Agriculture Center to Combat Food Insecurities
Tax deductible
Exposition Gardens is a 70+ acre facility sitting in the heart of Peoria County and is greatly under utilized. We can be doing so much more for our community! Our vision is to provide agricultural education and easier access to fresh and healthy produce for our community to aid in erasing food deserts and suppressing food insecurities in our region.
Our goal of re-purposing 2 of our main exhibit barns to house 1) an Agricultural Education Center and 2) a commercial micro-green and hydroponic growing center, will provide the perfect location and facilities to begin this much needed endeavor. Within these barns, we plan to include an educational area that will house interactive displays, video monitors, etc. and an area dedicated to show different methods of growing many kinds of nutritious and healthy foods. Educational focus would not only be on learning about the traditional methods of gardening and farming, but also exposing others to more modern techniques being utilized in private and public gardening operations that can be applied in their own environments. We have already begun this process by creating an environmentally friendly garden on the northwest section of the property.
Another goal is to build additional partnerships within our community. We have been in contact with a few other not-for-profit organizations in our area to discuss utilizing the Agricultural Education Center, as well as our other facility buildings and amenities, as a hub for educational opportunities, application of modern agricultural techniques, providing fresh and healthy food options to combat the known community food deserts, etc. Their programs would then provide further assistance throughout Peoria county and the surrounding areas with satellite locations, programs, application, etc. Building on a partnership with just one of those groups would allow for the possibility to use the produce grown and fish raised in the Agricultural Education Center as a part of a program that offers healthy cooking classes to low income individuals that don’t always have direct access to fresh and healthy food. Since we have a full kitchen in our air conditioned Youth Building, together we can build a program that highlights the true “farm to table” aspect of the food chain. And this is just one of the many programs we have discussed! There are so many others that are just in need of facility, a partner, and/or a dedicated program.
Our goal of re-purposing 2 of our main exhibit barns to house 1) an Agricultural Education Center and 2) a commercial micro-green and hydroponic growing center, will provide the perfect location and facilities to begin this much needed endeavor. Within these barns, we plan to include an educational area that will house interactive displays, video monitors, etc. and an area dedicated to show different methods of growing many kinds of nutritious and healthy foods. Educational focus would not only be on learning about the traditional methods of gardening and farming, but also exposing others to more modern techniques being utilized in private and public gardening operations that can be applied in their own environments. We have already begun this process by creating an environmentally friendly garden on the northwest section of the property.
Another goal is to build additional partnerships within our community. We have been in contact with a few other not-for-profit organizations in our area to discuss utilizing the Agricultural Education Center, as well as our other facility buildings and amenities, as a hub for educational opportunities, application of modern agricultural techniques, providing fresh and healthy food options to combat the known community food deserts, etc. Their programs would then provide further assistance throughout Peoria county and the surrounding areas with satellite locations, programs, application, etc. Building on a partnership with just one of those groups would allow for the possibility to use the produce grown and fish raised in the Agricultural Education Center as a part of a program that offers healthy cooking classes to low income individuals that don’t always have direct access to fresh and healthy food. Since we have a full kitchen in our air conditioned Youth Building, together we can build a program that highlights the true “farm to table” aspect of the food chain. And this is just one of the many programs we have discussed! There are so many others that are just in need of facility, a partner, and/or a dedicated program.
Organizer
Erica Abenroth
Organizer
Peoria, IL
Exposition Gardens Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
