Decatur’s Long-Discussed 2-Acre Urban Farm Almost a Reality
Decatur Metro | September 6, 2011
Hands down the most interesting item on tonight’s Decatur City Commission agenda are requests from the Asst. City Manager David Junger regarding the long talked about urban farm on the property of the United Methodist Children’s Home.
For two years, the city has been openly talking about a possible Urban Farm Market on two rare open acres of land owned by the United Methodist Children’s Home, which sits just outside the Decatur city limits. However, there were many hurdles to overcome. Who would run such a farm and who would pay for it?
Yet again, it looks like Decatur has found a creative way of bringing parties together to make it a reality.
According to Mr. Junger’s letter – which is on page 33 of the attachments – about a year ago, city staff heard about the urban garden on Sams Street run primarily by refugee women resettled in the United States from Burundi. (DM first reported on the effort back in June 2010) The city contacted and met with Refugee Family Services, which runs the Sams Street garden project, who were very excited about the possibilities of the UMCH project and confirmed they had the skills and ability to manage to two acres.
Awesome news! But what about the money?
According to Mr. Junger, just three weeks ago the DeKalb Board of Health announced grant funding up to $80,000 for development of urban gardens, with submissions due by September 9th. In addition to the DeKalb Health request, Mr. Junger is recommending that the city allocate $40,000 of in-kind or direct financial support to the project, “for start-up and initial development costs for the project.
According to Junger…
Resources can be allocated from unreserved general fund balance. In-kind contributions might consist of providing water lines, using City equipment and staff to prepare the ground for use as a garden or providing staff to assist with communications and logistics efforts. …the Oakhurst Community Garden will also be part of the team by leading the community education effort.
What does this project mean to Decatur? Junger sums it up nicely…
This project has all the necessary components to be successful on many levels. Being able to support the City’s strategic plan goals and objectives as well as being able to address local food security issues and combat the childhood obesity epidemic are just a start. There will also be employment and income opportunities for families resettled to the United States. Fresh locally sourced food will be available to our restaurants and institutions. Overall, this will significantly contribute to the public heath and well-being of the City.
Sams Street Garden photo courtesy of Our Community Farming Project website
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Great News!
This is marvelous news, but I’m curious about one thing. Given that most of the Children’s Home property outside the Decatur city limits, what is the City’s — and the City Commission’s — authority over the project?
They way I read it, Decatur’s mainly a facilitator and the city will obviously be the main recipient of the farm’s harvest. Interesting point though…
I like the idea of local food/ community gardening, but its important to look at this critically. Is this a food commune? Is it professionally managed or volunteer labor? $40 to $80 k is a lot of our tax money. Food security and combating childhood obesity are important causes, but it seems like a stretch to quote those causes to justify a garden on 2 acres of privately held land. This certainly is not a financially efficient way to produce food or a direct way to combat obesity.
annex the farm!
Whoa.
WW: Correct me if I’m wrong but where did you get the 40-80K being from our taxes? I read that it’s a grant from the Dekalb Board of Heatlh. Secondly, no one thinks this project is going to singlehandedly eradicate childhood obesity in our community. However, it will expand upon a growing (no pun intended but I’ll take it) culture that already has sprouted in Decatur. That is a culture that values knowing where our food comes from and recognizes that efficiently produced food is not always the best food for our health. Maybe look at it as another step in the journey to becoming a whole, mentally and physically healthy, connected community.
“In addition to the DeKalb Health request, Mr. Junger is recommending that the city allocate $40,000 of in-kind or direct financial support to the project, “for start-up and initial development costs for the project.”
Sounds like our tax money to me…not that I’m opposed to it. Sounds like a very interesting project.
If they can make money at it, might a low/no interest loan be a better way to fund the project?
In our economic time, I believe it is important for people to understand where money comes from that is handed out in the form of grants. OUR TAX DOLLARS!!!!!
