Planting the Seed . . .
Green Corn Project (GCP) was founded in July, 1998 by a group of dedicated volunteers. Our
goal from the beginning was to offer people, especially those with financial or physical barriers,
a way to learn about growing food at home with minimum cost and without chemicals.
Green Corn Project has built more than 130 organic food gardens in Austin's underserved neighborhoods with the assistance of dozens of volunteers,
including our staff and board of directors. Over 80% of our first-time
gardeners maintain their gardens for at least two seasons.
Our Goal
The mission of GCP is to educate and
assist Central Texans in growing organic home food gardens.
In only 100 square feet and in less than 20 minutes each day, a
person can grow enough vegetables and soft fruits in our climate to meet the
needs of one adult throughout the year. For a family, this amount of fresh food can mean increased nutrition and
other benefits that a healthier diet provides. As people gain knowledge through growing
Biointensively, they can expand
their growing area to include grains, root crops (such as potatoes), and food
for market.
GCP would like to give as many people as possible the
opportunity to grow nutritious food right where they live. We believe doing so increases self-reliance,
helps meet the needs of less fortunate families, promotes sustainable use of
resources, and creates a greater connection to the land.
A Powerful Hunger
In
Austin, eating well can be an ongoing challenge for folks who have limited
income, serious health conditions, or physical limitations due to aging or
disability. A 1998 Community Action Network report counted 9,000
low-income Austinites who seek food daily from emergency sources such as
food banks. East Austin's Seton Clinic reported a few years ago that 40%
of its patient diagnoses are strongly influenced by inadequate diets.
In 1999, more than 87,000 Travis County residents lived below the poverty level. At least twice that many have been defined as "working poor." For a variety of reasons, these people do not always spend their food budgets in the most efficient way. Not everyone in Austin has a grocery store nearby and transportation to get there. According to a 1995 report, "Access
Denied," many low-income shoppers rely on expensive corner convenience stores for food when they cannot get to a supermarket. Wholesale grocery companies rarely serve these smaller stores, which forces owners to charge higher prices and offer limited selection.
Helping People
Home
gardens give people direct access to nutritious, seasonal food that is
affordable and safe. GCP provides the instruction and needed
materials for growing an organic garden of 50 to 100 square feet, depending on
family size. We do this by holding
workshops to teach the Biointensive method -– the most sustainable way
we know to grow food. GCP also supplies starter compost, seeds and seedlings, as well as tools
and other materials for people who need them. In addition to instructing home gardeners, we train volunteers to assist
with food gardens located at the homes of elders and disabled folks.
Helping the Environment
Because GCP teaches sustainable Biointensive growing, people learn to
“grow” soil. The main aspects of Biointensive gardening are:
- Double-dug raised beds: deep soil preparation allows plant roots to
penetrate deeply, providing more nutrients and water to the plant.
- Composting: making a healthy, diverse compost fertilizer from crop residues.
- Intensive planting: placing plants in an offset, hexagonal pattern that makes the most of
space and enhances plant growth and moisture retention.
- Companion planting: some plants do best when grown around certain other plants.
- Carbon farming: growing biomass (plant matter) on-site to produce enough material for
making compost.
- Calorie farming: growing food that efficiently provides the most amount of calories per
square foot of growing area.
- Use of open-pollinated seeds: learning to use and harvest seeds, and
developing strains of plants specifically adapted to a person’s
growing area and climate.
- Using all of the components
together – the whole system: the sum of the method is
far greater than its parts. By
using some of these techniques alone, great
damage to the soil can occur. When
used together, the garden becomes its most productive, and garden and
human health is enhanced in a truly sustainable way.
Biointensive
gardening conserves water, uses about 1/4 of the land space, and requires 99%
less energy than conventional growing methods.
Contact Us
Green Corn Project
P.O. Box 49468
Austin, Texas 78765
512-249-3171
greencornproject@usa.net
