KD Sunday Spotlight: Pittsburgh Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers Helping To Close Gap On Food Insecurity
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- From a food desert to a flourishing farm, the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh are expanding their efforts to fill more stomachs and souls.
Dozens of boxes are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables to feed residents for free at the house of Manna Farmers Market.
Many of them don't have access to affordable and nutritious food.
"No questions asked," said Raqueeb Ajamu-Osagboro, the founder of Pittsburgh Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers. "You do not have to show ids. You just come in and take what you need."
Ajamu-Osagboro created the organization back in 2015 to help Black farmers overcome challenges and tackle food insecurity in Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
The group holds free farmers' markets four times a month.
Through this, they serve thousands of families through a partnership with the American Heart Association.
"Transportation might be an issue, cost might be an issue, getting back and forth on buses could be hard," said Ellyana Gomez who volunteers with the organization. "So this kind of gives them the option to go right in their back yard and give them the food they need."
The group also has a 31,000 square foot farm on Monticello Street in Homewood where they enrich lives by teaching others various farming methods.
"We have a hoop house where we grow food all year," said Ajumu-Osagboro. "We have a bee aviary which is a bee farm. We have 12 beehives. We have an orchard. We're adding more fruit trees."
Now, they're expanding their footprint in the community.
"We're building a grocery store because Homewood hasn't had a grocery store since 1995, right here in this building the House of Manna," said Ajamu-Osagboro.
Ajama-Osagboro said the Freedom Foods Co-Operative Grocery Store will open by the end of the year.
But this group hopes shoppers will leave with more than just bags filled with food.
"One thing about this organization, it's fueled on love, fueled on community, they want to take care of each other," said Gomez. "Hopefully, whenever people come to get food, they take that home with them too."
"We hope they take away, just like our students, community engagement, love and service for our community, which is needed more than ever now," said Ajamu-Osagboro.
They're establishing strong roots in a community that's hungry for growth.
The House of Manna Farmers Market is every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The Amplify Church Farmers Market is every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
You can attend the community meeting about the new store at the end of March.
