JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's a basic necessity that every human needs, quality healthy food. On Wednesday, the Clara White Mission received $2 million in funds from the federal government in order to continue to bring healthy food to an underserved community along Moncrief Road.
The check presentation came after five years of hard work by members of the Clara White Mission. The funds will go towards the Phase II portion of White Harvest Farms, which will allow for the growing and distribution of healthy food for the northeast corner of Jacksonville.
The funds presented today will go towards many improvements at White Harvest Farms, chief among them, a training center that will be inside of the main building on the site, something organizers say is desperately needed.
"Today is an exciting day," says Clara White Mission CEO, Ju'Coby Pittman. "We're ecstatic about being able to generate support from a local level, a state level and a federal level."
Phase II of the creation of White Harvest Farms will bring outdoor classrooms, a packaging session, bee hives, a chicken coop and a farm bridge to link the 10 acres of land owned and operated by Clara White Mission. The improvements also mean that locally owned businesses will be able to work directly with residents along Moncrief Road.
"It's a great experience to be able to bring agriculture to what is essentially a food desert," says 'The Herban Bee' owner Mika Hardison-Carr. "We love partnering with community, love partnering with white harvest farms to make things like the community garden and apiary possible."
The funds and planned additions are also welcome news to those who will utilize the services.
"Just having this available to the community means a lot," says Ebony Richardson, "we don't have to go to different neighborhoods to search for food and produce, fresh produce, so having this here at our hands means a lot."
The funds provided to White Harvest Farms will help grow a community with the growth of healthy food.