Young Urban Farmer Addressing Food Insecurities
Donation protected
Hi there everyone, my name is Austin Hurt and I’m 14 years old. Some people call me the Young Urban Farmer because it’s my mission to grow food for my family and all of those in the community who need it. My ultimate goal is to create a fully functional farm so that my community has access to fresh food and to educate people around the public issue of food insecurity in urban areas.
One day when I was 8 years old, I realized we didn’t have enough food to feed me and my 4 siblings. I knew I wanted to help my family somehow, so I found some beans in the cabinet, dug a hole in the yard, and waited. All I knew was that they needed water, dirt, and sunshine, and I really hoped they would grow. To my surprise, they did and we haven’t had to buy beans ever since.
This got me thinking... If I can grow food for my family, I’m sure there are other families who could benefit from this as well. I reached out to my neighbors for help and one of them offered to let me use their empty lot for my garden. We’ve been gardening there ever since and have been feeding our community and anyone who needs help.
It’s been really great because I get to share what I know about gardening with all different types of people. Not only does the garden help keep people’s bellies full, it helps bring us all together, and it’s a lot of fun! We just finished harvesting this year’s crops and we’re busy prepping and planning for next year’s grow. This process has inspired me so much and I look forward to some day obtaining my Doctorate in Botany and Agricultural Science!
As you can imagine, keeping up a garden and feeding so many people does have a cost. I started this GoFundMe campaign to help raise money so we can keep up with the high demand, build a greenhouse to help us provide food year round, and one expand into a full urban farm! The money we raise here will go towards things like garden tools, canning supplies, and chicken feed, while also helping with the daily cost of operations and the hunt for a permanent location for our garden.
Thank you in advance for supporting my mission and helping me feed my community. I hope this inspires others to look for new ways to help out one another!
One day when I was 8 years old, I realized we didn’t have enough food to feed me and my 4 siblings. I knew I wanted to help my family somehow, so I found some beans in the cabinet, dug a hole in the yard, and waited. All I knew was that they needed water, dirt, and sunshine, and I really hoped they would grow. To my surprise, they did and we haven’t had to buy beans ever since.
This got me thinking... If I can grow food for my family, I’m sure there are other families who could benefit from this as well. I reached out to my neighbors for help and one of them offered to let me use their empty lot for my garden. We’ve been gardening there ever since and have been feeding our community and anyone who needs help.
It’s been really great because I get to share what I know about gardening with all different types of people. Not only does the garden help keep people’s bellies full, it helps bring us all together, and it’s a lot of fun! We just finished harvesting this year’s crops and we’re busy prepping and planning for next year’s grow. This process has inspired me so much and I look forward to some day obtaining my Doctorate in Botany and Agricultural Science!
As you can imagine, keeping up a garden and feeding so many people does have a cost. I started this GoFundMe campaign to help raise money so we can keep up with the high demand, build a greenhouse to help us provide food year round, and one expand into a full urban farm! The money we raise here will go towards things like garden tools, canning supplies, and chicken feed, while also helping with the daily cost of operations and the hunt for a permanent location for our garden.
Thank you in advance for supporting my mission and helping me feed my community. I hope this inspires others to look for new ways to help out one another!
Organizer
Dorothea Hurt
Organizer
Indianapolis, IN
