“We use urban farming and farm-to-table food prep as a way to create employment opportunities for teens in our community.”
New City Neighbors director Ricardo Tavarez says the organization wants to expand its youth agriculture and farming development programming by redeveloping a 5.5-acre former school property in the 2000 block of Ball Avenue Northeast into the West Michigan Urban Agricultural Training Center.
“This would be an opportunity for us to create more concentrated programming in our neighborhood while also maintaining the values of sustainability, maintaining greenspace in our community, which is a huge value in the Creston neighborhood.”
At least 300 students use New City Neighbors programs annually. It also provides 20,000 pounds of produce to local food resource centers.
Director of Operations Lance Kraai says the $1.3 million training center would be built in three phases.
“We do have funding secured through MDARD and The David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation to complete Phase One.”
New City Neighbors hopes to break ground on the project this fall and reach full production by next year.
