Urban Agriculture: The First Year

Advantages, Challenges, and the Road Ahead

Jericho Road Episcopal Housing InitiativeVacant Land Management

Enterprise Green Communities ○ Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Central City ○ New Orleans, LA

Alison Ecker ○ Director of Vacant Land Management

JERICHO ROAD

• Following Hurricane Katrina –Started in Winter 2006

• Formed by the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

• 3 Contiguous Neighborhoods in New Orleans’ Central City

• 3 Areas of Work: • Housing Development• Community Development• Vacant Land Management

OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

FaubourgDelassize

FaubourgLivaudais

FaubourgLafayette

OUR WORK

VACANT LAND MANGEMENT

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT:• New + Rehab Single Family Homes• Traditional, Universal, and Green Design• 24 Built/19 Sold To‐Date

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:• 3 Community Organizers• Neighborhood Associations and Events• Connecting residents to each other + resources

VACANT LAND MANAGEMENT

THE CONTEXT

•Negatives of Blight:• ↓ Property Values ‐ ↓ Tax Revenue• Correlation with crime• Dumping• Health Hazards

• Taking care of Blight:• Reverse/improve above problems• Neighborhood pride• Help to sell our houses• Urban Ag – Food Access+ Meet Neighbors

* “Optimizing Blight Strategies”  Greater New Orleans Community Data Center

THE ANSWER• Comprehensive Program to Deal with Blight

• Started in Spring 2010 with Pilot Projects

• Expansion Funding: Greater New Orleans Foundation 

VACANT LAND MANGEMENT

EDUCATION + ADVOCACY

LOT GREENING

TOTALEL  + BB

Number/%

NOLA 213,000* 44,000/21%*

Our Neighborhoods 2,500 620/25%

∼ Empty Lots + Blighted Buildings

EDUCATION + ADVOCACY

• PROPERTY CONDITIONS SURVEY:• Worked with residents, volunteers, other orgs 

to survey 9 variables of 2500 properties ∼ 23,000 pieces of info.

• This spring – first survey + baseline, to repeat each year.

• NEIGHBORHOOD BLIGHT COMMITTEES:• Part of Neighborhood Associations that will:

• Analyze data• Create target lists• Develop blight‐fighting strategies

• DISCUSSIONS:– Bring together leaders/thinkers to discuss 

blight‐related issues– May 25th Forum – 7 prominent panelists to 

discuss demolition

LOT GREENING

• VACANT LOT STABILIZATION:

• Beautifying lot after acquisition by:

• Demolition + Lot Clearing + 

Foundation Removal

• Green Lawn

• Fence

• Trees/Shurbs

• Minimum Investment →Large Return

• For now – just with Jericho lots

• URBAN AGRICULTURE:

• Currently two projects:

• Community Garden

• Community Fruit Tree Orchard

BEFORE AFTER

2238 SEVENTH

COMMUNITY GARDEN• Started Spring 2010

• Group of residents approached Jericho

• Worked with Community Organizer to start

THE SPACE• Jericho Road Lot

• 80’ x 30’

• 6 Beds

THE COMMUNITY• Group with 1 Leader and 6‐7 participants

• Signed between JR and Group:

• Lease – Use of Space

• MOU – Expectations of Maintenance, Funding,  General Operations

• Group active in Neighborhood Association

• Shade Structure

(Tulane City Center)

• Storage 

• Seating

FRUIT TREE ORCHARD• Entered online competition sponsored by Fruit 

Tree Planting Foundation and Edy’s/Dreyers

• One of 25 (out of 80) to receive orchard

• Voting April – August 2010; Planting Nov. 2010

THE SPACE• Jericho Road Lot

• 150’ x 60’

• “Fruit Tree Museum”:

33 trees (25 varieties) 

THE COMMUNITY

• Activities/Maintenance on volunteer basis:

• Local schools, residents, outside groups

• No Lease/MOU – Jericho Operated

• Why?:

• No individual beds – more communal 

• Yet, looking to develop advisory committee to fulfill this role

• Close to 3 Apt Complexes

• Storage

• Seating

EXPANSIONSIn the next 2‐3 Years:

• Increasing workshops, classes, events

• Outreach to local schools

• Fruit Tree Orchard:

•Advisory committee

• Add planter boxes and shade structure

• Add third urban ag space in Faubourg Lafayette

• Fundraising

ADVANTAGES

• Access to fresh, local, affordable food

• Combat obesity (LA one of highest rates)

• Space for:

• Jericho to connect with community(esp. those not at formal n’hood mtgs)

• Residents to connect with each other

• Pillar projects of Neighborhood Associations

• Afterschool + Summer Activities

• Helps to sell community, thus our houses 

• Demonstrates + hopefully inspires 

CHALLENGES• To START:

• Cover Costs: Site prep, fence, water access, and 1 yr maintenance

• Sustained + Consistent Commitment

• Residents back‐out → You’re the back‐up

• Constant activities → to make space active

• Stealing food + vandalizing site/fence

• Over‐saturating neighborhood?

• Racial/Ethnic/Class →Who wants to or can get involved

• Alternative, but not ultimate answer to food issues

RE-DO YEAR 1?

• Staff Person in community + at sites from Day 1

• Understand commitment level from competitions/grants

• Find it for free:•Mulch• Plants• Fertilizer + Supplies

• Searched out more local ag advice:• LOCAL landscaping centers (not Lowes/Home Depot)

• Extension Officers 

BIG PICTURE

Ideas • NOLA – One BIG Market Venue?

•Urban Gardening Corps?

• Pop up Gardens?

• Schools and Gardens?

• Assemble properties for larger projects?

Check these out:Other New Orleans Urban Agriculture Initiatives

• HollyGrove Market and Farm (www.hollygrovemarket.com)

• NOLA Green Roots (www.nolagreenroots.com)

• New Orleans Food and Farm Network (www.noffn.org)

• Edible Schoolyard NOLA (www.esynola.org)

• Parkway Partners (www.parkwaypartnersnola.org)

Check us out:Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative

www.jerichohousing.org

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