Events
Upcoming Events
3 Class Farming Series- Class 2 Transplanting
Join us for our second class in a three part farm series! In Class 2 you will learn from our staff about the transplanting process and participate in hands-on learning to level-up your farming skills! This class will take place at our Veterans Urban Farm (1207 Smith St). You do NOT need to sign up for all three classes although it is encourage to build on your farming skills!
Spaces are limited! Questions? Email veterans@columbiaurbanag.org
Tomato Bucket Giveaway at Truman VA
CCUA’s Veterans Program will be giving out free tomato plants in patio-friendly 5-gallon buckets ready to grow on your patio or yard! Join us at Truman VA Hospital, first floor parking garage located at 800 Hospital Drive. Buckets will be given out on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.
Tomato Bucket Giveaway at CCUA's Veterans Urban Farm
Didn’t make it to Truman VA for a tomato bucket? We are giving away more at our Veterans Urban Farm! Visit us at 1207 Smith Street. We will be giving out free tomato plants in patio-friendly 5-gallon buckets ready to grow on your patio or yard! Buckets will be given out on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.
Veterans Urban Farm Memorial Day BBQ
Join us at 1207 Smith Street for a BBQ lunch from Big Daddy’s BBQ celebrating our Veterans. This event will feature tours of the farm, a flag detail led by the local Army National Guard, and a remembrance ceremony.
Farm Your Yard Field Day!
Join us for an afternoon of hands-on informational workshops where you get to learn how to farm YOUR yard! Learn about native plants and how you can incorporate them into your backyard garden. Work with our staff to learn how to start your own seeds and plan your Fall garden. Sit in on Chicken Caretaking 101 where you’ll learn all the basics you need to raise your own chickens! Afterward hear from keynote speaker Nick Speed, Founder of Ujima and George Washington Carver Farms. This event will also feature a tool swap and social hour after the event from 5pm-7pm.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR226424XXXXC003
3 Class Farming Series- Class 3 Harvesting
Join us for our last class in a three part farm series! In Class 3 you will learn from our staff about the harvesting process and participate in hands-on learning to level-up your farming skills by making your own salsa! This class will take place at our Veterans Urban Farm (1207 Smith St) participants are encouraged to bring a mason jar to take some home with them afterward. You do NOT need to sign up for all three classes although it is encourage to build on your farming skills!
Spaces are limited! Questions? Email veterans@columbiaurbanag.org
Veterans Urban Farm Spring Kickoff
Join us at our Veterans Urban Farm (1207 Smith Street) for an Open House! We are kicking off spring with farm tours, lunch, and yard games. We’ll be giving away starter plants and seeds! Come meet our staff and learn about our programming, events, and volunteer opportunities. Connect with community resources and partners who will be tabling at the event. Questions? Email Veterans@ColumbiaUrbanAg.org.
Galentine's Day Hen Party: An informational session about chicken caretaking
Join us for a Galentine’s Party celebrating our favorite girls- hens! Come and learn everything you’ll need to know about chicken caretaking before they arrive in stores this spring! Snacks and drinks will be provided. Note: All are welcome to attend, this is not a gendered event! This is a free informational session. The event will take place at Columbia’s Agriculture Park (1769 W Ash St) inside CCUA’s Schoolhouse.
3 Class Farming Series- Class 1 Seeding
Join us for our first class in a three part farm series! In Class 1 you will learn from our staff about the seeding process and participate in hands-on learning to level-up your farming skills! This class will take place at Columbia’s Agriculture Park (1769 W Ash St) in CCUA’s Greenhouse. You do NOT need to sign up for all three classes although it is encourage to build on your farming skills!
Spaces are limited! Questions? Email veterans@columbiaurbanag.org
Veterans Urban Farm Winter Festival
Join us at 1209 Smith Street to celebrate the holidays at the farm! Enjoy hot apple cider & cocoa, kettle corn, farm tours, pictures with Santa, a ceremonial lighting of our new Warriors Garden, and more!
