Growing Local - Unique Partnership Created Inner-City Crabtree Farms

Crabtree Farms near Rossville is a true partnership.This popular in-town farm was started through a public-private arrangement to renew urban agriculture. Director of education and outreach, Melanie Mayo says, “Our founders had the vision to create this place, the city of Chattanooga had the land and said ‘we'll give you a lease for a dollar a year’ and the founders gave the infrastructure to put this place down and that was in 1998. We started growing in 2001- our first gardening season.”

The property was vacant and in years past it was a horse farm, then it became a dumpsite.

“People threw junk out here - it was a place that nobody ever came. It had to be cleared and it changed dramatically,” Melanie says. “Crabtree Farms is comprised of outreach programs, educational programs and the urban farm; which is our teaching tool. We are not your normal farm. We are a teaching farm, a community farm, an urban farm. We produce Taste Buds Magazine - so we can let people know where to find local farms and local food for sale.”

Crabtree Farms reaches the community by teaching the people who come to the farm how to grow sustainably and how they can start their own home garden, community garden or school garden. “It means going out into the community speaking at schools or civic groups about growing. We want people to understand where their food comes from and how they can buy or grow local food. We think eating local is sustainable, and we want to see that happen in our community.”

Crabtree has six on staff, Jeff Houser is the executive director, Melanie is director of education and outreach, Jennie Bartoletti is the farm manager and Jessie Goodman is the assistant farm manager, Mike Barron is the greenhouse manager, and coming on staff will be Sara Macintyre. “We are kind of like a family - most people who come here really embrace farm life and focus on the soil, the food, each other… the simple life that we lost. We are in the city limits but there is so much peace here - we call ourselves an ‘urban oasis’, because it’s a really rare jewel in the middle of the city.”

Melanie interjects, “The rest of the work is done by the volunteers and work-shares.” A work-share is done by people who work in the gardens for their CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture).

 

Melanie explains, “People have to try out for it; it is a commitment. You get to work a shift and see if you can handle the work - a work share commits to the whole year. Starting in March or April, they work every week to be able to have a box of food. Five hours of work gets you a CSA share. It is $850 a year for CSA membership, but you can work five hours a week and basically work for that food. Seems like a novel idea, but that’s the way life used to be- you worked for your food.”

 

Coming out to Crabtree isn’t just for work shares, volunteers are also welcome. ”We have master gardeners who come out, young kids, groups, churches, older people who miss farm life that they grew up with - it’s for everyone to enjoy.”

 

Crabtree Farms sells to local restaurants as well as the Main Street Farmers Market and sometimes Greenlife Grocery. There is a farm stand on the property that is open from April through November.

Along with having a CSA program, Crabtree Farms also assists the community by distributing seasonal issues of “Taste Buds Magazine”. In 2008 the farm received a grant from the Benwood Foundation and published the first issue in 2009. “This year we will have two editions. There is different information for each season.”

Taste Buds Magazine has ample information on local farms, restaurants who support local food, and more, “We try to provide resources for local farms. If you find them in Taste Buds they are part of a local food program.  We are going to do a mini-conference to work with farmers showing them techniques and try to form some relationships with area farmers,” says Melanie.

 One of the most rewarding parts is teaching the children about farming practices, the importance of growing food and eating nutritionally. “We have a program called ‘Digging Kids’ giving them the opportunity to get dirty and get their hands in the soil," Melanie asserts. “We have a pond and the kids get to be ‘mini-ecologists’ collecting samples of pond water. Sometimes they catch a tadpole. We look at the different stages of life and they get a little science lesson.”

The children are always excited to come and spend time learning about a farm, “Sometimes, the kids get to harvest food and create their own salad. They get to engage in agriculture to get to know food a little better. They get to see and touch all the different things about a farm.”

Another program Crabtree initiated is the “Garden Wagon” where schools that find it hard to host field trips get to have a piece of the farm brought to them. “We have plants growing in the wagon and the kids get to experience and learn some of the things they would if they came out on the farm.”

The staff members at Crabtree attend many engagements where they are asked to speak about growing, “We speak to eco clubs helping them with their growing season and how to get started. We are here to help anyone who wants to get started in learning about being sustainable.”

Melanie speaks of yet another program. “The Hamilton County Juvenile Court system has been coming out here for two years. Children who are low risk come out here to garden. The program was so successful that we gave them a garden. It’s the one when you first come in by the gates. They built it, they put the fence up- they do everything. That program has thrived and we are proud to be a part of it. It teaches kids how to farm and how to work for something.”

There have even been weddings held at Crabtree. “We have held a few weddings on the farm - people who volunteer here… a work share and intern got married here last year. Two of our work shares will be getting married here in May.”

One event that Melanie is proud to speak of is the annual “100 Dinner”.

 “We set up 100 chairs with tables and we have two chefs - last year was Table 2’s chef and St. John’s chef who cooked for the event. Our staff worked together to serve. There was wine, the weather was perfect - it was a beautiful thing. We keep it small and intimate so after we get 100 people that’s it. It is a fundraiser for the farm- a taste of the farm, of local food. You can’t beat it for a nice dinner out.”

When the farm stand opens, the staff at Crabtree has a plant sale on the third weekend in April. “It is a big two-day event. We have vendors out here, music, plants for sale, and food…a really fun time - and then our produce stand is open Tuesday, the 24^th. People can buy all the produce we have on the farm as well as some amenities like fertilizers or books on gardening.”

Melanie cannot support local food enough, “If you are in a restaurant ask what they have that was grown local. We just want people to engage in food… to not be passive eaters but to be active eaters- knowing how it affects your body. I believe it was Wendell Berry who said ‘Eating is an act of agriculture’. Local food is simply fresher and passes through fewer hands. We very much want to see people go that way. We are happy to be a part of this local food undertaking in Chattanooga.”

 

To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.crabtreefarms.org  

Become a part of a “growing” movement in your community.

Jen Jeffrey