Empowering the Community with Education to Restore Balance to Life with Regenerative Urban Farming and the Ma’at Urban Farm Network™

Project Overview

FNC24-1427
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2024: $14,995.00
Projected End Date: 02/15/2026
Grant Recipient: MA'AT URBAN AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRIES LLC
Region: North Central
State: Indiana
Project Coordinator:
STEBO MA'AT
MA'AT URBAN AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRIES LLC

Commodities

  • Agronomic: Jerusalem artichoke
  • Vegetables: Amaranth
  • Additional Plants: native plants
  • Miscellaneous: mushrooms

Practices

  • Crop Production: continuous cropping, crop improvement and selection, drought tolerance, intercropping, no-till, season extension, varieties and cultivars
  • Education and Training: demonstration, display, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, workshop, youth education
  • Natural Resources/Environment: carbon sequestration
  • Pest Management: allelopathy, mulches - general
  • Production Systems: holistic management
  • Soil Management: composting, organic matter, 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, food hubs, quality of life, social networks, urban agriculture

    Proposal summary:

    [caption id="attachment_1043894" align="alignnone" width="300"]Mua & I Sustainable
    Saturday[/caption]

    MUA & I addresses critical challenges in the realms of food
    security, sustainable agriculture, and community well-being. Our
    primary focus is on regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach
    that's furthering sustainability by actively restoring ecosystems
    and prioritizing soil health, biodiversity, and community
    engagement.

    The core issue we're addressing is the conventional, centralized
    food production model that often leads to environmental
    degradation, loss of biodiversity, and limited community access
    to fresh, nutritious food. Additionally, the lack of inclusivity
    in traditional farming practices excludes disabled individuals
    and veterans from participating in meaningful agricultural
    activities.

    Our mission involves research and education to revolutionize the
    current farming paradigm. We're introducing Urban Regenerative
    Farming, employing innovative methods that require fewer
    resources, and less labor, and yet yield high-quality,
    nutrient-dense crops. Through educational programs, workshops,
    and partnerships with schools, we aim to empower individuals,
    especially the next generation, the knowledge and skills to
    implement regenerative agriculture.

    Furthermore, our commitment extends to community well-being,
    incorporating wheelchair-accessible gardens, providing
    opportunities for those with disabilities, and fostering a sense
    of environmental stewardship. MUA & I is pioneering a
    sustainable, regenerative future that not only ensures food
    security but also nurtures thriving communities and ecosystems.

    Project objectives from proposal:

     

    MUA & I's visionary initiative, Urban Regenerative Farming, is a
    holistic solution to critical challenges in black urban
    communities, focusing on reshaping the conventional food
    production model into a decentralized and community-centric
    approach with the Ma'at Urban Farm Network. This groundbreaking
    project seeks to replace the outdated centralized food production
    model with a dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive system,
    fostering abundant food sources in black communities.

    The trial component of this initiative involves the establishment
    of research plots in diverse urban settings, strategically
    employing Regenerative Urban Farming practices. Central to this
    is the implementation of Hugelkultur High Rise Gardens (HHRG), an
    innovative technique that optimizes growing space, cultivates
    fresh and healthy soil, and eliminates traditional practices like
    tilling and weeding. These plots will integrate food forest
    guilds, high-density spacing, and intercropping, mirroring
    natural ecosystems. The aim is to create an urban farming system
    that demands less labor while promoting biodiversity, soil
    health, and long-term sustainability.

    A key element of this sustainable approach is the incorporation
    of mushrooms into the urban farming system. The symbiotic
    relationship between mushrooms and crops will be explored,
    enhancing soil health, nutrient cycling, and overall system
    resilience. This innovative integration aims to create a diverse
    range of nutrient-dense, high-calorie food sources, ensuring food
    security and resilience within the urban environment.

    For the demonstration and education aspect of the project, MUA &
    I will develop an online Regenerative Urban Farming Course. This
    course will utilize cutting-edge teaching methods, multimedia
    elements, and real-world case studies to convey sustainable
    agriculture practices. To complement the online component, an
    outdoor classroom will be constructed at the feature garden,
    providing a hands-on training environment for participants where
    they will have access to come and work in the garden applying the
    learned techniques. This dynamic learning space will facilitate
    practical experiences, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of
    sustainable farming practices.

    The objectives of this solution are not only to conduct research
    on the viability and productivity of Regenerative Urban Farming
    practices but also to disseminate this knowledge widely. By
    creating an online course, conducting workshops, and
    collaborating with schools, Ma'at 9 aims to inspire and educate
    the next generation of farmers. Furthermore, the project seeks to
    create work-study materials, present findings at the Black LOAM
    conference, and develop a replicable model that can be adopted
    across urban communities, fostering a regenerative and
    sustainable future.

    Objectives:

    1. Establish research plots in urban settings to evaluate the
      effectiveness of Regenerative Urban Farming practices,
      including HHRG and integrated food forest guilds.

    2. Cultivate staple crops, vegetables, and mushrooms in the
      research plots to assess the viability and productivity of
      this integrated approach.

    3. Develop and implement an online Regenerative Urban Farming
      Course, using innovative teaching methods and real-world case
      studies.

    4. Construct an outdoor classroom with a wheelchair-accessible
      garden at the feature garden for hands-on training,
      reinforcing sustainable practices.

    5. Explore symbiotic relationships between mushrooms and crops
      within the urban farming system for enhanced sustainability
      and food production.

    6. Promote the decentralized community-based farming model
      through community outreach, workshops, and collaboration with
      schools.

    7. Create work-study materials from research, present findings
      at the Black LOAM conference, and develop a replicable model
      for widespread adoption in urban communities.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.