Growing Power

Ran across a very cool organization in Milwaukee (“In fact , it’s pronounced “mill-e-wah-que” which is Algonquin for “the good land.” – anyone???) called Growing Power, run by a gentleman named Will Allen.  The New York Times Magazine has a good story on him called Street Farmer, and I highly suggest you read it, and also check out Growing Power’s website above.

Growing Power is a non-profit in the heart of the inner-city that organically grows fish and produce for the local residents, but to also sell to local stores and restaurants.  Allen’s idea is that people in the city can grow a lot of food for themselves and help battle diabetes and obesity that he sees in the inner city from people eating only fast-food.  But he is not an elitist, as evidenced by the soda and donuts that he admits to eating.  As the article says:

I’m no purist about food, and I don’t ask anyone else to be,” he said, laughing. “I work 17 hours a day; sometimes I need some sugar!

The whole “aquaponics” project is pretty amazing… it’s a setup they have to filter dirty fish water through gravity beds of gravel and watercress, and then use the cleaner water to feed various plant life, and then the remaining water is returned to the fish tank.  But they also have vermiposting and other cool agricultural tricks that they are running in the very very cold state of Wisconsin.  Just think of what could be done in other climates.  The goals and work of the organization look fantastic, and the fact that Allen has been running Growing Power since 1993 is testament to the staying power of what he is doing, as opposed to maybe some less thought out “green” organizations.

How cool is all this?  Plus he wears a killer sleeveless hoodie!  Check it out.

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