Porters Community Farm
Thank you to FOG supporter Sami Kattan with Cambio de Juego for putting together this short video on Porters Community Farm and our goal of starting a youth program!
Porters Community Farm from Sami Kattan on Vimeo.
The primary mission of the Porters Community Farm is to grow crops and supply fresh organic vegetables to the St. Francis House – a transitional home for the homeless – which is only a few blocks away. In addition to providing shelter to the homeless in our community, St. Francis House operates a soup kitchen that supplies lunch to 200 individuals every day. We feel fortunate to be able to contribute nutritious and delicious veggies to those meals!
In the fall of 2014, we launched the Porters Youth Gardening Project. Youth from the Porters Community Center, located just across the street from the Farm, spend one afternoon each week learning about the science and practice of growing vegetables.
The Farm also includes a community garden with plots available for members of the surrounding Porters neighborhood and the community at large. While the median household income is $27,420 in Gainesville, the families of the Porters community have a median income of just $13,284. The community garden is free to use and FOG staff are available to assist and answer questions during volunteer workday hours. If you are interested in getting a plot contact Kayvon at kayvon@foginfo.org.
It is only with volunteer support that the Farm is able to operate and donate organically grown vegetables to those in need. Volunteer workdays are open to anyone, and are held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers have contributed over 2,500 hours to the Farm. We partner with local organizations and student groups to provide volunteer opportunities through our workdays. If you would like to be added to our volunteer mailing list, please complete the volunteer registration form on the FOG web site. Check our schedule every couple of months as it changes seasonally. Please follow us on Facebook for the latest of what’s happening at Porters.
Early in the fall of 2012, we hosted a fundraising campaign to raise money for the Farm – with fantastic results. Because of your support we were able to surpass our $12,000 goal! To keep the farm going though we are in need of continued support, join FOG today and help us keep growing!
Visit our blog for the most recent Porters Community Farm update!
We are also always in need of volunteers. Click on the flier for more information!