GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids officials will tap the community for ideas this month for expanding urban farming and community gardens within the city.
The Grand Rapids Urban Agriculture Committee is hosting five community forums at the following times:
- Monday, Oct. 22: 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Blandford Nature Center.
- Monday, Oct. 22: 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.at Gerald R. Ford Academic Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 24: 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
- Wednesday, Oct. 24: 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Elementary School (in Spanish)
- Saturday, Oct. 27: 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Yankee Clipper Public Library
Those who cannot attend any of the forums are encouraged to contact the committee online or visit the Fulton Street Farmers Market or Southeast Area Farmers Market on Saturday, Oct. 25 to share their thoughts. The Fulton Street Farmers Market at 1145 Fulton Street welcomes community feedback from 9 a.m. to noon; the Southeast Area Farmers Market at Martin Luther King Park on Fuller Ave. SE will take ideas from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The head of the Grand Rapids Urban Agriculture Committee says the group is interested in how school gardens, urban farms, composting and educational programs could enrich the city.
The committee is comprised of residents and leaders from Grand Rapids schools, nonprofits and local organizations partnering with the city to improve the local food system and community health and wellness.
