This Urban Farm in Chattanooga Is Growing Community Through Gardening
Crabtree Farms fosters food access and hands-on education through their agricultural-related programs.
More than produce is grown at Crabtree Farms, a nonprofit sustainable urban farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This community-focused mission not only provides locals with access to fresh vegetables and green space but also teaches them about agriculture firsthand.
The seeds of what would become Crabtree Farms originated in 1998 when the Crabtree family gifted a 22-acre plot of land to the City of Chattanooga under the condition that the use would be agriculturally.
“At the same time, there was a group of local young folks who were interested in starting an urban farm,” said Executive Director Melonie Lusk.
All parties involved came together, and a 30-year lease was signed with the city that would start this now 25-year-old farm. Today, Crabtree Farms is run by an administrative staff, with separate teams maintaining its urban farm and greenhouse. Its purpose is rooted in engagement through programming that connects the farm’s neighboring population to its campus.
One initiative is a community gardening program that began in part through working with area nonprofits for help in breaking past language or culture barriers. An advisory committee was formed with the stipulation that one-half of its members reside within the farm’s immediate neighborhood. Art projects were also integrated into planning.
Joining the program is done through an application process, with paperwork in both English and Spanish, followed by an orientation. Organic soil and plant starts in the spring and fall are provided.
“There aren’t any regulations on what they can grow, but we do ask for non-GMO seeds,” said Lusk. “And we ask all participants to follow our growing guidelines, which are essentially not certified organic, but organic methods of growing.”
In 2021, the program introduced 30 4’x8’ raised garden beds. Additionally, there are larger ground plots for the farm’s community partners to use with their clientele and communal growing spaces within the community gardens for wildflowers and larger crops like corn, gourds and melons.
Board member and volunteer Papae Litchfield has one of them. She learned about Crabtree Farms through an article about them hosting high school students on field trips to impart the importance of growing one’s food. “My childhood passion for farming and the farm’s emphasis on education and land access resonated with me, and I wanted to be a part of that,” said Litchfield.
With the community gardening program, Litchfield explained that “more than half of the beds are gifted to the Latinx neighbors of the farm who have never had land access before. The remaining beds are leased to community members who pay an annual fee.”
Monthly potluck dinners encourage participants to prepare their native dishes with what they’ve harvested. “People have grown items native to their lands that has done well here, and I have had the opportunity to enjoy those items,” said Litchfield. “I have also been able to share gardening tips and items such as Swiss chard, kale, and peppers.”
WorkShare, another volunteer program, has participants working alongside the urban farm or greenhouse staff. In return, they earn a food box from the farm every other week.
Some participants are enrolled in a local Master Gardeners program, and their hours go toward their certification requirements. Others have gone on to start their own farm or related micro businesses.
“We also have some new people that are just interested in getting their hands in the dirt for the first time,” said Lusk.
Children, too, connect with the farm. Along with coordinating their own staff-led field trips and youth activities, Crabtree Farms hosts Nature Kin Forest and Farm School on the farm campus four days per week and a local homeschool group every Friday morning.
“We are excited for these partnerships that allow more children to experience the urban farm setting,” said Lusk.
To raise funding, Crabtree Farms conducts plant sales and has a seasonal farm stand selling their produce and goods from other farms. Their onsite Evelyn Center can be rented out for meetings, weddings and other events.
Held in June, 100 Dinner is a significant fundraiser as this farm-to-table multi-course meal is prepared onsite by local culinary talent and with ingredients sourced from within 100 miles of Chattanooga. “We partner with some of the best chefs in town,” said Lusk. “The menu will change every year, but it’s based on seasonal, local produce and local meats and cheeses.”
Upcoming plans include an emerging farmer program that will allow Crabtree Farms to support those interested in trying their hand at farming as a career within an urban center. The application process will open in 2024.
Lusk would like to see even more local neighbors utilizing the farm. “But I hope the diversity of folks that we see on the farm continues to grow at the rate it has over the last several years. And I hope that we can increase land access and opportunities for our most immediate neighbors who want to utilize the land for food production.”
Litchfield also believes that Crabtree Farms has a significant positive impact. “It is a valuable asset that contributes to the overall well-being and resilience of the Chattanooga community.”
