Glendale urban farm donating thousands of pounds of produce
Groundwork Milwaukee is changing the way that urban farming is done in Milwaukee.
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“Last year we grew 12,000 pounds of produce in a year, which feels excellent, and all of this is given for free. Just donated to food pantries in the area,” Samson Srok, a food systems specialist with Groundwork Milwaukee, said.
The food is grown all year in hoop houses, which are kind of like greenhouses. The produce that is grown there includes: beets, leeks, onions, carrots, tomatoes, collards, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, and eggplant.
One of the main goals of Groundwork Milwaukee is helping people become sustainable on their own. The nonprofit will help individuals start their own gardens.
“Build a lot of raised beds. Rainwater harvest structures. Something we’re doing this year is provide tools and resources for new gardeners. Free seedlings. Free supplies,” said Srok.
If people are able to sustain their household, they won’t need to rely on food pantries.
“The farm is here for food charity, but like cultivating community gardeners is true food sovereignty. I’s creating communities that know how to grow their own food or cultivating recipes,” Srok said.
In addition to helping people grow their own garden, they also crowd source food donations from people who already have enough food and grow food as a hobby. Within their network of gardens, if someone has extra food, they ask the food be given to Groundwork Milwaukee. It will then be donated to various food pantries.
