If you want to make a donation to the farm , click on this button. Thank you !
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’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
Now, since summer 2010, Mr. Foster has been building a new rental home on the site of the Villere Farm. Luckily we had several residents who own property in the “backatown” (lakeside of Claiborne Ave. in lower ninth ward) that have been letting us grow on their land under similar agreements to Mr. Foster. It is called Lamanche Community Farm.
Since our first harvest in Oct/Nov 2010, we have been selling at Sankofa Farmers Market in the neighborhood and building up the space slowly but surely. LCF is much bigger than Mrs. Pittman’s or the Villere Farm, therefore a much bigger challenge! We are working on many campaigns and partnerships with other local growers’ organizations to realize the space’s potential.
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.
