What is Growing Home doing to enact this ideal scenario of local based food production and distribution networks?
We’ve been involved in a network of urban farmers called AUA, Advocates for Urban Agriculture. We put together a policy paper and shared it with people in the City. The City set up some task forces to look at urban agriculture, and it’s spread out to look at a lot of different food issues in Chicago. The City is interested in the work that we are doing, and in promoting food access around Chicago. By working on policy and advocacy, we can try to make it happen. We’re also part of the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council, a new group that is sponsoring a Food Security Summit in Chicago. The goal of the Summit is to put these issues on the table, and to work for policy changes, while we also get into the neighborhoods. How has Growing Home attracted low income and homeless people to urban agriculture, and incorporated them into its business and operations? We have a transitional job program that offers training and job experience, and pays people stipends while they are in our program. W
