The Clara White Mission nonprofit has been growing produce at its White Harvest Farm property on Moncrief Road for about four years.
Clara White CEO Ju'Coby Pittman describes the farm operation as using a “band-aid” approach due to not having all the desired resources for a bigger vision of helping the surrounding community with fresh food and job training.
But that could all change with up to $1.5 million in potential city dollars and an already-awarded $454,513 federal grant.
The city money is one of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s priorities he highlighted in his budget presentation earlier in the week. If Council approves the funding, the 14.5-acre White Harvest farm would get an educational facility, which would also be used as a processing center from packaging food and new farmer’s market for the community.
According to the city bill, the project will create six to eight new jobs as well as provide training and internships to 200 residents and low-income students annually
Pittman said the training programs range from construction to agriculture-related.
“That would be a signature project for that community and it would be an asset for that community as well because you’re training individuals for jobs not only at the farm but potentially in other areas of District 8,” Pittman said.
In addition, the city funds would go to a new irrigation system, additional wells, fencing and a pedestrian bridge.
The farm is in what’s called a food desert, which means there are no nearby grocery stores. White Harvest used to have a regular farmers market, which was damaged during Hurricane Irma, Pittman said.
She said many residents in the area don’t have cars. At the same time, another organization has been working to bring a grocery store a few miles from White Harvest Farms. Pittman said the two would work together -- White Harvest supplying produce.
Pittman said she’s had been working with Councilmember Sam Newby and now-suspended City Councilmember Katrina Brown for the city money. Recently Governor Rick Scott appointed Pittman to replace Brown on Council. Because of that, Council will vote on the White Harvest funding in a stand-alone bill outside of the city budget and Pittman will have to abstain from voting on the measure to avoid a conflict of interest.
If the funding is approved it will come from what’s called the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Trust Fund in the form of a reimbursement grant.
At the same time, the non-profit recently got news it’ll get a nearly half-a-million dollar Conservation Innovation Grant to improve the farm’s soil to grow healthier plants.
Pittman said a lot of the funding will be used for equipment, lab work and employing the right scientists. But the nonprofit will also use the grant as a training opportunity to teach the community about improving soil.
Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at@lindskilbride.
