Community gardeners, urban farmers worry about ability to feed community amid heat wave
Indy community gardens and farms supply hundreds of Hoosiers with fresh produce. Now, their yield is threatened due to heat.
By Madison Stacey
WTHR
July 1, 2022
Excerpt:
NDIANAPOLIS — Community gardens function as critical access points of nutrition for thousands of folks in Indianapolis.
As a record-breaking heat wave rages, the city’s urban gardeners and growers are fighting to produce their usual yield against a toughening climate.
Danielle Guerin is the executive director of the Soul Food Project, a community farm that focuses on empowering wellness in Indianapolis and educating the next generation of urban gardeners.
The heat has slowed down production.
“Produce-wise, things are struggling a little bit. Things are slowing down — a lot. They’re not used to growing in this heat. And some things aren’t even germinating, because it’s just too hot,” Guerin said.
Across the farms’ three locations in Indianapolis, which distributes food at locations on Keystone and Sherman avenues and on the far east side, Guerin has had to take extra precautions to make sure the outstanding heat does not affect her output.
“Our yields are lower, and so then we can’t put that money out for the neighbor residents who need the food. We can’t serve as many people. So that’s concerning for us that we don’t have enough food to serve everyone,” Guerin said.
