Flint Farming Project
The Flint Farming Project is an ambitious undertaking based on the vision of turning once blighted land into a buffet of fresh fruits and vegetables, while empowering local residents to create employment for themselves. Sometimes known as an “Agri-hood” the idea is for the remaining homes to be surrounded by permaculture, most of which is edible and all of which adds adds sustainable beauty. The strategy is simple. Create a farm incubator that makes it affordable for an enterprising person to learn, start a farm and earn a living. The Flint Farming Project provides the know-how, land, materials, equipment, seeds and transplants that otherwise create barriers for the people of our community.
The Flint Farming Project continues to expand. We purchased the remainder of available lots at our Bennett campus that includes the lots along Hamilton Avenue where we are expanding our strawberry production. Our Jane Avenue campus went into production this past Spring with two additional hoop houses in production and we are nearly completed constructing two additional structures. Our third site located on the North side of Jane Avenue, East of Minnesota will have three additional hoop houses. God is on the move on the East side of Flint.
The Flint Farming Project is one part of Asbury’s response to the water crisis in Flint. Asbury has been a Water Resource Center since the beginning of the crisis, providing bottled water, filters, other personal items and food. “Nutrition is an important part of our strategy to combat the negative affects of lead,” notes Jim Craig, Board Chair at Asbury CDC. “ Asbury has been an advocate for nutrition in our community for the past nine years, but this is our most ambitious project ever. “I am excited about the possibilities for our community coming together to not only offer short term relief by offering water and filters, but to be a part of a longer term solution,” says The Reverend Dr Tommy McDoniel, Pastor of Asbury. The Flint Farming Project is one part of the vision that God has given to Pastor Tommy and others for a transformed neighborhood.
Asbury is thankful for the generous in-kind donations and funding that make our farm to table operations possible, including financial support from the Ruth Mott Foundation, United Way, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the Americana Foundation and many others. We also receive flowers, transplants and perennials from Walker Farms, volunteers and garden materials from Taking it to Your Streets, grants from the UMC Crossroads District Urban Ministry Committee, the USDA, Knoblock Hardware and perennials including fruit trees, rose bushes, flowers and grapevines from Bundschuh Landscape Center. This past year we added a toolshed located in a semi-trailer donated by A1 Mobile Storage Leasing.
To volunteer or to provide in-kind donations please contact Asbury directly. Remember that you can earn MyFlintStones when you volunteer that can be exchanged for produce or use them at the Asbury Café or other participating restaurants. For financial donations click HERE or on the GIVING link in the menu above. A new window will open to take you through how to support this important ministry with convenient options including recurring gifts.
For more information, follow The Flint Farming Project on Facebook.
