Final report for YENC18-121
Project Information
J. Jireh Development Corp. (JJDC) is the founder of the Kimball Farms Urban Farming Program. JJDC is a local grower to a juicing company called & Juice Company (And Juice Company). JJDC is going to teach disadvantaged youth how to establish their own business within their community. JJDC has an inner-city youth program called SIMBA/SIMSA Circle. The SIMBA/SIMSA Circle youth will be taught how to grow and sell their produce to a business(es). This experience will be used for academic learning for the youth. Also, the youth will apply the Seven Principles of Nguzo Saba for the empowerment of their Africentric community.
1. Increase sustainable farming skills to disadvantaged youth through hands-on work sessions with farmers reinforced by urban farming within their own neighborhood.
2. Introduce disadvantaged youth to sustainable agriculture career opportunities through meetings with farmers, grocers, agricultural firms, chefs, and universities.
3. Provide disadvantaged youth with background on sustainable agriculture practices though use of the Green to Grow Program curriculum offered by Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Share project results through a conference presentation held by FPC and Botanical Gardens.
4. Give disadvantaged youth hands-on direct marketing experience by starting and participating in their own urban farming business.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
J. Jireh Development Corp. (JJDC) is the founder of the Kimball Farms Urban Farming Program. JJDC is a local grower to a juicing company called & Juice Company. JJDC is going to teach disadvantaged youth how to establish their own business within their community. JJDC has an inner-city youth program called SIMBA/SIMSA Circle. The SIMBA/SIMSA Circle youth will be taught how to grow and sell their produce to a business(s). This experience will be used for academic learning for the youth. Also, the youth will apply the Seven Principles of Nguzo Saba for the empowerment of their Africentric community.The OSU Extension had provided techniques for urban farming at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques. The youth went on field trips to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the OSU Extension. The students used the following techniques at the Kimball Farms Community Garden: Raised bed gardening, Improving garden soils with organic matter, and pulling weeds as they pop or desired plants will suffer.
Learning Outcomes
The objectives for the Kimball Farms Urban Farming Program will be to address Nutrition/Wellness, Food Production, Children's Education, and Job Training. The Kimball Farms Community Garden is located at 1676 East main Street and it is approx. 4000 sq. ft. The youth were able to use their experiences on the field trips in the garden. They were responsible for planting and watering the vegetables and maintaining/cleaning the garden.
- Increase sustainable farming skills to disadvantaged youth through hands-on work sessions with farmers reinforced by urban farming within their own neighborhood.
- Introduce disadvantaged youth to sustainable agriculture career opportunities through meetings with farmers, grocers, agricultural firms, chefs, and universities.
- Provide disadvantaged youth with background on sustainable agriculture practices though use of the Green to Grow Program curriculum offered by Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Share project results through a conference presentation held by Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
- Give disadvantaged youth hands-on direct marketing experience by starting and participating in their own urban farming business.
- Provide access to fresh, traditional produce and nutritionally rich foods in a low-income neighborhood, where nutritious food is much less available in the community.
- Provide a place for disadvantaged youth to share knowledge and skills with families and individuals without land of their own the opportunity to produce healthy food.
In February 2022, Reverend Brown explained that the grant acted as a seed that helped develop other programs including having the SIMBA/SIMSA youth train elementary children in gardening based on what they learned through the urban farm program. They youth are also using their skills to establish a horticultural therapy urban farm for a Recovery House for women in their neighborhood. For details, view the Horticultural Therapy brochure: SIMBA-SIMSA Horticultural Therapy Garden
Project Outcomes
The youth were learning sustainable agriculture, but they stopped coming to the urban farm after four months. Many of the youth had lack of transportation to come to the urban farm.
Two of the parents had an interest in the agricultural program, but stopped coming to the urban farm because their car broke down. The other parents did not show an interest in the program. We had to stop the agricultural program due to the lack of transportation by the parents. As a result, the youth lost interest and pursued other interests. This is very unfortunate.
JJDC was able to schedule field trips for the youth to the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio with Mr. Bill Dawson, Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Grove City, Ohio with Ms. Sarah Lenkay, and ScottsMiracle-Gro in Maryville, Ohio with Mrs. Lindsay Lasala. JJDC will collaborate with Mr. Michael Hogan with The OSU Extension, Franklin County regarding their 4-H Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). This is an 8-week 4-H Gardening SPIN Club program. EFNEP focuses on providing food and nutrition education contributing to personal development. The program provides opportunities for youth to develop skills in basic food selection, preparation and food safety. The Community of Kimball Farms was able to get fresh produce and improve the health and quality of life for the neighborhood due to the project. All of the youth went on the field trips. They were informed that approx. 500,000 people in Columbus miss adequate meals. There were not any hands-on sustainable agricultural activities for the youth on the field trips. They applied their experiences at the Kimball Farms Community Garden.
There needs to be parental buy-in for community projects like this one to be successful. The youth were willing to engage, but they did not get a great deal of adult support for the project.