Page 43 - Florida Sentinel 2-5-21

Local
Meacham Urban Farm Launches In Tampa’s Encore! District
Tampa Housing Authority, in partnership with three local, first-generation farmers, will celebrate the opening of Meacham Urban Farm on Tuesday, February 9 from 10:30 – 11:30 a. m. at the farm, located at 1108 E. Scott Street, in the heart of the ENCORE! District in downtown Tampa.
Representatives from Tampa Housing Authority and the City of Tampa will be on hand, including Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. Tours of the farm will be available after the celebration. The farm will be open to the public on weekends beginning February 12, 2021.
Meacham Urban Farm, named after Tampa’s first African-American school prin- cipal (Christina Meacham), is a 2-acre high-yielding, bio- intensive organic farm accessi- ble to the surrounding community and the general public. The farm has been under construction for nearly two years and will be operated by farmers Joe Dalessio, Kristin Beauvois, and Travis Malloy.
Meacham Urban Farm con- sists of three greenhouses and open space where fresh, sea- sonal vegetables, fruits and herbs are being grown, along with free-range space for chick- ens and a honey-producing beehive. Everything grown at Meacham Urban Farm will be available for sale to Farm Card Members and the public.
“This area has long been a food desert, and the develop- ment of Meacham Farm is a much-needed addition to the local neighborhood,” said Leroy Moore, Tampa Hous- ing Authority’s Chief Operating Officer. “With the farm nearby, residents and the public will have accessibility to healthy produce and fresh meat, as well as the ability to learn how to cook produce items they might not be familiar with.”
In time, cooking and gar- dening demonstrations will be organized, and Hillsborough County Schools will offer stu- dent field trips to the farm. The School District will utilize a curriculum developed for the Tampa Housing Authority by Dr. Donna Elam of the Lead- ership Institute. It highlights the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, farm to table options and promotes healthy lifestyle choices.
The U. S. Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) provided a $725,000 grant for the urban farm construction, curriculum development and engagement strategy. The funds are part of a $30 million Choice Neighborhood Initia- tive (CNI) program grant awarded to THA in 2012.
THA is the only hous- ing authority in Florida to receive a CNI grant, and Meacham Urban Farm is believed to be the first urban farm in the United States developed with the assistance of HUD funds.
Residents who receive ben- efits from the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assis- tance Program (SNAP) will be able to use their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to make purchases on site. To en- courage healthy, farm-to-table- food choices, the value of card users’ benefits will be doubled when they use their EBT to make purchases of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, free-range chickens at Meacham Farm.
Hillsborough County Public Schools is leasing the land to Tampa Housing Authority and Meacham Farm for five years with the option to renew. The location on Scott Street, di- rectly behind Tempo at EN- CORE!, was formerly a public housing community known as Central Park Village.
For more information about Meacham Urban Farm or to purchase Farm Cards, visit www.meachamfarm.com.
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