For years, the former Iroquois Homes public housing project in Louisville, Kentucky sat empty. The demolished housing complex had no plans for redevelopment but last year, the Lowe’s Foundation assisted the Food Literacy Project and local community partners to develop the Iroquois Homes public housing complex into what is expected to be a vibrant community asset.
The Food Literacy Project, a Louisville organization, has a goal of engaging youth and families at risk for diet-related illnesses by introducing them to life-changing nutrition education programs and contributing to the revitalization of the neighborhood. To help accomplish their mission, The Food Literacy Project, local community partners and the Lowe’s Foundation converted 8.7 acres at the former Iroquois Homes public housing complex into an urban vegetable farm and outdoor classroom to improve access to fresh, locally grown food.
With Lowe’s support, this project is expected to improve access and demand for fresh foods, as well as the health and well-being of neighborhood residents. The Food Literacy Project is establishing an outdoor classroom and Field-to-Fork Program complete with vegetable crops, a teaching garden and outdoor teaching kitchen/pavilion. They will invite youth and families to drive change in their community and cultivate the knowledge, skills and access needed for a lifetime of connection with healthful foods. Thousands of children, teens and families will discover the power of real food as they plant, harvest and develop recipes with the vegetables they help grow through farm-based education, after school programs, family engagement workshops and community outreach events. Iroquois Farm will provide a hands-on place for youth and families to explore, harvest and cook fresh produce. It will also allow and encourage a diverse unit of underserved teens to cultivate leadership and community engagement skills.
Read more stories about the foundation’s grants and the community projects it helped make possible.