Partnership with Food Well Alliance brings first planting to long-vacant site, transforming it into a hub for food, health and future housing
ATLANTA – Atlanta Housing (AH) and Food Well Alliance (FWA) joined forces Friday to break ground—by planting seeds—at the Leila Valley Community Farm, the first step in transforming a long-vacant site in Southeast Atlanta into a community-focused urban farm and future housing development.
The 7.4- part of a 14-acre parcel along Locust Lane Southeast, has remained unused since 2008. Now, the land is being activated as part of AH’s first food-housing development model, integrating urban agriculture with future housing and green space.
“This will be the first time we have ever collaborated with a nonprofit partner to install a food production space right on-site,” says Atlanta Housing President and CEO Terri M. Lee. “No single project will address every community challenge, but with thoughtful, collaborative planning, we’re working to optimize housing designs to benefit long standing communities.”
At Friday’s event, Atlanta Housing representatives, FWA Executive Director Kate Conner, longtime Leila Valley residents, and volunteers planted the farm’s first seedlings. Attendees also constructed plant beds, installed a shade tunnel, and assembled a water cube to support future irrigation needs.
“The collaboration represents a reimagination of how vacant land can be used in a way that is more equitable for the community and that offers a more holistic approach to housing,” said Conner. “All of the food grown here will be for this community.”
With production ramping up overtime, the farm is expected to yield thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually, all of which will be donated to the community. The site will also serve as an educational hub for new and beginning growers while improving biodiversity.
Key features of the Leila Valley Community Farm include:
- A 2.4-acre native fruit tree orchard
- 6,000 square feet of growing space
- ADA accessible community gardens beds
- Cold storage, tool and equipment storage, and grow tunnels
- Education pavilion and gathering space
The farm is designed to offer measurable health and environmental benefits. Area residents face higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, and the orchard will offer free, healthy fruit while helping to mitigate industrial pollutants. Rainwater harvesting and stormwater-sensitive landscaping will reduce flooding and discourage illegal dumping.
The Leila Valley Community Farm will serve as a destination for volunteerism, hosting group service days to support ongoing farm development.
ABOUT ATLANTA HOUSING
President and Chief Executive Officer Terri M. Lee leads The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AH), the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. One of 139 Moving to Work (MTW) public housing authorities in America, AH is an industry leader in providing and facilitating affordable housing resources for nearly 27,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 45,000 people, including AH-owned residential communities, tenant-based vouchers, supportive housing, as well as down payment assistance, where innovation leads the approach to making the dream of home ownership attainable for more Atlantans. Programs are funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
For more information, visit AH at atlantahousing.org or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @housingatlanta.
ABOUT FOOD WELL ALIANCE
Food Well Alliance is a collaborative network of local leaders working together to build equitable, thriving community gardens, urban farms, and orchards across metro Atlanta. Food Well’s mission is to provide resources and support to local growers to connect and build healthier communities. Their vision is an Atlanta that is locally grown and community connected. Food Well currently serves more than 300 growing spaces in its five-county service area of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton counties- with orchard plantings and service extending into the full Atlanta Region. Learn more about their work and how you can get involved @foodwellalliance or foodwellalliance.org.