Green Movement In Glenville

This project is designed to impact the Glenville community by challenging residents to learn more about alternative energy, and help them engage in eco-friendly practices like urban gardening. This project will also give Glenville residents access to locally grown produce year round. The plan is to introduce solar energy to Glenville by re-purposing steam from our dry cleaning boiler system. We can eliminate the need to use gas by installing thermal solar panels on the roof of our building, using the sun to create the steam we need to power our 15-hp; then we will pipe steam heat into our 30x72ft tall hi-tunnel. The benefit: it enables us extend the growing season thereby providing fresh produce year-round to community residents. It also an experiential model, designed to give residents a hands-on experience with solar energy and products and highlight the benefits of urban farming. 

The goal is to demonstrate the efficacy of alternative energy sources to community residents and businesses interested in incorporating eco-friendly practices and products in their homes and businesses. This project seeks to encourage Glenville residents to engage in constructive activities such as gardening and composting. Exposure and training will equip residents with the viable skills in one of the fastest growing industry in the country- urban farming.  A recent analysis of urban agriculture's global potential (published in the journal Earth's Future) stated that urban agriculture could if fully implemented in cities around the world account for as much as 10% of global output of legumes, roots, tubers and vegetable crop. That's a big number. The paper also states that urban agriculture can improve the natural capital of cities, making them more diverse, interesting and greener.

• We’ve hosted a number of free juice giveaways to the community to gauge response and desire to consume healthy produce and engage in healthy activities.
• In 2017, we hosted a Vegan fest that was well received and attended (over 100 people attended) by the community.
• We’ve built two Hi-tunnels for growing
• We are organizing and hosting the First Glenville Wellness event in Saturday, May 19, 2018- 10am-4pm.  We will engage the community by building raised beds; planting vegetables and flowers; building c omposting containers, and talking to the community about the advantages of urban farming.

 Glenville is a food desert. We need to challenges Glenville residents to become more proactive in the creation of a healthy lifestyle.  In Glenville, we have some of the highest rates or heart disease, high-blood pressure and obesity. With little or no access to healthy alternatives, many of our residents resigned to purchasing food from corner stores and gas stations-foods that carry no nutritional value and stores whose main source of inventory is usually junk food, alcohol and the lottery. Giving residents information and access about healthy foods and helping them make healthy choices is important to creating a vibrant communities and a healthy planet .This is how we use innovation to create a conversation about climate change.  By creating friendly, accessible space where community residents can engage in green concepts, get a hands-on experience with solar technology, and discuss the benefits of using solar products.  This is how we create a spark around how communities can engage in  reducing their carbon footprint and reducing their dependency on fossil fuels. Global warming is a real phenonmalon our planet, so by creating an interest in the Climate Change movement, we prepare the next generation to get active and involved in one of the most important issues of our lifetime.