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Southeast Wisconsin Immigrant Farming Initiative

Contact Name & Title: Will Allen
Address: 5500 W. Silver Spring Drive
City, State & Zipcode: Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53218
Phone: (414) 527-1546
Email: will@growingpower.org
Web Address: www.growingpower.org

Project Description:

Milwaukee has the second largest Hmong population in the country. Growing Power has worked with Hmong farmers in the Milwaukee area for more than 15 years, and recently established the Southeast Wisconsin Immigrant Farming Initiative in an effort to formalize this work and outreach to additional immigrant and refugee groups, including recently arrived Somali Bantu refugees and aspiring Latino farmers. The Southeast Wisconsin Immigrant Farming Initiative provides access to greenhouse space, land, training in sustainable agriculture, and support with marketing. Growing Power has developed the infrastructure for year-round production through greenhouses and extended season growing systems, so that farmers can produce and market year-round. Farmers will market the majority of their produce through Growing Power’s Rainbow Farmer’s Co-op.

Mission: Growing Power is a nationwide nonprofit organization and land-trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds in the environment in which they live through the development of community food systems. These systems provide high-quality, safe, healthy, affordable food for all residents in the community. Growing Power develops community food centers as a key component of community food systems through training, active demonstration, outreach, and technical assistance. At the center people learn sustainable practices to grow, process, market, and distribute food.
Sponsoring Organization: Growing Power
Immigrant Communities Served: Hmong, Somali Bantu, Latino
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Hmong, Maay-Maay
Agricultural Crops & Products: Poultry, beef, pork, vermicompost and a wide variety of vegetables, flowers and herbs, including Hispanic, Asian and African specialty crops
Areas of Expertise: Vermiculture, Training, and Sustainable Agriculture. Growing Power’s sustainable curriculum includes: soil health, bed preparation and maintenance, how to use tools, propagation, irrigation, vegetable production, pest and disease, food harvesting and distribution, marketing, composting, vermicomposting, aquaponics, community organizing and project planning. Other training areas are soil fertility and remediation, hands-on nutritional training, planning and development, renewable energy systems, distribution and marketing, setting up youth corps/youth training, and additional services.
Useful Resources and Materials: Customized Workshops: Growing Power offers specialty workshops which can be designed to include any of Growing Power’s established training areas. Workshops can be developed for between 5 and 40 people. Growing Power will coordinate training supplies including greenhouse, vermiculture and acquaponic materials. Please contact Growing Power directly to learn more at (414) 527-1546 or staff@growingpower.org.