Growing community with Global Gardens
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Have you heard of Global Gardens? It's a really awesome program that helps farmers access land, training, and markets in Boise, and provides more than 100 community garden spaces throughout the city! If you've been to the Boise Farmers Market this year, you've probably seen/bought something from farmers that grow with Global Gardens. Today's story was written by Sonya Feibert Kuhn. You can listen to me read it on the podcast. Also two more things: Our merch sale is still going - get 30% off From Boise hoodies, crewnecks, tees, and pins. This is probably the last merch I'll ever do so get it while you can! Also this Sunday, August 11, From Boise is reading at Campfire Stories at The Modern. It's from 7-9pm and it's free to attend. Hear myself, Julie Sarasqueta, and Amanda Patchin read a few stories and talk behind the scenes of From Boise. Alright, on to the fun stuff. Growing Community with Global GardensBy Sonya Feibert Kuhn On a sunny day in June at the Global Gardens Pond Street farm, Albert, owner of Graceful A Veggie Farm, asked if I’d like some lettuce. He picked a leafy green head, then said I should take some radishes — French breakfast, he specified. When I helped Safiya of Safari Farms harvest produce a few summers ago, she sent me home with baskets full of red, orange, and yellow tomatoes. The first time I met Sarbah Bi, who operates Chimwaga Six Farm with her husband, Abdikadir Chimwaga, she offered me mchicha, an African variety of amaranth similar to spinach. She guided me on how to prepare it: sautéed with garlic or onions. If you’ve eaten at a locally-owned restaurant in the Treasure Valley or been part of the CSA program, you know how much love goes into everything that comes out of Global Gardens. Many of the farmers are experienced at planting and tending to seeds. Many are refugees who bring agricultural experience and stories from home. Global Gardens' program sets up farmers for success by securing land to garden and farm, creating infrastructure like produce washing stations and food storage, and providing ongoing training and support. “We focus on creating situations where farmers can get to know the land, understand what grows well, the seasonality,” explained Ben Brock, Global Gardens program manager. “Chances are if you drive around Boise and see agriculture, it’s being done by folks who have resettled here in the recent past. We take that responsibility seriously. Want to make sure sites are as productive, vibrant, and welcoming as possible.” The Pond Street farm exists thanks to a lease through the City of Boise. “We’re lucky to have farm sites on city property. Some farms we’ve been at for more than 10 years, which is the recipe for success for farmers,” Ben said. “It makes it possible for Global Gardens staff to dial in the infrastructure.” Global Gardens farms are dotted across Boise, from the site at Pond Street to Blue Cross of Idaho, to Five Mile Church of the Nazarene and Healthwise, now WebMD. “We have about 14 acres in all,” Ben said. Farms are divided into plots, each about one-fifth of an acre. There are 10 farming operations and 15 farmers in total. Some are family or husband-and-wife teams, and some are solo endeavors. On their plots, farmers decide what to grow, from lettuce and tomatoes to crops native to home. Beyond farm sites, Global Gardens also provides a community garden that has about 120 family garden plots. “The community garden is really important,” Ben said. “There’s no income being generated from it, but it’s really valuable nonetheless. It’s for people to connect to the ground, to put food on the table.” From Seed to MarketGlobal Gardens commercial farmers have three outlets for their produce: they can sell it through the Global Gardens CSA, sell it to wholesale partners, or operate an independent farmers market stand. Global Gardens is directly involved with the CSA and wholesale operations, while farmers manage farmers market operations on their own. The CSA tends to provide a more predictable way to grow — farmers know how much to grow, harvest, and package for the summer. The Global Gardens team sells shares at the beginning of the year and takes care of all the marketing and distribution. They also facilitate seed orders and bookkeeping. Farmers can focus on preparing their fields and planting so they can get their food to market as quickly as possible. In 2020, the Global Gardens CSA was up to about 400 members. On the wholesale side, Global Gardens builds relationships with chefs and restaurants around the Treasure Valley. “We try to put farmers into positions where they can focus on growing and farming,” Ben said. "Many farmers have additional jobs and don’t have time to be the end-to-end farmer operator.” With the support of Global Gardens, “they can be a farmer and have their business, but have a network of support.” At the farmers market, farmers can run into the challenge of what to do with unsold produce. “You cross your fingers and hope for a beautiful 75-degree day, but it might be cold and raining, and your beautiful, spray-free produce goes unsold,” Ben said. Thanks to a partnership between Global Gardens, City of Good, and the Idaho Food Bank, that produce doesn’t go to waste. “City of Good and Idaho Food Bank purchase the produce so that food gets back into the community,” Ben said. “It gives farmers one more outlet for the produce that they’ve worked so hard to grow.” A Taste of HomeMany Global Gardens farmers