urban agriculture: year 1
DESCRIPTION
A recent presentation given to an webinar audience of nearly 90 as part of the "Enterprise Best Practices" series. Learn more about Jericho Road, the Vacant Land Management Program, and our two urban agriculture sites!TRANSCRIPT
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
Facebook ○ Twitter