November 2008- July 2009 Volunteers from the Presidential 2008 campaign stayed in the community and listened to what would be the challenges significant contributions to the community, beyond charity. We contributed to events organized by community organizations, participated in civic associations and NPU-L meetings until we got a sense of what could be our most effective impact. We identified Urban Agriculture as a response to disinvestment and disempowerment, a new path to wealth, health and productive life. Aware that Vine City is the cradle of the civil rights movement, but did not receive the visibility it deserved, our belief was that Urban Agriculture would stimulate community building if we adopted a grass roots approach to our work. So, in July 14 2009 we began the planning of HISTORIC WESTSIDE GARDENS (HWG) and presented it to the NPU-L for approval. HWG incorporated in August 2009 and two residents joined the HWG Board to provide community guidance and input. Spring 2010 Following this NPU-L approval, James Arpad offered us the opportunity to break ground on his properties and to use 280 Elm Street as our storage facility for a ‘Garden Club’. It became our training ground. We broke ground in June 2010:
1. November 2008- July 2009 Volunteers from the Presidential
2008 campaign stayed in the community and listened to what would be
the challenges significant contributions to the community, beyond
charity. We contributed to events organized by community
organizations, participated in civic associations and NPU-L
meetings until we got a sense of what could be our most effective
impact. We identified Urban Agriculture as a response to
disinvestment and disempowerment, a new path to wealth, health and
productive life. Aware that Vine City is the cradle of the civil
rights movement, but did not receive the visibility it deserved,
our belief was that Urban Agriculture would stimulate community
building if we adopted a grass roots approach to our work. So, in
July 14 2009 we began the planning of HISTORIC WESTSIDE GARDENS
(HWG) and presented it to the NPU-L for approval. HWG incorporated
in August 2009 and two residents joined the HWG Board to provide
community guidance and input.Spring 2010 Following this NPU-L
approval, James Arpad offered us the opportunity to break ground on
his properties and to use 280 Elm Street as our storage facility
for a Garden Club. It became our training ground. We broke ground
in June 2010:
2. Summer 2010 Historic Westside Gardens obtained a grant from
FACAA (Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority) as part of the
Stimulus. The goal was to train ten residents of Vine City/English
Avenue who had low income or were jobless to choose urban
agriculture as a self-help opportunity (five residents from each
community, equal number of males and females). They received a
stipend, a meal a day, and transportation. HWG partnered with Truly
Living Well (TLW) to provide theoretical and hands on training at
East Point TLW site.During the training, the residents committed to
work weekends to establish their training ground in the
neighborhood. The last three weeks of their training they
established the site:
3. October 2010 Graduation! The ten residents completed the 60
days training and celebrated together with Councilmember Ivory
Young (who presented graduation diplomas), and NPU-L officers , and
FAACA, bringing pride to their families and to the community. At
the celebration, HWG presented its vision to the community: A
network of farms and gardens to give the trainees an opportunity to
grow food and improve their living conditions. A central piece of
this vision is to have the community regain the twelve acres green
space in front of the Elm Street training ground as an urban farm.
(Coincidentally, two days later in London, Rodney Cook brought the
idea to use the 12 acres for the Mims Park and Urban Farm to Mayor
Kasim Reed and Councilmember Ivory Young. We learned of this
because Mr. Young called us at HWG from London and asked us to send
him our presentation).
4. Winter 2010 Meanwhile, five graduates joined together and
planned how they would use the training ground to develop a farming
business:They maintained the garden they planted. Others
participated in gardening/environment projects in their respective
neighborhoods, some focusing on growing at residents home
gardens.HWG mobilized resources to provide the five community
farmers and those who worked elsewhere in the community with seeds,
tools and some assistance (such as introduction to GED courses,
phone bills, etc). The winter was harsh. Historic Westside Gardens
is not a farm and they needed to find ways to sustain themselves.
