Friday, June 25, 2010

Will Allen of Growing Power in Chicago

One of the Urban Worm Girls and I went to see Will Allen speak in Chicago last night. He was in Chicago at the 4th Presbyterian Church (the beautiful historic church that is across from the Hancock for those that are familiar with Chicago). 4th Pres is Growing Power's partner in the Chicago Lights Urban Farm which was the first farm to develop a farm and produce food on top of asphalt.

Woot! He is doing some amazing things! Water harvesting/conservation; urban chickens; urban bees (he was instrumental in getting an urban bee ordinance allowing bees passed in Milwaukee); vermicomposting (he loves his worms which makes us happy!); composting (he diverted 11,000 lbs of food waste from the waste stream last year and hopes to double that number this year; urban farms; working with underserved communities including youth; senior communities; and bringing real food to food deserts. He is raising 10,000 tilipia in his Growing Power Milwaukee urban location. He has many locations in the planning stage; including Iron Street Farm in Chicago and Vertical Farm in Milwaukee. Iron Street Farm is in Bridgeport and is a dilipidated, old warehouse to be turned into an urban farm.

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