Q&A
Discussion of apple orchard on school campus and potential for community food forests
1:31:43
·
3 min
Council Member Farías mentions an apple orchard on her school campus, leading to a discussion about its potential and the concept of community food forests. Qiana Mickie provides insights on expanding urban agriculture models.
- Mickie suggests that the apple orchard could be transformed into a community food forest
- The reimagining farm to school initiative aims to support scaled projects like this
- Emphasis on the need for diverse urban agriculture models beyond just gardens or orchards
- Discussion of the challenges faced by the apple orchard and efforts to revitalize it
- Mickie offers to collaborate with Council Member Farías on developing a plan for the space
Amanda Farías
1:31:43
Thank you for that.
1:31:46
Yeah.
1:31:46
I'll be bothering both of you folks after this hearing, because I have a random Not random.
1:31:51
It's wonderful.
1:31:52
But an apple orchard on one of my school campuses.
Qiana Mickie
1:31:54
If you don't know Oh, Stephenson?
Amanda Farías
1:31:56
There you go.
1:31:56
Well,
Qiana Mickie
1:31:56
I'm from Castle Hill, so I know exactly what you're talking about.
Amanda Farías
1:32:00
So, we gotta figure something else out with that.
Sandy Nurse
1:32:02
We can try and
Qiana Mickie
1:32:04
Let's talk.
1:32:05
Yeah.
1:32:06
We've to be fair I wanna keep it too.
1:32:09
Yes.
1:32:09
Well, we'd love to bring some more.
1:32:11
So I I know we're in testimony, but you're speaking an inspiration and especially coming from our home borough and district.
1:32:22
What I've seen in Stevenson over the years, in my years of working in food, there is the need to connect not just school gardens, but the again, the breadth of urban agriculture models that are suitable for our communities.
1:32:37
Opportunities where these are city opportunities contracts.
1:32:39
So not just getting money to the teachers through DOE and not just giving them funds to do education, to the teachers through DOE and not just giving them funds to do education.
1:32:55
Yeah.
1:32:55
We also need to create opportunities for our ag partners, nonprofit and emerging businesses to activate or utilize their skills in these communities.
1:33:05
I've seen that garden.
1:33:07
I've seen that space go from a robust apple orchard with chickens, council member Brewer Yes.
1:33:14
To, you know, doing their best with what they have, but going mostly fallow.
1:33:20
And I've also know the teacher who is the impetus behind that.
1:33:24
He retired over 5 to 10 years ago Yes.
1:33:27
And is still trying to support that work there.
1:33:30
We can't continue to, to think we're gonna have scaled urban agriculture in the skittier sailed food, fresh produce without, again, the access to the land as well as the contracts and agreements that allow it.
1:33:45
But we also have to be open to the breadth of urban agricultural models that we have and really supporting our stakeholders to have the breadth of approaches and knowledge.
1:33:55
So community gardens are great.
1:33:57
Raised beds are awesome.
1:33:59
Hydroponics, innovative, also awesome.
1:34:02
But we have models that we need to continue to expand and explore, which is why we're doing so much hard work, and it's taken a little bit more time to build that urban ad criteria on identifying not just sites, but also understanding the models.
1:34:17
So, Stephenson's a great example where that cannot just be an apple orchard.
1:34:21
It cannot just be a place for multiple, raised beds.
1:34:25
It could actually be a community food forest.
1:34:28
And, fortunately, with our reimagining farm to school initiative, these are the scaled projects that we're looking at.
1:34:35
How do we identify additional funding?
1:34:37
So it doesn't just start with us, but we're able to be here to support them and where they move forward.
1:34:42
So an apple orchard never has to go fallow, but a community doesn't just have a garden.
1:34:47
They can also have a an edible food forest that they're they themselves, from students to teachers community, can support the stewardship
Amanda Farías
1:34:55
of.
1:34:55
Yeah.
1:34:56
I appreciate that.
1:34:56
I've been working with a plethora of different organizations to go in and kind of dejungleize the apple orchard.
Qiana Mickie
1:35:03
But you never talked to me.
1:35:05
No.
Yvonne Saint Luce
1:35:05
Not yet.
Qiana Mickie
1:35:06
Let's do that.
Amanda Farías
1:35:06
Right?
1:35:08
But I agree.
1:35:09
I mean, I came into this seat in 2022, and it was really just left
Alex Paulenoff
1:35:14
Yes.
Amanda Farías
1:35:14
However it was left from previous leadership.
1:35:17
And so we've been working with all of the principals in that one school.
1:35:19
Absolutely.
1:35:20
But I look forward to moving forward with Absolutely.
1:35:23
A plan together.
1:35:25
I will pause.
1:35:26
I have some questions around, the report Mhmm.
1:35:30
And the bill, but I'll pass it over to council member Gutierrez who has questions.
Qiana Mickie
1:35:35
Oh, hi.
