Reaping the fruits of the community garden labor — vegetables, too

The DeLaney Farm site off Chambers Road, right across the street from the Aurora Municipal Building, may be best known for its rustic homesteads and barns that date back to the 1850s. What many forget is that the land is also home to a working food farm with three acres of mixed vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Bushels of summer squash, Swiss chard, kale and turnips for less than what you would pay at a local Whole Foods, are sold on a weekly basis at the cheerful Delaney farm stand, located at the Delaney Community Farm site at 170 South Chambers Road between East First Avenue and East Alameda Avenue  

Heather DeLong, the farm’s program and outreach coordinator, said the food showcases the hard work staff, interns and volunteers have put into the nearby gardens. 

“People are getting produce that has been harvested in less than 24 hours 100 feet away,” she explained of anyone who visits the stand.  

She added that one of the primary goals of the farm, a project of Denver Urban Gardens, is to grow healthy food for people in need, and to promote  sustainable, organic growing practices. All gardens run by the organization prohibit chemical fertilizer, genetically modified seeds and pesticides.

“It’s a really important piece of our mission,” she said, which is why she said the stand accepts all forms of payment from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

DeLaney and Tri-County Health Department also have partnered for more than 10 years to provide food for low-income women, infants and preschool children. In the summer, those enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children federal nutrition program can also work one hour on the farm each Tuesday and/or Saturday in exchange for a share of freshly
harvested produce.

DeLong said the money made from the stand goes back into supporting the community farm’s programs. That includes classes on beekeeping where the only fee is a suggested donation of $15. The site, which is owned by Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space and totals 158 acres, includes an apiary with working beehives. 

Other classes offered on a pay-what-you-can basis include canning, and basic herbal making, where visitors can learn what herbs are best for teas, vinegars and tinctures.

Of Aurora’s 13 community gardens, seven are organic and run by Denver Urban Gardens. DUG launched in 1985 when there were only three community gardens in the northwest Highlands. Today, they operate over 135 community gardens throughout Metro Denver, with more than 40 school-based community gardens. 

The farm stand runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon or when the produce sells out.