The lowernine.org garden project was started in Spring of 2008 with the simple intention of creating and supporting the growth of food production inside the lower ninth ward of New Orleans.
Two important issues drove this idea:
- The closest grocery store to anywhere inside the lower ninth ward is at least three miles away.
- There’s land, empty overgrown land, everywhere.
How can we remedy both?
First we found and spoke with many property owners, mostly elderly people who had spent the majority of their lives in the neighborhood. They owned their own home and at least two other rental properties, which universally were all demolished. Not having the funds to rebuild these rentals, completely unwilling to sell the assets of their land, and unable to maintain the lots themselves, few options were left to these property owners. So we asked, “what if we turned it into a garden? grow vegetables?”. The answer, without question, was “Yes”.
The lower ninth ward has a great history of Agriculture, through small gardens and even livestock raising. These neighbors remember a time, not so long ago, when most people grew at least what their family needed, and always gave away and shared the excess. For them, the idea made perfect sense.
So, we began the project with a raised bed garden built on the side yard of an elderly resident, open for community use.
This is the property of Miss Pittman, a strong advocate for health and self sufficiency.In August of 2008 we built the raised beds and filled them, ready for planting. At this time, they’ve gone through a fall, winter, spring and summer planting of vegetables! And its making people notice…
Miss Pittman garden early on
Miss Pittman’s neighbors have responded with great interest and movement to help her keep the garden up. “If you build it, they will come…” And it happened. At the moment we’re still working to build a community greenhouse and a shaded gazebo for the rough summer sunshine and community gatherings. We’re also working to expand the 5-tree orchard into a 15 tree strong food forest! Your donations can help.
Miss Pittman garden under construction
In November of 2008 we were able to branch out into a slightly different, yet very needed approach to food security.
With local resident Mr. Howard Foster, we signed a lease on a former rental property of his for $1/year. In exchange, he reaps a percentage of the produce grown on his land (though he never insists or even asks for it) and we’re able to produce larger amounts of food to service the neighborhood need.
In January of 2009, we received the gracious support of the Walter Foundation, with the grant being matched by lowernine.org. We scraped the land, sifted through the debris and topsoil, added sand into the clay, brought in additional organic matter and built in-ground raised beds. Since then, we’ve put the land into half production, the other half with a soil building cover crop. Eggplant, collard greens, mustard greens, okra, beans, zucchini, chard and various herbs now clutter the rows of the ‘Villere Farm’.
"If you build it, they will come..." again rings true
The neighbors next door and across the street, the only neighbors in the general area, have responded to the transformation of this space. The best moment, however, was when Chris across the street finally asked to visit the space. By watching our work, he became inspired, quite secretly, to build a garden of his own in his backyard. When he finally came into the Villere Farm, he was glowing. Since then Brennan, the manager of the project, has been working with Chris to teach him basics of farming and growing. Using this energy to create something more, the idea has come to make this viable for him. To take Chris, who dropped out of 4 high schools in New Orleans before Katrina, doesn’t yet have his GED but is self taught in guitar and now gardening, and give him a viable business opportunity that in turn provides a stable food source- well, it’s incredible. And that’s what Villere is – and what it is to become. As it’s the first property of many similar to it, it’s only bound to grow, no pun intended.
Chris
The potential of our work is boundless, and its effects are already being felt – and tasted.
The future…
- to create a direct sales program of farm-to-family shares, stable and sustainable for both grower and consumer.
- to educate and inspire growers inside the lower ninth ward.
- to grow. to feed. to sustain life and support the right to health and opportunity of which all people are deserving.
To make a donation to lowernine.org and its garden project, please click the donate button on the donate page, with ‘garden project’ in the “purpose” portion.
Also, check out our garden project manager’s weekly blog at: http://eggplantbrigade.blogspot.com/
The garden project is funded in part by a generous grant from the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation
