Building Soil, Growing Food, Nurturing Relationships

By Shawndra Miller, originally published by Shawndra Miller blog

May 23, 2014

Society
NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed.

I just listened to a podcast interview with Linda Proffitt, founder and executive director of Global Peace Initiatives here in Indianapolis. I’ve known Linda since the days I was responsible for Nuvo Newsweekly’s monthly social justice calendar. Back then I called her regularly to find out about GPI’s peace hikes and other activities, and I was always impressed with her programming.

Since that time GPI’s work has exploded onto the local resilience scene. They started by helping church groups grow food for the hungry, bringing countless volunteers together to experience the transformational power of service initiatives.

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In 2011, the organization began a new partnership with one of the most influential forces in the urban farming movement. Will Allen and his team at Growing Power designated GPI as a regional training center for Central Indiana. Spring of 2012 saw a well-attended “From the Ground Up” workshop at Peaceful Grounds, GPI’s newly formed center for agriculture and sustainability.

If you have a chance to listen to the podcast, you might be struck (like me) by the idea that produce is just one output of Peaceful Grounds. There’s also soil, which is foundational. And then there’s relationships.

People coming together to cooperatively grow food can form some powerful ties. And that’s what it’s all about at Peaceful Grounds.

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Sharing worms with youthful visitors

Now at the Marion County Fairgrounds, Peaceful Grounds is about to start a weekly farm and arts market, Sundays from noon to 4 starting June 1.

GPI’s work is featured in a chapter of the new book Deep-Rooted Wisdom by Augustus Jenkins Farmer. The chapter is called “Stop Tilling the Soil”—and worm composting is a big part of the system at Peaceful Grounds. (I was thrilled learn that the worms eat brew mash from my local microbrewery, Black Acre, located right here in Irvington.)

Linda will be the guest speaker at next Tuesday’s Green Hour, a project of the Irvington Green Initiative. If you’re in town, come out and join us to hear all about this vital work.

Photos courtesy of Global Peace Initiatives.

Shawndra Miller

I am a writer with deep ties to the urban homesteading movement—a passion rooted in my Amish/Mennonite heritage. Growing up, I absorbed the waste-not-want-not ethic of my forebears. My parents regularly conscripted me for gardening and food preserving projects. These days I consider myself a Radical Homemaker–a phrase coined by Shannon Hayes to describe those who structure their lives in accordance with the values of family, community, justice, and the health of the planet.

I have written for national and regional publications, both online and print, including Kiwanis Magazine, Edible Indy, Indiana Living Green, and Angie’s List Magazine. My current project is a nonfiction book interweaving my personal journey with profiles of communities working toward resilience. As a recipient of a 2013-14 Indiana Arts Commission grant, I will be traveling to several sites to explore the subject. I was also awarded a Mesa Refuge residency, allowing me focused time to work on the project.

Tags: building resilient food systems, Growing Power

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