Photo courtesy of We Got This
The 2020 Home & Garden Guide is sponsored by Weather Tight. You can read the entire guide here.
Many black Milwaukeeans live in food deserts, or areas which lack access to fresh groceries and produce. Community gardens help provide these neighborhoods with produce grown by local residents, while beautifying neighborhoods and fostering a sense of unity and teamwork in the process.
A number of gardening organizations aim to provide Milwaukee residents of color with gardening and environmental sustainability skills. Below are five of these organizations and what readers can do to support them:
Named in honor of former Milwaukee County Extension director Alice Meade-Taylor and combining spirituality and mindfulness with a love for the environment, Alice’s Garden has been going strong since the early 1970s. Throughout the years, Alice’s Garden has partnered with numerous community organizations and businesses, including Fondy Food Center and Outpost Natural Foods. To volunteer with Alice’s Garden, contact Executive Director Venice Williams 414-687-0122.
Groundwork Milwaukee, an environmental organization with a slogan of “Changing Places, Changing Lives,” consists of several programs, including Young Farmers, and an urban farm site. Groundwork’s largest program is MKE Grows, a network of more than 100 gardens throughout the city managed by community volunteers. To volunteer, fill out the contact form on the Groundwork Milwaukee website. To donate and to view wish list items, visit the Groundwork website, contact info@groundworkmke.org or call 414-431-0931.
In addition to offering gardening programs and internships for Milwaukee area youth, Teens Grow Greens also operates Weber’s Greenhouse. Proceeds go towards supporting Teens Grow Greens programs. Visit the Teens Grow Greens website for volunteer and donation information.
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With a mission to empower communities with the resources needed to grow their own food, Victory Garden Initiative’s impressive accomplishments include helping to install more than 3,500 gardens, creating a 1.5-acre urban farm and planting 26 orchards planted in Milwaukee’s low-income neighborhoods. To volunteer, contact Christine Kuhn at Christine.kuhn@victorygardeninitiative.org, or call 414-431-0888. Visit the Victory Garden website for donation information.
5. We Got This
Founded by Andre Lee Ellis, this community garden is located on 9th and Ring streets in Milwaukee. The organization’s Facebook page describes itself as “a grassroots community initiative that empowers and employs young black males to become active in the cleanup of their own community.” More than 60 youth, all of whom are paid for their efforts, participate in the program weekly. To volunteer or donate, visit the We Got This website.
The 2020 Home & Garden Guide is sponsored by Weather Tight. You can read the entire guide here.
