Reconnecting people to food

The Gardens of Park Place

Location:

Corner of 7th Ave North and 25th Street--Birmingham, Alabama

The Concept:

Develop a multi-faceted garden project adjacent to the Park Place Community in downtown Birmingham. The project is a collaboration between the Rushton Foundation, Sloss Realty, Auburn University College of Agriculture, the YMCA, and Jones Valley Urban Farm.

The Goal:

Increase the ‘livability’ of the downtown community by creating a vibrant green space for neighbors to interact, grow food, and learn about healthy eating habits and sustainable agriculture.

The Programs:

The Gardens of Park Place (GPP) would be collection of three distinct projects housed on a portion of the Rushton Foundation Property, each complimenting each other and synergistically creating a desirable environment for a broad spectrum of the community.

1. The Community Garden: Based on successful gardens in other parts of the country, this garden would provide the mixed-income community members a space to grow their own food and flowers, as well as a medium for working and sharing together. Garden accessible to elderly and handy-cap.
2. The Demonstration Urban Farm: Building on the previous success of Jones Valley Urban Farm and other urban farms around the world, the farm grows produce and flowers for sale to local markets and provides environmental education to youth throughout the city. JVUF employee’s community youth for summer work.
3. Early Childhood Learning Center: Developed and funded by the Rushton Foundation, this center provides education and support services to pre-kindergarten youth in downtown.

The Benefits:

This program draws on the resources of multiple organizations to provide a totally unique reproducible project. The benefits stretch far beyond the confines of the downtown community.
Open green space for downtown residents

1. Access to garden space to grow food and flowers
2. Access to purchase organically grown produce and flowers
3. Nutritional education for local youth
4. Summer science-course for high school students
5. Unique tourist destination

Future Expansion:

GPP could include a café and farm stand to provide the neighborhood with locally grown organic produce and meals. The gardens could also serve as a venue for neighborhood gatherings, as well as music and theater. Add water features for recreation, irrigation, and fish production.

Funding:

• Sale of produce and flowers
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for Park Place residents
• Sliding-scale for use of community garden space
• Education programs
• Special events
• Federal/local grants
• City subsidy
• Private donations (ex…Friends of The Gardens of Park Place)
  

Jones Valley Urban Farm needs your Support:

1. In-kind support to develop demonstration community garden and urban farm
   • Develop infrastructure, such as roads, paths, install irrigation, electricity.
   • Provide access to printing systems for flyers, newsletters, etc
2. Funding to run existing agri-science education programs
3. Funding to develop new nutrition education programs for local youth
4. Funding to develop job-readiness program for inner-city youth
   

Home | About JVUF | The Gardens of Park Place | Our Produce | Education | Publicity | How to Help
Photo Gallery | Contact Us | Top of Page