Birmingham's Community Gardens To Get A Funding Boost

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Community gardens in Birmingham will receive a boost in the form of a federal grant secured by Jones Valley Teaching Farm. The grant will expand the local food system and nurture community farming in Birmingham’s urban neighborhoods, according to an Alabama NewsCenter report.

The three-year grant comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and will benefit the Jones Valley’s Good Community Food Program, an education and training initiative to promote the growth of urban farming and expand community gardens, the Alabama NewsCenter report said.

The grant to Jones Valley, through USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program, will provide funding over three years to:

• Develop an “urban growers’ cohort” of 90 Birmingham residents.
• Establish nine new community and neighborhood gardens.
• Facilitate monthly agricultural and culinary educational workshops and training for 1,000 Birmingham residents.
• Hire additional staff to help manage the initiative.

"Community gardening has always been an integral part of this city block, even before Jones Valley Teaching Farm began its work on the downtown campus," Jones Valley director Amanda Storey told Alabama NewsCenter. "That means that for over 15 years, this space has offered opportunities for residents to have their own garden on a pay-as-you-can basis."

Read more about the federal grant for Birmingham community gardens from Alabama NewsCenter.