Madison County, Alabama A&M University, creating new community farm in Huntsville
A new community farm will help to address food insecurity in Madison County, Alabama. (Alabama A&M University)
A new community farm in Madison County will help address food insecurity and offer research opportunities for students.
Alabama A&M University (AAMU) and the Madison County Commission signed a five-year agreement to establish the farm near the AAMU campus. In addition to providing nourishing food for area residents and expanding research options for AAMU students, the project is expected to help strengthen the community’s broader, local food systems.
The university has already designated campus property near or adjacent to Meridian Street in Huntsville for the farm. The Madison County Commission, under the leadership of District 6 Commissioner Violet Edwards, will manage daily operations and work closely with campus-based organizations, including the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, to conduct community outreach. Alabama Extension will also assist with signage, soil sampling and analysis, produce selection and pest control, as well as harvesting.
AAMU and the commission have a long history of working together to grow fresh produce for public distribution. The latest agreement expands the joint effort to help tackle food insecurity needs throughout Madison County.
“This has been 40 years in the making, and I am excited to see it come to fruition,” Edwards said in a news release.
“It makes sense that the county and the university work together to maximize investments already made and create a mutually beneficial program for the community, the university, and the students.”
Majed El-Dweik, AAMU vice president of Research and Economic Development, said the university and Alabama Extension look forward to working with Edwards to address food insecurity in the community. Dweik also serves as interim director for Alabama Extension at AAMU.
To learn more about the new community farm, contact Dweik at 256-372-7010 or majed.dweik@aamu.edu, or Jason Andra, District 6 harvest manager, at 256-532-1505 or jandra@madisoncountyal.gov.
Information for this story came from the Alabama A&M University website.
