It’s amazing how inspiring a little bit of dirt can be in the middle of February. At least that’s how I felt as we embarked upon a tour of Milwaukee's Growing Power last weekend. Never mind the piles of snow left from last week’s blizzard.  There’s just something about the smell of earth… and growth… and the flavor of freshly plucked micro-greens that really pulls me out of my winter doldrums. If you haven’t taken a tour of Growing Power, I’d encourage you to plan a visit.  On our tour, we were given a first-hand look into the way urban farming works.

Photo by Nicole Adrian

As we walked and listened to our tour guide, we nibbled on tasty fresh greens – sunflower sprouts, pea shoots, mustard greens, and arugula.  We watched as the tilapia and yellow perch (both raised in greenhouses, thanks to the wonders of aquaponics) leapt up from the water to retrieve nourishing feed from the hands of our guide.  And we all stood, enamored, as we learned about the mission and scope of an organization that has changed the look of the urban landscape in Milwaukee and beyond.

Growing Power was founded on the belief that everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, should have access to healthy, safe, high quality food products. On just two acres, Will Allen has created an immensely productive sustainable urban farm which includes six greenhouses, an apiary, outdoor pens for livestock (including goats, rabbits, and turkeys), a chicken coop, space for aquaponic production of tilapia and yellow perch, and a small retail space.   Growing Power also supports multiple farm sites located in Wisconsin and Illinois, which supply food for their Market Basket CSA program, The Rainbow Farmer’s Cooperative, and restaurants and farmer’s markets in both Milwaukee and Chicago.

In addition to its efforts in food production, Growing Power expends additional energy on educational programming.  Through hands-on workshops and community projects, Growing Power offers schools, farmers, activists, and community members opportunities to learn from and participate in the development and operation of community food systems.  Through its Youth Corps program, GP also provides year-round gardening activities for neighborhood children, as well as service-learning experiences for teens.  They also play an active role in supporting food policy initiatives that support food security and social justice.

Even if you’ve taken the tour of Growing Power before, I’d encourage you to escape from the winter weather and make a trip back to see the changes that are taking place at the farm.  Growing Power recently expanded their “vertical” production to include the cultivation of shiitake and oyster mushrooms. They’ve recently installed new solar panels that assist them in heating rain-water to feed into their re-circulating aquaponics sytem. Future expansion plans include the addition of a five-story farming complex on additional acreage to the west of their current Milwaukee space.

Of course, if you’re feeling particularly inspired, you could always sign up to be a Growing Power volunteer. As a volunteer, you’ll help your community, learn tons about growing food, and make the world just a little bit better.  I can’t think of a better reason to get your hands a little dirty. Especially while you’re waiting for the spring thaw to set in.

Growing Power

Milwaukee National Headquarters and Urban Farm:  

5500 W. Silver Spring Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53218

Tel. 414.527.1546 l Fax 414.527.1908

Email: staff@growingpower.org

Web: www.growingpower.org

Growing Power Tours

More about Growing Power:
Milwaukee Magazine article: "Green Giant"