Field Notes
Mutual Aid with Peoria Grown: Increasing Access to Nutrient-Dense Vegetables in Peoria
There are many areas of Peoria that don't have access to grocery stores within a reasonable range, leaving them with poor, unhealthy options for food. Many people don't have the ability or the desire to go to a farmers market.
This year, we are partnering up with Peoria Grown to improve access to farm fresh vegetables in Peoria. We support Peoria Grown because they're bringing healthy foods into these areas themselves through their Market 309 program.
This allows access to healthy/affordable options in the most underserved neighborhoods.
Better Earth: The Soul of the Soil
Many of our techniques on the farm come from the French market gardeners who were able to feed ALL of Paris back in the mid 19th century into the early 20th century. These market gardeners would grow on small amounts of land similar to ours. They grew very intensively and were able to do so because of their management practices.
When ready to sell, they'd harvest and load their produce into a wagon and bring it into the city. Then they'd load up their wagons with horse manure from the city and bring it back to the farm to spread on their fields (or to further compost it, then spread it).
This is how rural and urban communities can and should work together.