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Things that seem problematic
Asheville Housing Authority proposes closure of Southside Community Farm
In the 4/15/24 GAP Report, we drew your attention to the potential closure of the Southside Community Farm (SCF) by the Housing Authority for the City of Asheville (HACA), in order to build a playground and “protect” the Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center.
We made a case, citing SCF and other local community supporters, that we think HACA’s reasoning understates and undermines the value of this essential resource to the establishment of Black food sovereignty in Asheville and its benefits to Black neighbors and the larger community.
Our Ask
We encouraged the HACA Board to listen to community members, and we encouraged you to sign SCF’s petition and support their efforts to preserve their farm and its valuable contributions to Black neighbors and the larger community.
In our 5/20/24 GAP Report, we also encouraged community members to reach out to the HACA President Monique Pierre to ask for more information on this decision and the pending termination of leases for Head Start Programs on HACA property (see our report back on this issue above).
Please see the GAP Report for 4/15/24 for more details about this issue and how you can advocate with us.
REPORT BACK
Unresolved
Update (5/31/24): We mistakenly reported in our 5/27/24 GAP Report that HACA had voted to evict SCF, but this isn’t true. The HACA President and CEO did communicate at the 5/22/24 meeting that SCF would need to leave by the end of the year, but no formal vote by the Housing Authority Board has happened yet, so this matter is still ultimately unresolved and may still be an opportunity to be influenced by our advocacy.
Our mistake is an example and result of the community confusion that has been occuring due to HACA’s lack of transparency – when information isn’t shared publicly, and instead is communicated informally through back channels, it’s much more likely that the story gets distorted. We’re continuing to advocate for HACA to share more information about their plans to remove both SCF and Head Start programs on their properties (see our report back below on this issue).
Below is an update from Chloe Moore, SCF’s Farm Manager:
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As of right now, we have not been served an official eviction notice. HACA CEO Monique Pierre wrote Resolution 2024-11 to dismantle the farm and has made it clear to farm leadership that she is unwilling to discuss options for us to remain at the space where we have been farming for 10 years. Ms. Pierre would like us to be off of the land by the end of 2024. However, Ms. Pierre does not have the power to make that decision. The Board of Directors of HACA has the power to decide by either voting for or against Resolution 2024-11 (or throwing out the resolution entirely). Until that vote occurs, nothing is certain. We were not contacted in any way about this possibility or about any concerns until after Resolution 2024-11 was brought forward in HACA’s March board meeting. Still after many attempts we have not been able to get in contact with the majority of the HACA board members. Resolution 2024-11 includes false, unsubstantiated claims about Southside Community Farm, including that the farm has caused “rodents and infestation” in the Edington Center, and that the farm does not provide a “significant enough” benefit to HACA residents. These claims have been refuted, including in this letter written by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. Southside Community Farm has compiled hundreds of letters of support written by Southside residents, non-profit organizations, local businesses, and others in support of our work and has collected 3,057 signatures in support of the farm’s preservation as of today. The lack of accountability that we have seen as we continue to try to get in contact with HACA board members is deeply concerning. Currently, we are attempting to preserve this important urban farmland, but we are also seeking support in order to access permanent land that we cannot be displaced from, and which serves as intergenerational wealth for our community… During HACA’s May board meeting, Ms. Pierre publicly suggested that we relocate to land next to the Wesley Grant Center, despite the fact that this land is a non-viable option already accounted for in Parks & Rec construction plans. You can find more information on our website here. |
Previous Update (4/25/24): The HACA Board met on Wednesday, April 24th, but the proposed closure of Southside Community Farm was taken off the agenda and not discussed. A huge crowd turned out in support of the Farm, so many that a lot of people couldn’t get into the auditorium due to fire regulations. One observer estimated that between 200 and 300 people showed up. We will let you know as we hear of further developments or requests for support from Farm leaders.
GAP Supporter Actions Taken: Unknown
The Southside Community Farm petition we asked GAP supporters to sign had 2083 signatures when we released our report, and has 3048 as of May 27th. GAP supporters likely contributed to this increase.