Photo credit: Fritz Haeg
Urban farming was still a largely unknown concept in 1993 when Growing Power began as a program that offered inner-city Milwaukee teens an opportunity to work by growing food for their community. Over the ensuing years, Growing Power received national attention for its efforts and expanded into one of the most successful urban farms in the country.
Founder and CEO Will Allen started the nonprofit organization by purchasing a few acres of land just blocks from Milwaukee’s largest public housing project, transforming it into a multi-site urban farm that produced 40 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and raised more than 100,000 fish annually. Alas, Growing Power has recently closed its doors following a vote to do so by its board of directors.
But that is not the end of the story. A group called Green Veterans has taken over Growing Power’s mission and its holdings. Green Veterans announced on their Facebook page recently that they are now beginning the process of transforming Growing Power into “a new intermodal model of Urban Farm School, Small Farmers Co-op and Trauma Resolution Center.”
Green Veterans’ mission statement, should it be fulfilled here in Milwaukee with their take-over of Growing Power, would certainly prove a boon to the local community. “Green Veterans are dedicated to helping our nation’s heroes learn about sustainable building and green living, while helping ease the hardship of military-to-civilian transition,” it states. “By empowering veterans to become volunteer leaders in their communities, we nurture opportunities for continuing education, networking, employment, corporate engagement and green entrepreneurship.”
