4 – 6 p.m.
For nearly a decade, our Tuesday Market has been a cornerstone event at the farm, and it just keeps getting better! Every week, we showcase our locally grown produce, farm-fresh soups, salads, dressings, sauces, desserts, and much more. What started as a simple idea has evolved into a well-coordinated and eagerly anticipated weekly gathering.
The market runs every Tuesday from 4 – 6 p.m. at our Big Farm location, 2201 E. Roger Rd. To see what’s available each week, follow TVF on Instagram and Facebook, or subscribe to the newsletter.
Summer Camp Spotlight: 4-H Adventure Camp in Prescott
Multiple Dates
Join us on our annual expedition to Prescott where we’ll explore the highlands, marvel at Mother Nature, and ponder the ponderosa pines on Mingus Mountain. This camp offers a wide variety of fun camp activities based on three different age levels, including hiking, fishing, lake swimming (with a slide!), games, campfires, and more!
This camp has been a cherished favorite among nine to 14-year-olds.
Typically, it sells out within 30 minutes of opening registration. This year, in response to high demand, we’ve introduced an additional week of Adventure Camp so that everyone that wants to come, can.
Summer Camp Spotlight: Sprouts Day Camp
Multiple Dates
Sprouts Camp is the perfect camp for exposing your little one to science, gardening, environmental stewardship, and healthy eating, all through fun farm activities! Campers will spend the morning hours exploring the farm and helping us with daily farm chores, like harvesting, planting, feeding the chickens, and checking on the worms.
Campers will be able to relax under our shaded red ramada to prepare healthy snacks with veggies from our own gardens and do farm arts and crafts.
Summer Camp Spotlight: First Farmers Day Camp
Multiple Dates
At First Farmers, campers will explore everything the farm and 4-H Culinary Education Center have to offer. This camp will take place at the “Big Farm” at 2201 E. Roger Rd where we grow over an acre of veggies and have lots of room to have fun and explore!
From planting, harvesting, and caring for chickens to spending time in the kitchen creating simple, delicious food with fresh farm produce, campers will participate in a full farm-to-table experience. Healthy farm-made snacks and lunch are included.
Culinary Medicine Summer Summit
Monday, June 10
Our Culinary Medicine summit will teach you the basics of nutrition and its impact on our quality of life. You will explore different possible careers in health, learning about why nutrition is a critical piece of our well-being. Throughout the week, you’ll have the opportunity to acquire new skills, such as making bread from scratch, pickling, and discovering quick and nutritious meal prep tips.
At the end of the summit, students will receive a “Youth Culinary Medicine” certificate, marking their achievements in the exploration of nutrition and health (a great resume builder!). We aim to inspire the next generation of health professionals and provide you with hands-on experience in the world of culinary medicine!
Outdoor Leadership Camp: Backpacking Camp for Teens
Monday, June 3 – Friday, June 7
This outdoor leadership camp starts at the 4-H Ropes Course where we will spend Monday working on communication and problem-solving skills. The afternoons will be spent creating our camping meals for the subsequent four-day, three-night camping/backpacking experience. Campers will need to be dropped off on Tuesday morning at the trailhead and picked up on Friday afternoon. Campers will participate in thrilling, safe outdoor adventures including magical night hikes, hiking to breathtaking locations, learning to navigate with a map and compass, playing epic games, and much more. Both the 4-H Ropes Course and the 4-H Healthy Living Center are located at 2201 E. Roger Rd.
Market on the Move: Every Second Saturday
Saturday, May 11 from 7 – 9 a.m.
For a donation of $10 you can get up to 60 pounds of fresh produce and food that you can share with your friends, families, neighbors, and people in need.
Here’s how it works:
Drive up and make your $10 donation per order (cash only at this time). Then pop your trunk, pull forward and we’ll load your vehicle!
Everything is prepackaged and ready to go. Much of the food is rescued so it doesn’t end up in the landfill. We often don’t know what we will have until the morning of the event, and it varies from month to month. Please arrive early as our produce is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This event starts promptly at 8 am and goes until 10 am or until supplies last. If you join us later during the event, be prepared to wait in line as we do our best to rapidly fill cars with produce.
Tucson Village Farm is located at 2201 E. Roger Rd. For more information, call (520) 621-1006 or visit tucsonvillagefarm.org.
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