FOOD
CAROL MICHEL
Urban Farms Continue to Grow in Indy
PHOTOS : COURTESY OF CAROL MICHEL
On a busy street that serves as one of the south side gateways to downtown Indianapolis sits South Circle Farm on 1.5 acres . Hundreds — if not thousands — of commuters driving from the southern suburbs to downtown Indianapolis pass by it daily . On a fall Sunday afternoon , if the roof of nearby Lucas Oil Stadium is open , workers at the farm can probably hear the roar of the crowds gathered to watch NFL football featuring the hometown Indianapolis Colts .
Across the street from the farm there is an aged neighborhood , waiting patiently , hopefully , for its chance to be transformed . Maybe that will happen sooner rather than later . After all , just a few blocks up the street , the mother and daughter team from the HGTV show Good Bones has started to flip a few houses .
The area to the west of the farm might be described optimistically as “ industrial .” Recycling is one of the predominant industries , with a few trucking companies thrown in to complete the picture of an area paved over with old asphalt , concrete and gray limestone rock .
CHALLENGED NEIGHBORHOODS
This location seems like an improbable place to put a farm , but the owners of the land , the non-profit Gennesaret Free Clinic , which serves the healthcare needs of homeless and low-income residents of Indianapolis , wanted the land and adjoining historical building to be used in an environmentally responsible way .
I ’ ve driven by South Circle Farm at least once a week and from afar have watched as the farm has grown from its beginnings in 2010 . First came the rows of vegetables , announcing to passersby that this unused parcel of land was going to be a farm . In subsequent seasons , they added low tunnels to extend the harvest in early spring and late fall . This past summer , high tunnels appeared , protecting tomato plants that will produce fruit long after my own tomato plants have withered away .
Many industries in the area put up tall , chain-
Above : South Circle Farm is located near downtown Indianapolis . Below right : At Fitness Farm , they grow vegetables and host a variety of events .
link fences to keep others out . There is no such fence at South Circle Farm . Instead , a low , white farm fence surrounds it , which invokes Robert Frost , “ good fences make good neighbors .” The farm is open to visitors and it offers programs for children and adults . For a suggested donation of $ 2 , visitors can go on a self-guided tour or call ahead to schedule a guided tour . A new sign out front proudly proclaims a church whose members volunteer there .
PROGRAMS FOR KIDS AND ADULTS
Under a large pavilion , the farm hosts weekly classes for “ Kids Grow Green ,” which is taught in cooperation with a neighborhood center that hosts numerous programs for area children and senior citizens . Each week through the growing season , “ Kids Grow Green ” brings neighborhood children to the farm where they are taught how to grow and eat vegetables . At the end of the season , the farm hosts the kids and their parents for a harvest celebration , which includes a meal the kids prepare and share with their parents .
Just 10 minutes north and west of the center of Indianapolis is another urban farm , a non-profit named Fitness Farm . It sits in the middle of a predominately residential area , not far from the Indianapolis Museum of Art , on a parcel of land donated by Dr . Cory SerVaas , former publisher of The Saturday Evening Post , and her family .
Fitness Farm devotes approximately 20,000 square feet of its 22 acres to growing vegeta-
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