Author: Jennifer Palmer
Planning Unit: Jefferson County CES
Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Plan of Work: Promoting Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Urban Forestry
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
The problem was lack of access to land and not having access to farming and business classes.
The educational program response was overwhelming this year with increased class size and and we split the track into business track and a track focused on farming practices.
The participants/target audience - Immigrant farmers that are newly arrived and farm teams that have been participating in the program since 2011. The farmers farm on multiple sites including the seventeen plots that are each 1/10 of acre on millers lane that Jefferson County Extension manages.
Other partners (if applicable) Common Earth Gardens with Catholic Charities.
Program impact or participant response. The Miller's Lane farm program provides a multiple faceted approach. This program creates value and a sense of connection to the land and the farmers who had been forcefully displaced from their homeland. Their plots are more than just a place to grow extra produce for markets, it is a special place where they can literally put roots in Louisville. The farm on Miller's Lane provides the farmers with increased sense of safety, welcoming, and better all-around wellbeing. It provides farmers the chance to continue to grow foods that are cultural relevant and important so they can share their culture with their as well as us. Due to the large demand the Miller's lane site will be expanding.
With the farm business classes and the access to land they are able to create a farm business and sell their crops to the community. Thus, addressing food access issues in the Jefferson county area.
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