are growing food for the communities they are part of that have resettled in Boise. Vegetables like mchicha and sour leaf, a green similar to sorrel, give communities a taste of home. Emmanuel Nkurunziza, an experienced farmer and an extended member of Global Gardens, saw an opportunity to provide African corn to his community. Through a loan from the Sun Valley Resilience Institute, Emmanuel purchased a mill and sifter and started Koborewa Corn Meal. It’s helping to fill a gap in the Boise market for members of the African Diaspora and Latino communities seeking traditional corn meal. Emmanuel is hoping to scale his operations to sell to restaurants and international markets. On top of corn, he also grows peas, African eggplant, potatoes, and mchicha. Bridging GenerationsAs Global Gardens farmers grow their farming operations, the team is starting to see another benefit for the community. “As some of the farmers have established operations, they’ve started bringing in other folks within their community that might otherwise not be able to enter the workforce. You see some grandmas out here in the field,” Ben said. “It ends up having a much more intergenerational farm feel. The opportunities we’re presenting to the farmers are starting to trickle out into other segments of the resettled community.” Right now, a couple of farmers are in the process of committing to solely farming. “It’s tough, whether you’re growing on land your family has owned for generations or if you’re a farmer from Congo,” Ben said. “It’s a lot of work, with long hours and seasonality.” Ben points out that for many farmers, farming serves as more than just a source of income. “Many folks came from agricultural backgrounds. It’s a way to be grounded,” he said. “Just about any farmer you talk to, it’s clear that it’s part of their identity.” Speaking about the benefits of a connection to the outdoors, Ben told me about a partnership with St. Alphonsus International Clinic. The clinic has identified that time on the land can be just as beneficial to people’s health as medication. “We have an agreement where the St. Al’s clinic will prescribe and pay for access to the garden for people who would benefit from it,” Ben shared. “That’s a cool side of the program, too.” Learning From Each OtherGlobal Gardens helps farmers establish their farms and navigate sales channels for their produce, but the team is aware that farmers bring a wealth of knowledge, too. As Ben said, “It’s a two-way street. We do the education side of things, but we are learning all the time from farmers. There's a lot of back and forth, a lot of dialogue about how to approach farming.” A new study through Boise State University is helping to highlight that knowledge. In its pilot year and funded by the Resource Nexus for Sustainability Transformations (NEXtra), researchers are looking at how the practices farmers use in the field are helping to build resilience in the face of climate change. Through interviews and relationship-building, the study could help to shine a light on cultural practices that might be more efficient when it comes to water or time, or creating stronger familial and community bonds. Researchers also hope to come back with ideas and innovations that can benefit farmers. Many farmers have been part of Global Gardens since day one. People learn about it through word of mouth, like folks who farm at the community garden. “We have conversations with people who are passionate about it, love doing it,” Ben said. “We talk to them about turning that passion into income. When we start working with a new farmer, we set them up for small successes. Some of the new programs are incubator sites, where farmers can drop produce off and get a hang of the schedule.” At one point, Global Gardens planned for farmers to graduate from the program and become independent, but that’s not necessarily the goal anymore. “We’re now looking at the benefits of having experienced farmers remain in our community so we can call on them to help develop the next group of farmers,” Ben said. From Bittercreek to Pond StreetAt the farm in June, I learned about Albert’s worm farm. He’s repurposing the Urban Worm FArm that used to live under Bittercreek Alehouse and he sells the nutrient-rich worm castings at the farmers market. He also adds it to his crops. Walking between rows of lettuce and onions, Albert bent down. “How about spring onions?” he asked, picking a few. A few minutes later, I headed home, once again more full than when I arrived. Three Ways You Can Support the Farmers of Global GardensJoin the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program Global Gardens runs an 18-week CSA, a summer-long produce subscription. Each week you’ll get a bounty of fresh, spray-free, locally grown veggies. They also offer a fall mini CSA, a 6-week program that’s a great way to get involved and dip your toe into a CSA subscription. Shop and eat locally! Global Gardens partners with several local restaurants and caterers to bring farmer’s beautiful produce to your plate, including:
Shop at the Farmer’s Market Several Global Gardens’ farmers have stands at the farmers market. Look for some of these farmers next time you visit the market!
Thanks for reading! With love from Boise, Marissa
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From Boise
Every Tuesday, read a story about a person, place, piece of Boise history, or local happening. Every Thursday, get a huge list of things to do over the weekend. No news, no politics - just the fun stuff.