Birmingham’s Jones Valley Urban Farm – Making a Difference

Photo by Southernpixel. Spring-time at The Jones Valley Urban Farm – a community-based non-profit organization in Birmingham, Alabama. Utilizing over 3 acres of vacant downtown property, JVUF grows organic produce and flowers, educates the community about healthy food, and helps make Birmingham a vibrant community. Alabama is growing greener. See larger image here.

Birmingham’s Jones Valley Urban Farm – Making a Difference

By Mary Christiansen
Tannehill Trader
Publication of Eagle Media
August 12th, 2009

Urban farming is on the rise along with an interest in making food choices that enrich individuals and communities. Birmingham’s Jones Valley Urban Farm is a shining example of this movement that is reconnecting people with food. VUF, a non-profit community-based organization, not only grows organic produce and flowers, but offers a wide variety of programs that teach youth and communities about sustainable agriculture and nutrition.

Over 5 acres of vacant downtown property, along with a 25 acre farm at Mt Laurel, have been transformed into community gardens that grow organic produce that is sold at local farmers markets, restaurants, grocery stores and food stands.

Their Food Box Program offers low-cost subscriptions for a weekly family size box with a variety of fresh organic fruit and vegetables, long with a newsletter and healthy recipes. The After Work Farm Stand, located at 701 25th Street North, is open Monday thru Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., during the months of May – October. During these same months, JVUF also sells their produce and flowers at Pepper Place Farmers Market and Mt Laurel Farmers Market on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon. The East Avondale garden and the Gardens of Park Place have 50 households participating in farming with JVUF assistance in this community enriching endeavor.

These ventures fund JVUF’s community educational programs. Programs targeting youth include pre-school gardening, a nutritional education program for elementary schools, a state-accredited agri-science course for high school students, and internships for college students. Among the offerings for the general public are organic gardening classes, food and nutrition education, along with a series that teaches about community gardening.

On a recent visit to the JVUF booth at Pepper Place, I spoke with Intern Katie Willis, a student at Millbury College in Vermont. When I asked her what difference JVUF has made in her life, she did not hesitate in saying she wishes to be a farmer. It has made a difference in the way she lives her life and in the way she views and selects food. I found this very impressive, as was the colorful selection of vegetables, herbs and flowers from which I purchased some excellent tomatoes and cucumbers.

According to JFUF Executive Director Edwin Marty, “We started Jones Valley Urban Farm as a way to start changing Birmingham’s long list of liabilities into a glowing list of assets. The vacant land all over Birmingham could be the very earth that feeds the people that aren’t getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables. And it could give those same people jobs and a way to make an honest living. Imagine if Birmingham grew 50% of all its own food! There would be no vacant lots left to gather trash. People would be working the land again and feeding themselves. There’s nothing stopping us now. We just have to do it.”

From giving inner-city youth an opportunity to connect with nature and learn about good nutrition, to providing delicious, fresh produce to the general public, JVUF is indeed making a difference in the Birmingham area. A difference that just keeps growing. To learn more about programs, events and how you can get involved with JVUF, visit their web site at www.jvuf.org or call (205) 439-7213.

See Mary Christiansen’s article here.

See Jones Valley Urban Farm website here.