In our first season, we featured one of the top people in urban farming, Will Allen, of Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From the start Will Allen’s dream was to grow fresh food in food deserts and to teach others how to do the same, one of those being his daughter, Erika Allen.
Located in part of the city surrounded by fast food, convenience markets, and liquor stores, Growing Power, in Milwaukee, is today the leading urban agricultural project in the United States. Joe takes us on a tour of the Growing Power sites and gets the inside scoop on what happens behind the scenes on a daily basis.
After we catch up with Will and see how Growing Power has changed over the last couple of years, we then we take a trip to Chicago to meet Erika Allen. She is following in her father’s footsteps by running not one, but eight Chicago locations of Growing Power. Together, they are creating an incredible food revolution.
Later, Chef Nathan whips up a Ribollita Soup to help warm you on those cold winter nights.
For more information check out these additional links:
Growing Power
Growing Power – Chicago, IL
Chef Nathan’s Ribollita Soup
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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How does one get in touch with Will Allen? I work for the USDA, ARS at the US Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC. I enjoy your show on PBS – always watch it.
Thank you
Hi Bradford. Here’s the link to their website: http://www.growingpower.org/
Thanks for faithfully watching. We appreciate that!
I’ve been working on my urban far* (I dare not call it a “FARM” because the Department or Neighborhood Services will site and fine me for being outside the residential zoning rules) in Milwaukee, Wis. for the last 3yrs. I’ve been going green using reclaimed and salvaged materials. My “plantation” consists of R40 insulated panels with subterranean watering and heating systems. To date I’ve been fined $900.00 and am incurring monthly inspection fees of over a thousand dollars. My crime is that I can’t work fast enough. The curb appearance of the property is more than acceptable. But because of one complaint from a nosey neighbor it’s been nothing but trouble for the last year and a half. Just beware. Milwaukee is not a city for urban growers.
That is awful John. I’m really sorry to hear this. Thanks for sharing this info here.
i was watching an episode on the 21st of February about growing in a greenhouse in Maine i would like to know more please help it was either on oetn or the create channel not sure. any help would be appreciated. Dave Sorensen
Hi Dave. This was the winter gardening show with Eliot Coleman. Here’s the link: https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/winter-gardening/
I could not find a link to Growing Power on your site. Stated could not find url. I am interested in starting a project exactly like this where Ilive. Have been for several years. Naomi Priest Virchoously1@gmail.com (352)519-9568
Naomi, if you type in “growing power” in our search box at the top of the page, it will bring up several links to Growing Power from our website.
Enjoying and learning a lot would like the recipe that I saw today 1-13-14 on channel 755 in Leesburg, FL was summer squash in pan with a tomato / herb (maybe basil) sauce prepared in a blender then put on top of the squash I turned it on too late to get the info Thanks Marge
Here’s the link to view the episode and cooking segment within. Unfortunately, we don’t have the cooking segment or recipe broken out on this one. But it is very easy to make as you will see from one more review here: https://www.growingagreenerworld.com/farm-truck-urban-farming/