Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: annual ryegrass, buckwheat, oats, peas (field, cowpeas), radish (oilseed, daikon, forage), rye, vetches
- Fruits: melons
- Vegetables: beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), leeks, okra, onions, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
- Additional Plants: herbs
Practices
- Crop Production: crop rotation, high tunnels or hoop houses, irrigation, multiple cropping
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, technical assistance, youth education
- Energy: solar energy
- Farm Business Management: agricultural finance, community-supported agriculture, farmers' markets/farm stands, farm succession, financial management, grant making, land access, value added
- Pest Management: cultivation, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, mulching - plastic, row covers (for pests), soil solarization
- Soil Management: composting, soil analysis, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, community development, community planning, community services, employment opportunities, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, leadership development, local and regional food systems, partnerships, public participation, quality of life, social capital, sustainability measures, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration
Proposal summary:
The community in which South Side Family Farms operates ,is an underserved minority and disadvantaged area. South Side Family Farms has 2 urban growing sites.
As many other underserved disadvantaged communities throughout this country's' urban population ,the need for fresh food and employment opportunities are lacking.
In order to continue the model of Sustainable Agriculture in the urban setting ,it is absolutely necessary to create educational and appropriate training opportunities using Historically Black farming as a motivational and inspirational tool. South Side Family Farms project goal is to engage Black underserved youth, 5 to begin with and for 23 months, expose them to all facets of the Agri-Sciences, and the marketing/business practices, necessary for them to become proficient and competent. This proficiency will allow them to attain the ultimate goal of our project and that is admittance to a 2 or 4year Agricultural Collège. South Side Family Farms already has worked with Columbus State and Central State universities to create opportunity portals
Education and co-ordination to this outcome will make this project successful
Project objectives from proposal:
The foundation of our project is based on training/education, resulting in proficiency and competency . This curriculum covers all the sustainable agronomic accepted practices.
- Individuals in the program will be assigned to expected outcome projects, such as, current crop data collection for future planting of field and raised planting beds.
- They will be familiarized with Agronomical ,Horticultural terms and language.
- They will be part of presentations, relating their experiences and involvement with the project at field day workshop events in our area.