12/28/2016
Noel S. Halvorsen, Executive Director, NeighborWorks Green Bay
Challenge: The Navarino neighborhood in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin, has seen some revitalization in recent years, but the low-income area still showed signs of lingering poverty. One of the biggest problems is the lack of access to healthy affordable food.
Despite revitalization in the Navarino neighborhood in downtown Green Bay, Wisconsin, the low-income area still suffered from lingering poverty. One major symptom was the lack of access to healthy affordable food. Meanwhile, a big historic building that once housed a military armory has sat shuttered in the heart of the neighborhood for nearly half a century. Attempts over the years to convert the dilapidated armory into something constructive for the community were thwarted by the massive renovation costs.
About a decade ago, NeighborWorks Green Bay (NWGB) acquired a unique property that operated as a military armory up until the early 1970s. NWGB has led much-needed renovation projects in the low-income Navarino neighborhood surrounding the armory, but the residents still suffered from some problems stemming from poverty. One of the biggest is that the area was still a food desert, where residents had no access to healthy, affordable fresh food.
Throughout the past few years, several attempts were made to bring the 20,000-square-foot historic armory back to life and give the neighborhood an economic boost. However, a 14-inch thick concrete floor separating the first and second stories and other structural challenges made renovations too costly and limited what could be altered in the original structure. NWGB had to think innovatively about the project, which was unlike anything it had previously undertaken.
In 2013, a local business approached NWGB and asked about converting the vacant building into an indoor farm. They wanted to create a not-for-profit business that would grow food and provide work for military veterans. They didn't have much more than the concept, but were eager to explore it. That same year, NWGB was participating in a social innovation leadership program sponsored by regional community and family foundations. As part of the program, the group toured Growing Power, an industry leading urban farm using aquaponics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That experience inspired new ideas for NWGB and the local business.
We came up with a plan to turn the armory into The Farmory, an indoor farm to provide the neighborhood with foods like fresh vegetables, herbs and fish. The Farmory, which is slated to open in October 2017, also brings jobs and educational opportunities to the community.
Volunteer workers who complete The Farmory program will earn materials to build backyard "hoop houses." This way, residents are not only learning how to grow food indoors by volunteering, they are able to take this knowledge and hands-on experience home to provide for their families. A hoop house acts as a greenhouse and extends the outdoor growing season by several months. The Farmory aims to increase the self-sufficiency of area residents by providing educational programming as well as a variety of volunteer program pathways to earn rewards. It also offers scholarships for further education or entrepreneurial training, links to area employment programs, materials to start their own growing operations and fresh Farmory produce.
In 2015, NWGB and its subsidiary, the Urban Partnership for Community Development Corporation (CDC), secured funding for architectural services, engineering and hazard control and hired a design-build firm to draw up the plans. NWGB also purchased an adjacent property for The Farmory's future expansion. A total of $550,000 was raised from multiple sources, including the Green Bay Housing Authority, NeighborWorks America, the Basic Needs Giving Partnership, the US Conference of Mayors and Wells Fargo. The most talked about result that was initially achieved is a test aquaculture grow system. Fully operational since February of 2016, this system operates to pilot farming techniques for The Farmory's full-scale operation, which is 50 times larger.
The Farmory will include two acres of grow systems in vertical stacks that will produce plants fed by water flowing from the fish tanks. Community residents, particularly those unemployed or underemployed, will be hired to assist in the food-growing operations. Produce sales will fund job skills development programs, entrepreneurial training and college scholarships. Ultimately, this urban farm community center is seen as a self-sustaining social enterprise that addresses both financial and food issues for the community.
In 2016, a Farmory's open house marked the project's public launch. Over 400 people attended the event, which was publicized through social media and day-of local media interviews alone. That year, we also launched a campaign to raise $3 million for the ongoing renovations.
The project is unprecedented for NWGB and Green Bay, and there have been plenty of lessons learned along the way. Our team found that developing a project timeline and setting achievable, detailed goals is essential to driving a large project forward. Receiving money too early in the process can be a challenge if it comes with expectations of success that can't be realized until after many more dollars are raised. A project like this requires a team with varied expertise and oversight and coordination are essential when bringing together alternative farmers, builders, bankers, academics and community residents.