Sweet 15: RCF Grows Up 🌱🎉

A letter from Raleigh City Farm’s Founding General Manager Ryan Finch, reflecting on our 15th anniversary.

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Somewhere between first sprouts and full-grown roots, this little one-acre farm in the heart of Raleigh has officially become a teenager.  I came to Raleigh City Farm (RCF) in 2011, when it wasn’t quite a farm yet. It was an idea. A sketch. A “what if?” floating around in the community. So we did what any hopeful, slightly scrappy group would do—we invited the neighborhood in and asked, “What do you think?”

The “before” picture. Raleigh City Farm was a vacant space, unused lot with lots of trash.

People showed up to that first design charrette with excitement, curiosity, skepticism, and a lot of really good questions. We listened. We adjusted. We kept going. And just like that, the seeds of RCF weren’t just planted in soil—they were planted in people.

First day: constructing raised beds with donated materials.

From there, things started to grow. Not always neatly. Not always quickly. But steadily.

We found our people—the volunteers, the believers, the ones who said “sure, I’ll help” and somehow ended up staying for three years or more. I really celebrate that first working group.

They poured thousands of volunteer hours into those early years—shaping the vision and bringing it to life side by side. They showed up with generosity, creativity, and a shared belief in what this farm could be, with plenty of laughter along the way.

They didn’t just support the farm—they built it, and their spirit is still rooted here today.

And when I say built, I mean built.

We pieced together an irrigation system, put in a living fence (those original cedar posts are still holding strong), planted our first crops, and gathered enough tools to feel semi-legitimate. We added a shed, a water cistern, and just enough infrastructure to say, “Okay… this might actually work.”

At the same time, we were building things you couldn’t always see:

A voice
A brand
A way of showing up in the community

We figured out how to grow, harvest, and package food safely. We tested pricing, developed sales strategies and channels, and celebrated that magical moment—our first dollar. We launched programs, reached out to neighbors, hosted events, and slowly but surely became something real.

There were also the “official” milestones:
Our first fundraising efforts
Our first bank account (a very adult moment)
And our nonprofit status

What started as a one-acre experiment has grown into something much bigger: a place of connection, education, nourishment, and community. A place where people come not just to grow food, but to grow relationships.

And like any good teenager, Raleigh City Farm is still evolving. Still stretching. Still becoming.

Happy 15th, RCF. The roots are strong—and the future looks good. 🌻

With gratitude (and a little dirt still under my nails),

Ryan Finch
Founding General Manager
Raleigh City Farm

P.S. Want to be part of what’s next?

🌱 Visit — Come see what one acre (and a lot of heart) can do.
🤝 Volunteer — Get your hands dirty—you’ll be in good company.
💛 Donate — Help keep this place thriving for the next 15 years