Project Description: (version française ci-dessous)

This historic two-acre farm is the last remaining farm and greenhouse operation in the City of Milwaukee. Since 1999, the Community Food Center has provided a space for hands-on-activities, large-scale demonstration projects, and for growing a myriad of plants, vegetables, and herbs.

HISTORY

In 1993, a farmer by the name of Will Allen agreed to take on a youth group and educate them about gardening and farming at his downtown Milwaukee greenhouse and store. Since then, Growing Power has evolved into a leading example of an urban agriculture center focused on growing sustainable local food for the community as well as educate people how to achieve that.

WHAT THEY DO

Growing Power is a non-profit organization that offers its community equal access to healthy, high quality, safe and affordable foods. It provides education to the general public through hands-on-training, on site demonstrations, outreach and technical assistance. It offers jobs that encourage the community to grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

SPECIALTY SYSTEMS

Acid-digestion, anaerobic digestion for food waste, bio-phyto remediation and soil health, aquaculture closed-loop systems, vermiculture, small and large scale composting, urban agriculture, perma-culture, food distribution, marketing, value-added product development, youth development, community engagement, participatory leadership development, and project planning.

• Houses over 20,000 pots of herbs, salad mix & sprouts
• Houses 5,000 tilapia and perch
• 50 bins of red wriggler worms
• Produces approximately 16 dozen eggs per day
• Produces about 150 pounds of honey each year
• Produces beauty products from bees-wax
• Produces meat from fish, chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats and rabbits
• Goat milk is used to create artisan cheeses.