They found other occupations or looked for jobs but could not
continue with the farming project. The HWG Board learned,
reflected, and refocused on its core mission: to train residents to
see urban agriculture as a path to change their lives and develop
self-help and new career. The next step was to open a new cycle of
application based on plot allocation of land. The Board reaffirmed
its commitment to empowerment and community building.
5. Spring 2011 Some graduates applied for plots to develop
their own mini farm/garden. Each one committed to a number of hours
a week and to collaboration. HWG provided water, seeds, tools,
storage, land and guidance. HWG recruited an expert volunteer to
coach the applicants. Three lots were worked during the year
2011-12.
6. Winter 2011-2012 At a community meeting, the farmers
presented their experiences. The Board and the community learned
about their personal growth, the freedom they had to explore what
to grow and what to do with their produce. Some told the community
that they did make money by selling their produce and the impact
this experience had on their life. TRANSFARMING life.Spring 20102
J.R Murphy became the HWG Community Farming Coordinator. He took
over the site and HWG reached out to Atlanta Community Food Bank
volunteers to begin the 2012 season.
7. HWG developed the model of care for farmers empowerment and
entrepreneurship for the community: While continuing to recruit
trainees to take advantage of vacant lots, HWG developed its model
of community farming entrepreneurship. Looking at the farmers as
the center of a local food economy and community development, HWG
encouraged J.R to expand his business. Besides working on the HWG
training site, J.R received support to develop gardens in residents
homes. Senior citizens welcomed him and a productive relationship
developed. (See survey results below). The HWG Board allowed J.R to
stay at the site. Many of the trainees faced technical homelessness
during their training.
8. HWG: Love for the community and care for the least of these
Thanksgiving 2012The HWG Board and volunteers prepared a
thanksgiving meal for residents, feeding more than 200 hundreds
residents. This year we will provide more produce coming from HWG
training site. HWG developed a relationship with the neighborhood
caf and provided it with seasonal produce. This relationship
continues to the present.
9. 2012-2013 building community based coalitions for Food
Justice and Food Security: The HWG mission to focus on community
based, resident-centered farming led us to engage in the
development of food justice and the local food economy. In harmony
with our goal to create a network of farmers, farms and gardens to
improve food security, we reached out to other initiatives in and
out of the community. First and foremost we worked with the Mims
Park Urban Farm development as the natural opportunity to increase
our capacity building and training initiatives, develop options for
residents to access the local food economy on a broader scale, and
implement a cooperative/entrepreneurial model. Following our
participation in the food and farming assessment conducted by
Atlanta Metro Food and Farming Network (a program of Eco Action)
HWG assisted residents and obtained a grant from the Neighborhood
Fund (an initiative of the Greater Community Foundation) to build
on the results of this assessment. An HWG Board member leads this
unique process involving three neighborhoods that will establish a
coalition for food and farming in the Choice Neighborhood area. HWG
is a founding member of the Fertile Crescent-Atlanta Food Commons
steering committee that seeks to establish a food shed in the area
delimited by sections 10 to 2 of the Beltline. The food shed will
include food hubs, acquire lands, and provide financial tools. Food
Commons is a national initiative. HWG has joined other neighborhood
residents and organizations to develop a community based project: a
park on the Proctor Creek in English Avenue. HWG presented
FLOW2prosper, a program to prepare residents for the opportunities
offered by the local food economy and environmental health
concerns. The Vine City Civic Association accepted the program to
be a component of its request from the community benefits coming
out of the new stadium. Meanwhile, HWG reached out to Integrity
Transformation CDC to develop program that includes classical
workforce development and local food economy preparedness. HWG is
currently conducting a community survey to more fully understand
the community desire for healthy food - home and community grown -
and their preferences and challenges. This will help direct our
action plan.Looking ahead, we see a bright future of collaboration
to significantly increase food access and healthy nutrition in the
community. At the core of our efforts is the care and respect for
the community: to give residents a voice to claim good food and
good jobs.