Out of floodwaters the seeds of new growth are sometimes sown, and the Matthew 25 Urban Farm is exactly such a situation. When the Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids was flooded in June 2008 they decided not to rebuild in that location. Matthew 25 obtained permission from them to use their vacant land and abandoned playground to build an Urban Farm to supply our Summer Meals Program with fresh local produce. We've filled multiple raised beds with many many plantings using the square foot gardening model, as well as made use of the blacktop by filling swimming pools with compost and planting them to make use of as much space as can. This produce will be harvested throughout the summer and included in the Friday lunch meal. Additionally, we are making connections with local restaurants and farmer's markets to sell our excess produce with all proceeds going back in the Cultivate Hope program to further our neighborhood involvement and local food programs. We're very excited to be partnering with the Linn County 4-H group in the maintenance, support and upkeep of this community asset. As our program grows we hope our partnership does as well!
We recognize and thank GreenIowa AmeriCorps volunteers for all of their time and hard work in helping us to set up and plant our Urban Farm.
