JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Congressman Al Lawson was in Jacksonville on Wednesday to announce a $2 million appropriation that will help eliminate the negative impact of food deserts in Jacksonville’s urban core.
The money will help the restoration process of Clara White Mission’s White Harvest Farm -- the Clara White Mission’s original home on Moncrief Road -- which will be turned into a museum and historic landmark. The farm’s goal is to target food desert residents, low-income, homeless veterans, and the disadvantaged who lack education and skills for employment.
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The money will help the phase two build-out of the farm which will include: outdoor classrooms and raised beds, a farm processing and packing center, an indoor and outdoor training center, culinary kitchen equipment, bees and beehives, chicken coops and a new bridge.
“Implementation of the full scope of Phase II will allow for a visible community transformation with a hands-on holistic approach for economic development to meet and focus on ‘the local food economy’ that residents deserve,” a release said.
The 10.5-acre White Harvest Farm is the only urban farm in Northwest Jacksonville. The expansion will help give those who are in need food and resources.
“More than 59% of the residents residing within the designated Health Zone 1, suffer from low access to fresh and healthful foods due to poverty, low income, and lack of available mainstream grocery stores,” the release said.
The farm is located at 4850 Moncrief Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32209. Click here to learn more about White Harvest Farm and the Clara White Mission.