From The Ground Up Farms, Inc.

From The Ground Up would like to start community gardens on unused empty lots, beginning in our poorest neighborhoods. The project would involve residents of all ethnicities and backgrounds to work with experienced farmers and educators to learn how to garden. As a by-product, these community gardens will bring neighborhoods together by building bridges between cultures as they work hand in hand to feed their families. We expect to impact hundreds of residents by offering free healthy food as the reward. We plan to impact dozens of children by supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to after school and summer lunch programs for free. We plan to impact hundreds of our homeless by offering “work for food” programs and other opportunities. We would like to be able to offer at least one paid part time maintenance position per neighborhood garden. This would be to help guide the neighbors volunteering, in addition to our Lead Volunteers and Professionals. We also intend to start a Farmers Market type program out of each garden and the funds raised would provide something that each particular neighborhood needed such as new play equipment or a speed bump, for example. I would like to see one block party/music festival per season and encourage neighbors and participants to showcase a nutritious cultural dish that is created from the garden.