New Orleans Farming Arts Project in Louisiana, USA: Grant Update

Kaya Nicole (confirm credits and get link for NOLA Farming Arts Project), first-time BWB grant recipient, reports back on the their progress in New Orleans:

“The NOLA Farming Arts project provides access to affordable, organic produce in the Treme: the oldest historically black neighborhood in New Orleans with the highest economic disparities.  Additionally, we support a cooperative, bottom-up approach to assist the local economy by providing a space for indigenous farmers to vend and build coalition.  With the collaboration of volunteers leading up the market, vendors participating, and consumers supporting, we have had the involvement of at least 250 people.  Our BWB grant covered about 50% of total expenses.  It went into the infrastructure of the garden, the purchase of crops, and the necessities for running the market day of. It helped us get access to the materials we needed to successfully launch the first market.

The Claiborne Corridor in the Treme is an area that has been distinguished as one of the most devastated areas in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.  The city has raised billions of dollars for the redevelopment of the area over the past five years, and in 2018, plans to roll out markets and various tourist attractions, right along Claiborne where our garden is located.  However, there has been little to no demonstration that these developments will involve the inclusion of the local economy.

For this reason, we have created a coalition of local businesses to have a united front to stand against tragedy capitalism.  We have increased collaborative work between businesses, provided a space to sell produce to an area that now has more access to fresh, affordable produce, and developed courses for children in arts and crafts and farming.  By partnering with other local groups such as the Congo Square Preservation Society, we are in the works of making this market sustainable in the long term. We are working towards offering SNAP benefits to increase the affordability for locals.  We are also applying for grants to create yearlong vocational courses for students in and out of incarceration, and students in at-risk communities. We are hoping to bridge the gap between local workers and the booming New Orleans economy by investing in entrepreneurship.

The primary focus of the initiate involves Burning Man Principles such as Communal Effort and Civic Responsibility.  The Farmers Market that we produced, and continue to participate in on a monthly basis, was the creation of a collective of local farmers.  Together, we work to provide a shared community resource: an interactive garden and a free community space for the Treme to use for everything from social activities to the growth of their own produce.  As the city government has not incentivized horizontal growth, and many farmers’ markets locally reflect the trends of gentrification, we are deeply committed to both political civic engagement with local workers’ groups, and an interdependent relationship with all community members.

All smiles at the NOLA Farming Arts Project!

In the future, I would love to have an opportunity to discuss how to mobilize these initiatives, making them accessible to various communities.  I believe BWB has a unique opportunity by supporting lifestyle design and radical change, to help the growth of equity in devastated areas.  If there are burner cultures that have been able to creating a living situation as well as provide healthy foods to activists and volunteers in need, I would love to find out more about it.  I have plenty of volunteers interested in giving their lives to service, but have yet to find sustainable ways to monetize their pursuits in the meanwhile.

Thank you for believing in our vision. This is just the beginning!”