Baby T-Rex Farms
Our farm is located in Mid-City, New Orleans, and sits on the equivalent of about 3 city lots. We started farming on the property in 2017, and over the years we’ve hauled in over 120 cubic yards of mulch, soil and compost. We’re still transforming a debris-strewn ground into fertile soil, and we’ve unearthed everything from an undetonated grenade (we called the NOLA bomb squad to remove it) to barbecue grills to shoes and plastic toys. It’s a real archaeological expedition every time we dig in a new spot. Also, quick side note: food is grown in raised beds, so don’t let the poor soil situation freak you out! We add a lot of organic material and natural fertilizers to be able to grow specialty cut flowers, and every year send in soil samples to analyze our progress. For city farmers, there is a unique pride that comes with converting dirt into living soil, and in watching the diversity of insects evolve as we cultivate the space.
The Farmers
Megan originally hails from the Pacific Northwest. After serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Fiji Islands for a few years, she became addicted to life in the tropics, and New Orleans’ climate matches up well. Megan handles all the plants (the growing, watering & selling), as well as the business side of things. When she’s not working, she’s probably off exploring a bayou, or maybe just Frenchmen Street.
Robby grew up in Violet, Louisiana, just south of New Orleans. Every structure on the farm, from the chicken coop to the walk-in cooler, he designed and built. He’s also a self-taught beekeeper and manages all of our hives. When he’s not working full-time in construction or problem-solving for the farm infrastructure, he’s probably helping friends manage bee hives around SE Louisiana.
We would be nowhere without the talented people who graciously lend their time, energy and ideas to this place:
Our honey labels, flower bouquet wraps, greeting cards, etc. were all designed and illustrated by Emma at Feed My Ego Design Studio. Emma was our very first farm apprentice and we love working with her!
Creative Designer: Emma
We met Louis, our website guru, at our neighbor’s party, and he graciously offered to help get our website up and running. When he’s not coding on a computer, you might find him training for an Iron Man competition or entertaining crowds with stories from his childhood at The Moth. Louis’ quick wit and British accent make the otherwise painful task of website development (dare I say it?) fun.
Webmaster: Louis
Garden Helpers: Apprentices, Interns and Volunteers
Many people have volunteered their time to help transform this space into fertile ground, or helped cook family dinners for groups of volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for them all. A special thank you to Charmaine, who was my gardening partner for years. So many others have come to help weed giant paper mulberries from pathways, or transplant hundreds of bulbs, or move wheelbarrows of soil. This list of garden angels includes Caroline, Emma, Mia, Nicole, Tess, Sarah, Hannah, Bo, Hayley, Hanna, Shannon, Ashley, and all of our wonderful neighbors.
