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City Park Conservancy (CPC) and Grow Dat Youth Farm have finalized an operating agreement that extends Grow Dat’s contract and ensures urban farming at its current site in New Orleans City Park for many years to come.
On Monday, Grow Dat’s board of directors unanimously approved the cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA), and today, the CPC and City Park Improvement Association boards gave their unanimous support to the CEA that CPC and Grow Dat’s leaders have worked collaboratively on over the past several months to define.
“We appreciate the collaboration with Grow Dat and board support to develop this agreement and keep urban farming in the Park,” said City Park Conservancy President and CEO Rebecca Dietz. “We value Grow Dat’s mission and the impact urban farms have on youth leadership development, native plant propagation, and improving food supply as well as its positive impacts on well-being in an urban environment.”
The CEA allows Grow Dat continued exclusive access and programming rights to its current seven-acre site in City Park in exchange for annual facility usage fees and programming contributions.
“Our leadership programs exist to give young people the tools to have hard conversations and to advocate for themselves and their community,” said Julie Gable, Grow Dat Co-Director. “We are so proud and grateful for the way these young people and our community have shown up, and for the productive dialogue we have been able to have with CPC to secure Grow Dat’s future as a farm and convening place for years to come.”
Every year, Grow Dat trains dozens of employees ages 15-24 in sustainable agriculture, building relationships in a diverse community, growing their critical thinking skills, and understanding history to develop solutions to create a more just and sustainable future. As part of the CEA, Grow Dat will host two public events each year on urban farming.
“This is a win-win situation for both Grow Dat Youth Farm and City Park,” said JP Morrell, At-Large New Orleans Councilmember. “I’m ecstatic that these two organizations have come to a long-term agreement that is aligned with the work they both do in preserving and improving the environment and connecting our communities.”
CPC and Grow Dat will also collaborate on the design and installation of low-impact pathways on non-exclusive parts of the farm’s footprint for the public that will avoid cultivation areas or other active sites.
The new CEA takes effect on Sept. 1, 2024.