Great meeting this morning! I met with the director of a local food shelf this morning. We are starting the process of investigating our local food system and how we can better it. In most cases food that comes from food banks is one of two different things. One, is that it hasn't sold, being of poor taste or low demand. Two, the food is cheap to make, and in most cases is high in fillers, fat and is low in nutrition. Last year this particular food shelf provided its clients with 3000 pounds of fresh produce. It was provided by private gardeners, community gardens, and local businesses.
Next growing season Buchanan Street Farms hopes to partner up with this food shelf to provide produce, education, and empowerment. We looking at some local spaces that can be turned in to community, educational, and empowerment gardens. Community gardens are generally gardens that people in the community work in some sort of communal fashion, whether it be by working the whole plot and sharing the harvest, or dividing it into plots to be worked by individuals. Community gardens are a great thing to bring the community together.
Our plan is to create gardens that our divided into 2 parts. The first part smaller plots for individuals that have had little to no experience with gardening. The second part will be farmed by Buchanan Street Farms. The idea is that Buchanan Street Farms will provide education and support to our new gardeners. We like to think that we can teach people to grow their own healthy produce. First year farmers will receive small manageable plots. By doing this we can offer more spaces and our new farmers can find out if this is something the enjoy doing. Second year farmers may be eligible to have a larger space. Our goal is to teach and educate leading to empowerment.
We are just in the planning/brainstorming phase of this look for more updates and news to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment