Frog Pond Farm
Frog Pond Farm is located adjacent to the Duke Forest, between Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, NC. We have pick-your-own blueberries and blackberries during the mid-summer, currently with about 300 blueberries and 30 blackberries. Our orchard of old southern apples, and European and Asian pears is just coming into bearing age. Several varieties of figs are getting large enough to bear fruit after nursing through a few winters. In 2006/07 we added plums, peaches, cherries, red and black raspberries, a mulberry, some persimmons, and muscadine grapes. 
We use organic and permaculture principles -- no artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides of any kind. The blueberry, vegetable and other beds are maintained with a layer of permanent mulch, most typically chopped leaves.
We develop and offer farm-based educational programs, such as the workshops described below. We also plan to expand our educational programs by involving our frog pond, which teems with salamanders, crayfish, and of course FROGS.
We enjoy having kids visit the farm, and are also are interested in working with teens and young adults with an interest in farming, environmental education, and sustainability.
One early project involved helping a 4-H group create a bluebird trail. The group built 12 houses and installed them at a farm owned by Orange County. Families monitored the boxes through the spring and summer, keeping data on how the bluebirds (and a few chickadees) liked their accommodations. The day we put up the boxes, several bluebirds were hovering nearby, anxious to check them out!
2008 Workshop Calendar
In 2008 we are expanding our workshop offerings. Please Contact Us to register for workshops or to be added to our mailing lists. See below for information about registration, work scholarships and family discounts.
WINTER GARDENING Sunday, Jan. 13, 1-4 pm
Winter is one of our favorite times to garden! When the land looks bare and brown, there’s nothing more exciting than picking fresh green lettuce, or cutting some greens for soup. In our climate, it’s easy to overwinter all kinds of frost-hardy crops with a little care. We’ll talk about what to plant, and when to plant it. And we’ll show and describe several ways to coax your plants through the winter: cold frames, low tunnels, and high tunnels, including how to build your own with inexpensive materials.
Workshop cost*: $20, $10 students, includes a snack.
FRUITS AND BERRIES, Saturday, Jan. 19, 1-5 pm
Do you dream of picking plump raspberries for your cereal, or biting into a crisp apple you just plucked from your own tree? During the first part of this interactive workshop we’ll survey the fruiting plants growing at the farm: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, pears, figs, persimmons, mulberries, strawberries, and more. As we wander, we’ll answer questions and offer growing tips for each plant. The second part will include hands-on activities, including mulching, planting, and creating a weed-free border. Finally, we’ll share what we’ve learned about frost and drought tolerance in this crazy year. Each participant will receive a detailed handout with information based on our experience and scouring of books and web resources.
Workshop cost: $25, $10 students, includes a snack.
ORGANIC GARDENING I: Getting Started, Sunday, Feb. 10, 1-5pm
In this comprehensive workshop for those new to organic gardening or wanting to review the basics, we’ll discuss site selection, soil testing and fertility, and give a tour of organic amendments. We’ll demonstrate how to create beds that are (relatively) weed free and low-maintenance, and talk about transplanting, direct seeding, crop rotation, cover crops, and irrigation, with examples in our garden. Finally, we’ll outline some of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow, with specific suggestions on varieties and when to plant, and talk about how to manage some of the most common pests. Each participant will receive a detailed handout with resources and tips to get off to a good start.
Workshop cost: $25, $10 students, includes a snack.
ORGANIC GARDENING II: Starting and Saving Seeds, Sunday, Feb. 17, 1-4 pm
Once you’ve gotten your start in gardening, it’s time to enter the world of seed starting and saving. Starting your own seeds lets you choose from amazing varieties you can’t buy as plants, and saving seeds lets you propagate your favorite varieties and become more self-sufficient. We’ll demonstrate how to start several types of garden seeds, discuss seed starting materials and trays, and talk about how to nurture the seedlings to create vigorous transplants. We’ll also cover how to save seeds from main garden crops to produce pure and viable seed that you can grow year after year. Each participant will plant a six-pack of seeds to take home.
Workshop cost*: $20, $10 students, includes a snack.
GRAFTING FRUIT TREES, Sunday, Feb. 24, 1-5 pm
Grafting is like magic! With a little knowledge, you can take cuttings from nearly infinite varieties of fruit trees and make them grow in your yard. We’ll talk about the basic grafting techniques, and spend some time letting everyone practice. Then, (ta-da!), everyone will receive a rootstock (bottom part) for an apple tree, and graft their own scion (top part) onto it, creating a custom-grafted tree to take home. We’ll supply all materials except your knife: bring a very sharp pocketknife, or a strong utility knife with a new blade. We’ll have scions available for apple varieties that do well in this area, including some old heirlooms.
Workshop cost*: $30, $15 students, includes one rootstock, scion, and a snack. Let us know when you register if you would like to purchase additional rootstocks to graft.
PRUNING FRUIT TREES, Sunday, Mar. 2, 1-4pm
Want to learn how to get your fruit trees off to a good start and make them as productive as possible? In this workshop we’ll try to make simple the seemingly complicated art of pruning fruit trees to a central leader, with application to apples, pears, cherries, plums, persimmons, mulberries, and others. Participants will learn about when and how to prune. We’ll have a chance to examine many trees, so you can learn by doing. After pruning, we’ll use homemade branch spreaders and weights to make the trees more fruitful. Finally, we’ll take a look at the espaliered apples planted last year at the farm.
Workshop cost*: $20, $10 students, includes a snack.
VERMICOMPOSTING, Sunday, Mar. 16, 1-4 pm
We love worms. And we love what they do to our kitchen scraps, turning them into rich and nutritious compost for the garden. It’s easy, satisfying, and fun. Each participant will learn how to make their own vermi (worm) composting bin, how to care for their wiggly friends, and how to harvest the crumbly black worm castings. Older kids (>6 years) are welcome to accompany an adult.
Workshop cost*: $20, $10 students, +$5 kids. Optional materials fee of $30 includes worm bin, bedding, and worms – let us know if you want to construct a bin to take home. Includes a snack (the snack and worms are only distantly related).
FRUITS AND BERRIES, Sunday, April 6, 1-5 pm
Do you dream of picking plump raspberries for your cereal, or biting into a crisp apple you just plucked from your own tree? During the first part of this interactive workshop we’ll survey the fruiting plants growing at the farm: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, pears, figs, persimmons, mulberries, strawberries, and more. As we wander, we’ll answer questions and offer growing tips for each plant. The second part will include hands-on activities, including mulching, planting, and creating a weed-free border. Finally, we we’ll share what we’ve learned about frost and drought tolerance in this crazy year. Each participant will receive a detailed handout with information based on our experience and scouring of books and web resources.
Workshop cost: $25, $10 students, includes a snack.