HAMPTON, Va. — On unused land along Pembroke Ave. in Hampton, a couple's vision is growing.
“The figs, the blackberries, the lavender, and the flowers are all going to be long-term stuff," Tyler DeHerrera said describing what he and his wife are growing on the land they're calling Karl's Farm.
There will also be wildflowers and a rotating cover crop, which was buckwheat as of April 20, that will be used to grow pumpkins and gourds.
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“The end goal here is to do a you-pick," said DeHerrera.
Making money isn’t the only goal, though. Deherrera is also honoring his grandfather, who worked for the Department of Agriculture for many years helping people make their farming practices more sustainable.
The farm is named after him.
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“The goal is just kind of Get our generation spun back into what growing things looks like, what it takes to do that. Then, indirectly, tying the kids — that next generation — tying them into what it takes to grow things," DeHerrera explained.
While the operation is called Karl's Farm, as of April 20 it was not officially a farm. It was operating as a large community garden because the DeHerreras did not have the necessary permits from the city to operate it as a farm.
According to Tyler, the land is zoned for commercial use and would have to be rezoned for agricultural use for them to have a farm. He said as of April 20 his understanding was the city was unwilling to rezone the land. He and his wife applied for a general business license as an alternative, hoping to be able to have a farmer's market there, but as of this story they had not received a response to the application.
A statement to News 3 from the city, however, says a decision about Karl's Farm hadn't been made as of April 20.
"The City has been working closely with the property owner to obtain the critical information needed to fully evaluate the proposed project and make appropriate determinations. At this time, staff continues to review the concept as additional details are provided. No determination has been made regarding the proposed “Karl’s Farm” project. The site includes environmentally sensitive areas, which introduce additional complexities that must be carefully addressed as part of any proposed development. The City will continue to work with the property owner and welcomes new ideas and development projects that contribute positively to the community.”
April 19, a planting party was held. Volunteers, including kids, helped plant seeds.
“Farms are just such an important part of the food bank’s equation," said Virginia Peninsula Food Bank Chief Development Officer Craig Galler.
Galler is glad to hear about Karl’s Farm. Getting people back into growing things could be a big help for the food bank.
“It does help us a lot to have food be sourced locally, because it saves a lot in terms of not only food purchasing but the freight costs to get it down here," Galler said. "Our neighbors that come to our food pantries request fresh produce as one of the most highly-requested items."
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It could also be a way to help fight food insecurity. According to the food bank, more than 60,000 people across the greater peninsula lack healthy food on a given day.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health calls unhealthy diets “a scourge on American health,” noting they kill more than a million people a year.
Anyone wanting to help out can reach out to Karl’s Farm on social media.