2024 Apprenticeship Info Session
CCUA is hosting an evening info session and Q&A for those interested in applying for our 2024 Market Garden Apprenticeship. Have your questions answered before applications are due January 1st!
Join us at our Schoolhouse for refreshments and hear from our 2023 Apprenticeship graduates about their experience. Questions? Email Tonym@ColumbiaUrbanAg.org
Giving Tuesday Barn Party
Help us kick off CoMoGives with a Barn Party featuring a FREE taco bar and drinks! All donations this day will be MATCHED! That means your generous donation has DOUBLE the impact this day only!
Click here to RSVP and receive your free ticket!
FREE Veterans Day Lunch
Join us on November 15th at our Veterans Urban Farm (1209 Smith St) for a FREE lunch for Veterans and their families. Food will be provided by Big Daddy's BBQ as we celebrate this important holiday with a meal, campfire, yard games, and more. Local Veteran organizations will also be onsite to discuss community resources available for Veterans. Thank you Equipment Share for sponsoring this event!
Pumpkin Chunkin
The chunkin' shall commence! Join us for this FREE composting event at Columbia’s Agriculture Park (1769 W Ash St). Bring your pumpkins and suppressed rage (pumpkins will also be provided). We'll have baseball bats, catapults, and other tools of destruction available so you can compost in style!
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Join us at Columbia’s Agriculture Park (1769 West Ash Street) for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the completion of the MU Health Care Pavilion!
Veterans Resource Fair
Join us for this FREE event! This resource fair will feature local employers looking to recruit, community resources, social organizations, and activity groups for Veterans and their families. Pizza Tree and other refreshments will be provided. Thank you Wounded Warrior Project for sponsoring!
Columbia's Agriculture Park Field Day
Join us at Columbia’s Agriculture Park (1769 W Ash Street) for a day of workshops, hands-on activities, and tours to learn ways to scale-up and improve your small farm or garden! Stay for a food truck lunch and "shop" a used tool swap! Click here to read the used tool swap rules.
A wide-range of topics will be covered, click here for the full event schedule:
Growing for Market
10:30am-11:30am, How to Sell at Market- Corrina Smith (Columbia Farmers Market)
11:45am-12:45pm, Regenerative Agriculture Practices for the Market Garden- Tony Minnick (CCUA Staff) and Kelly Wilson (MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture)
1pm-3pm, Planning Crop Successions for Market- Liz Graznak (Happy Hollow)
Farm Your Yard
At the start of every hour, Tours of the Urban Farm- Clint Shannon (CCUA Staff)
10:30am-11:30am, Two-Wheel Tractors and Implements- Clint Shannon (CCUA Staff)
10:30am-11:30am, Food Forest Design & Buildout- Matthew Dolan (CCUA Staff)
11:45am-12:45pm, Backyard Chicken Care- Mallary Lieber (CCUA Staff)
1pm-2pm, Small-scale Cover Cropping- Tony Minnick (CCUA Staff)
1pm-2pm, Holistic Fruit Tree Care- Matthew Dolan (CCUA Staff)
2:15pm-3pm, Unique Backyard Perennial Edibles- Mallary Lieber (CCUA Staff)
Biodiversity and Conservation
11:45-12:45, Stormwater Detention Basin Social/Ecological Impacts- Scott Hamilton (U.S Fish and Wildlife Services)
11:45am-12:45pm, Cultivating Native Edibles- Nadia Navarrete-Tindall (Lincoln University Extension)
1pm-2pm, Soil Health/Rainfall Simulator- Luke Skinner (NRCS)
2:15pm-3pm, Urban Insect Conservation Tour- Joe Walls (CCUA Staff)
Veterans Urban Farm Spring Kickoff
Join us at our Veterans Urban Farm (1207 Smith Street) and enjoy a great event for Veterans and their families! Come learn about our programming and check out what we are up to this season at the farm. Enjoy free seeds and starts, kids activities, farm tours, sandwiches, and more! Thank you Wounded Warrior Project for sponsoring this event!