Since when is it the role of the City to provide an urban garden? The fact that it is not in the City is irrelevant. If I own a local farm and sell to locals and restaurants do I now have to compete with a garden funded by taxpayers? If this is such a great idea, and I am all for local farms, it should be done privately. Providing taxpayer subsidies to a business competing with local businesses is not the proper role of government.
@ Mt. Vernon Mom, unless you see the name of a private foundation in front of the grant, it is tax money. Junger also states that resources ($) can also be allocated from the City’s unreserved general fund, aka tax money.
Until I get some more details, Mises, I tend to agree with you.
“City equipment and staff to prepare the ground d for use as a garden or providing staff to assist with communications and logistics efforts.”
Seems like there are some sidewalks and public areas that need a little sprucing up in my neighborhood that should be a priority for city staff before this.
Other questions would be:
Who will they be growing this produce for? Who they will be selling it to and in what manner?
I don’t know about this. Doesn’t really strike me as something our city government should be involved with doing so directly. Supporting community groups who want to do it (like OCGP at Sugar Creek)? Sure. But this goes a step further.
“Who will they be growing this produce for? Who they will be selling it to and in what manner?”
And those questions are precisely why I’ll wait to withhold judgement. Though others seem perfectly comfortable “manuring” all over the idea when they have the same information I have.
What if they’re going the food to sell some items to CSD at a discounted rate than what they pay now? Or they could somehow start incorporating classes or electives in farming to highschoolers? Perhaps the sale of the food benefits the Children’s Home, or some other nonprofit?
Anyways, my point is, let’s not totally shut the idea down with such preliminary info.
And do they know about your sidewalks that need repair? If they do, call them again and say “there’s no way I plan to support your garden until you fix the sidewalk at xxx Drive” and see what they say.
Some projects are a total waste of funds, but this sounds like a project that could have long-term future potential and benefit for many in the community. Look at the “About Us” section in the link above. Wouldn’t something like that be an asset to Decatur?
You’re commenting as though this initiative is arbitrary, Mises, when I don’t think it is. Instead, it seems to be a fairly pragmatic response to the Strategic Plan, Task 12C: “Support the expansion of urban gardening opportunities.” In this case, support is taking the form of helping to put the partnership together, prepping the site, and providing a start-up grant.
The Plan is what city residents have collectively asked our government to do and now they’re doing it. I believe responsiveness to the will of the people is not only an appropriate role for government but, for democracy to function effectively, it’s among the most important.
+1
I think it would be so cool — and thanks for the reminder about the farm on Sams Street. As someone who has eaten yummy meals in Burundi, made from fresh vegetables and fruits (and rice) grown by women farmers there, I can testify that they are very good at what they do!
In reply to the “bean counters” (do I get a pun credit?) who are skeptical of the municipal value of this project…
Decatur’s property values have not gone straight into the toilet like other areas of the county because of our enviable “livability” , i.e. cool factor. This includes:
Local schools
Political engagement
New urbanism
Al fresco dining
Cool Festivals
Farmers markets
and now… our own URBAN FARM.
Final note: I grew up in a Chicago suburb where we had a working demonstration farm (Hawthorn Melody Farms). Keeping kids connected to the earth seems just as important as SAT scores in today’s Xbox era.
Good points.
I wish this posting contained more information to start with about how this “urban market garden” is going to work. For instance, do the gardeners get paid — in cash or produce or some other way? Can anybody step up and apply to be a gardener? Who’s in charge of deciding who can work there, which crops to grow, etc.? What happens to the harvest — distributed to gardeners and their families? Distributed to people in need? Sold, and if so, to whom and by whom, and what happens to the proceeds?
I’m not opposed or in favor — impossible to have an opinion without basic information. I think that generally speaking, urban gardening is a good thing that can be cultivated (sorry!) in a variety of ways. And I think the City should be always on the lookout for initiatives that advance our strategic goals. But I also don’t think it’s unreasonable to have questions about anything the City decides to support financially, when we’re also putting up with tighter and tighter constraints on basic stuff (like fixing sidewalks).
Who lived here?
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop
And we’re so amazed
We’re crippled and we’re dazed
A gardener like that one
No one can replace
-Elton John