The G.R.O.V.E. Urban Farm has taken a community in East Atlanta from food non-existent to food independent.

The urban farm initially started in 2010 as a community garden developed through The Greater Piney Grove Community Development Corporation’s “Go Green” initiative. After getting much response from the community, who were sourcing fresh food from gas stations, the organization implemented three raised beds near their outreach center, The Love Center.

G.R.O.V.E. Community Garden has been able to serve the Parkview neighborhood, The Villages of East Lake and two senior communities, where many of the residents are low/no income, disabled, or lack reliable transportation.

With a recent lease from The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, the garden has transitioned into an urban farm that will partner with neighborhood associations to “saturate” the East Lake community with farmers markets and educational opportunities.

Food Well Alliance looks forward to transitioning the East Lake community into an agrarian utopia by financially supporting the farm’s expansion. It will revitalize the farmers market, which has made fresh food easily accessible to residents, and reintroduce garden volunteers to techniques for stewarding the land.

The G.R.O.V.E. Urban Farm will also partner with neighborhood associations and nearby communities to increase farmers markets in the East Lake area and offer educational opportunities for families to learn how to grow their own food.