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Starr Brainard, Interim Farm Manager at Eco 3 Urban Farm, uses an Earth Buster to till the soil.

Situated between an expanse of trees and Lake Superior College resides the Ecolibrium3 Urban Farm. This two-acre plot of land is a constant buzz of activity, filled with the growth and harvest of produce, educational workshops and classes, and engaging community events. 

Even throughout the cold Northern Minnesota winters the farm is far from dormant as farmers prepare for the growing season ahead. 

The Ecolibrium3 Urban Farm is a food access program of Ecolibrium3, a local nonprofit located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth. 

Since 2021, the farm has grown healthy and wholesome food for communities in areas of food insecurity, contributing to the organization’s mission to inspire and lead change in its community toward an equitable and sustainable future. 

Lincoln Park has been identified as Duluth’s highest priority food area, with the largest health disparities and no current neighborhood grocery store. 
Just a six-minute drive from the Eco3 office, the Eco3 Urban Farm strives to provide agricultural education, community building and increased food access to the Lincoln Park and greater Duluth communities. 

Built as part of the Eco-Entrepreneurship Program at Lake Superior College (LSC) in 2018, the farm featured two 2,400 sq ft high tunnel structures and an in-ground, uncovered production field. 
When the Eco-Entrepreneurship program shut down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the land was left untended and unmanaged. 

In 2021, Eco3 responded to a request for proposal from Lake Superior College to operate the property, seeing it as an opportunity to protect public investment and expand food access and social connectedness for neighborhood residents. 

Since taking over the property, the Eco3 Urban Farm has slowly been recovering from the site’s fallow year by building up infrastructure, improving soil health and developing programming. 
The farm completed its first full year of production in 2023 and its first season with a full-time farm manager and a farmer-in-residence in 2024. 

The Eco3 Urban Farm anticipates 2025 to be the best season yet, with weekly community programs for all ages, free public workshops on select Saturdays and nutritious produce grown for the community.
The Eco3 Urban Farm strives to grow its produce regeneratively, meaning farmers use growing methods that restore and sustain soil health and life. Methods include the reduced use of chemical fertilizers and biocides, compost (recycled and nutrient rich organic material) and cover crops to restore and protect the soil between production crops. 

The Farm also uses water conserving irrigation methods such as building up the soil’s organic matter and drip irrigation.
Food grown at the Eco3 Urban Farm includes vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, corn and greens, as well as apples and other perennial fruits, and is shared with community organizations, including Community Action Duluth’s Seed of Success which distributes the produce to low-income families. Eco3 also shares the food with visitors as they enjoy the Farm.

Creating space for social connection and education are also important functions of the Farm. With a communal gathering space and a forest classroom, the Farm hosts groups such as middle school field trips and local summer youth programs for fun and free educational activities during the growing season. 

To get involved with Farm activities, there are many ways to connect. If you know a school or organization that would like to visit, please contact farm@ecolibrium3.org to schedule. 
Or join one of the Saturday workshops open to the public on garden topics such as a “How to Grow” vegetable series, Mushroom Cultivation, Compost, Soil Science and more! 

Check out the schedule of events on our webpage ecolibrium3.org/farmevents. 

To volunteer or for other ways to participate, contact the Eco3 Urban Farm at farm@ecolibrium3.org or 218-216-6953.

Starr Brainard is the Interim Farm Manager at Eco 3 Urban Farm. She has a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies from American University and a decade of sustainable agriculture experience, including Fulbright Research of small-scale farm systems in Alberta, Canada; managing rooftop gardens in Cairo, Egypt; supporting gardens in the Duluth Community Garden program; and running her own urban farm in Duluth. As Interim Farm Manager of the Eco 3 Urban Farm, Starr runs every aspect of the farm from crop-planning and seeding and planting to curriculum writing and building community connections.