Workshop with local author Charlis Jeanette!
February marks the start of Black History Month! To celebrate, our Saturday Market Activity will feature an exciting workshop by local author Charlis Jeannette. Charlis will perform readings of her book, (IM)possible: The Untold Story of Henry Kirklin, the Father of Agriculture, as well as host a as well as host a "Sustainability Invention Contest" for middle schoolers in the Schoolhouse!
Charlis' contest is a hands-on course that utilizes critical thinking skills in a team setting! Kids will watch a short film, engage in class discussion, participate in a team project, and present their ideas!
SPOTS LIMITED!!!! Email Charlis at ebonygemsbooks@gmail.com to sign-up!
Financial Assistance for Weekly Produce
Want weekly fresh vegetables but don't think you can afford a CSA subscription?
Learn about the Partner Shares Program where you can obtain weekly vegetables at a reduced cost through FairShare CSA Coalition! Join Happy Hollow Farm’s FarmHer Liz and CCUA's Executive Director Billy Polansky for a Q&A at the CCUA Schoolhouse at Columbia’s Agriculture Park. They will discuss:
what is a local CSA share,
how to apply for financial assistance to receive weekly produce,
program details
and answer your questions about enrolling for the upcoming season.
“Tacos & Tractors” Barn Party
Help us kick off CoMoGives with a barn party at Columbia’s Agriculture Park! Stop by CCUA’s barn between 4 - 6 PM and enjoy a free taco bar and drinks. Plus every CoMoGives donation made this day will be matched! Please RSVP to help us accommodate everyone.
Veterans Day Lunch
Join us from 11am - 1pm for a free lunch for Veterans and their families. Food will be provided by Big Daddy’s BBQ as we celebrate this important holiday and thank our local Veterans.
Pumpkin Chunkin!
What do you do with your old Halloween pumpkins? Bring them to Columbia Farmers Market Saturday, November 5th and help us launch, drop, and smash them into compost! All ages and pumpkins welcome at this free event.
Workshop: Wine Cap Mushroom Workshop with Hannah Hemmelgarn
Come join us in a hands-on demonstration while we establish future mushroom beds at the Park! Materials will be provided to layer carbon food sources for the fungi and inoculate with Wine Cap Stropharia spores.
All are welcome! The workshop will start at 10am on Saturday, October 8th. Meet us at the small gazebo west of our production field. If you have trouble finding us, staff at the Schoolhouse can point you in the right direction!
Workshop: Guided Park Tour for Gardeners
This tour will focus on growing practices for gardeners as we share some of the things we do here at the farm!
All are welcome! The tour will start at 10am on Saturday, September 10th. Meet us at the small gazebo west of our production field. If you have trouble finding us, staff at the Schoolhouse can point you in the right direction!
Workshop: Small Farm Tools
Join us for a discussion about the kinds of tools that power small (smaller than 2 acres) market farms like ours, including various cultivation tools, BCS-style 2 wheel tractors and implements, 4 wheel tractor implements, etc.
All are welcome! The workshop will start at 10am on Saturday, August 13th. Meet us at the small gazebo west of our production field. If you have trouble finding us, staff at the Schoolhouse can point you in the right direction!
Workshop: Understanding Soil Health
This farm tour will focus on the different ways you can improve the health of your soil in both garden and farm contexts. We’ll overview the interconnected physical, chemical, and biological components of healthy living soils, and discuss amendments and regenerative practices.
All are welcome! The workshop will start at 10am on Saturday, July 16th. Meet us at the small gazebo west of our production field. If you have trouble finding us, staff at the Schoolhouse can point you in the right direction!
Veterans Urban Farm Resource Fair & Barbecue
Join us for a family friendly barbecue and resource fair at the Veterans Urban Farm! We are excited to host a range of organizations that provide various resources and services for Veterans and their families in Mid-Missouri.
Food, kid's activities, and informational booths will be provided free of charge from 4pm to 7pm.