MLK Urban Agriculture Center - Richmond, VA

Want to join me in making a difference? 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Urban Agriculture Center is a public-private partnership created to repurpose currently unused land that is part of the campus of Richmond’s MLK Schools into a world-class urban agriculture education and training facility. To be branded as MLK Urban Ag, this effort will be focused on complementing and supplementing STEM education at MLK Middle School and across the RPS school system. MLK Urban Ag also intends to support the community of Richmond by cultivating food security, transforming our foodshed, and expanding environmental justice for RVA’s underserved families.

MLK Urban Agriculture Center will be coming to Richmonders in 2021

Managed by Amyrose Foll  / Virginia Free Farm  in collaboration with VA Cooperative Extension

Components:

Native American Gardens – Managed by Amyrose Foll / Virginia Free Farm 

Africulture Farm – Managed by Odyssey Michaels

Mesoamerican Garden - Highlighting central American agriculture 

Carribean Garden - Showcasing rich cultural contributions to the RVA metro area.

Meditation Garden named after Oliver  “Duke” Hill Jr .

-Food distribution component to combat Richmond's food apartheid

-Farmers market component for improving accessibility

Food preparation component – Managed by TBD @ Annie Giles Center

Recycling and compost operation – Managed by Rick Tatnall Replenish Richmond  and Bruno Welch / Compost RVA 

We are looking for Volunteers , Supplies , and Community Partners

Higher Education Institution Partners

MLK Urban Ag intends to partner with a growing number of educational institutions, both in the Richmond region and across Virginia, to include:

Virginia State University
College of Agriculture
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia Tech
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Union University
Reynolds Community College
Horticulture Department
Culinary School

Community Supported Agriculture “CSA” relationships with:

MLK Urban Ag intends to support Richmond’s East End community with the food it grows, including developing customized CSA relationships with:

Richmond Public Schools
RRHA (Mosby, Whitcomb, Fairfield and Creighton)
Winn Companies (Oliver Crossing, Fairmount House, Church Hill House)
Jefferson Townhomes
Underground Kitchen @ Annie Giles Center
Reynolds Culinary School
RVA Refrigerator Program

Volunteer support from:

MLK Urban Ag hopes and expects to have the immediate and consistent support of a growing network of volunteers from a variety of sources, including:

RPS students and their families
RPS alumni
Richmond Indigenous Society
RVA area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
Local neighborhood associations including:
New Visions Civic League
Union Hill Civic Association
Church Hill Association
Eastminster Presbyterian Church
And lots, lots more