When last we looked over the shoulders of the folks at the Food Literacy Project and Iroquois Urban Farm, it was Halloween and the very end of the growing season.
Food Literacy Project’s “Spooktastic Farm-A-Palooza” is tonight (Wednesday) at Iroquois Urban Farm
Eight months and a changed world later, the planting is done and the veggies are coming in. Here’s an excerpt from a news release: “The Food Literacy Project Provides Fresh Produce from Iroquois Urban Farm to Area Community Ministries.”
The Food Literacy Project is working in partnership with South Louisville Community Ministries and Southwest Community Ministries to distribute the fresh food grown on Iroquois Urban Farm to neighbors in need. The partnership arose in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in many Louisville families turning to food pantries run by the community ministries for assistance.
“During this pandemic, SLCM has increased almost all of our emergency assistance because of the exponential need,” said Clare Wallace, Executive Director of South Louisville Community Ministries. “Thanks to the Food Literacy Project, we’re able to bring back fresh produce! Fresh vegetables are otherwise not widely available in food pantries, and with produce being the most expensive thing to purchase, it’s left behind at the grocery. The Food Literacy Project has added some life, color, and nutrition to our staple items, and our families could not be more grateful.”
Those vegetables, which are being donated rather than taken to market, are being grown at the Iroquois Urban Farm, an eight-acre plot off Taylor Boulevard. Salad mix, spinach and radishes are the staples so far, with more to come as the season progresses.
The Food Literacy Project’s mission is “youth transforming their communities through food, farming, and the land … through (its) programs, youth and families experience gardening, cooking, nutrition, food systems, leadership, and food justice, gaining the knowledge, skills, and access needed to thrive and drive community change.”
