COVID19 Response Update: 4/16/2020

/ Food Well Alliance/
Photo taken by Caleb Jones at Truly Living Well Collegetown Farm.

Photo taken by Caleb Jones at Truly Living Well Collegetown Farm.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Food Well Alliance has cancelled all events and convenings until June 1, 2020. During this time we are focusing our attention on allocating critical resources to our farm and garden partners and creating virtual experiences for metro Atlanta residents who want to remain engaged in the local food community. This blog will be updated with new resources and developments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can also tune into our Instagram Live Stream on Friday at 1 pm for a recap and interviews with farmers and local food organizations.

Community Garden Listening Session

Food Well Alliance partnered with Park Pride and AgLanta to host a listening session with community gardeners on Thursday, April 16 at noon. Here were the top three takeaways:

  • Gardens are moving forward and ready to grow! Now more than ever, there's a demand for locally grown food and an urgency to get started. Gardeners also want to give to people, families and seniors in need. Those who have extra produce to donate should visit United Way 2-1-1.

  • Safety is a top priority for all community gardeners. They are being very creative to ensure every precaution is taken. Many ideas were shared, including a video series created by Global Growers Network.

  • We don't want any gardens to miss out on planting because they don't have enough volunteers. Food Well Alliance can provide the tools and labor you need. Email gardens@foodwellalliance.org to take us up on our offer of labor and resources.

Bucket Brigade Coming to East Point

Food Well Alliance is supporting East Point Councilmember Thomas Calloway’s vision of bringing gardens to East Point residents through an installation of 150 bucket gardens. Pepper, tomato, and parsley seedlings from Metro Atlanta Urban Farm in College Park and Urban Sprout Farms in Atlanta will be planted in 5 gallon buckets. The seedlings will be planted at Metro Atlanta Urban Farm and then distributed to 50 families and individuals in East Point by Councilmember Calloway and East Point Parks and Recreation staff. Each mini-garden will come with a guide created by Food Well Alliance, which includes tips for taking care of the plant plant care as well as recipes. These guides were also translated into Spanish by our friend from Cooking Matters, Evan Daily.

Updated Farmer Resources