The People’s Patch community farm combating food insecurity in Madison County

MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Nearly 500,000 Alabamians are living with food insecurity according to Hunger Free America. However, The People’s Patch community farm is hoping to change that.

The project is in partnership with Madison County and Alabama A&M University, offering fresh produce and hands-on education. The best part is, it’s free for everyone.

“For the community, it means that they can go out and get greens and cucumbers and melons, whether they have the money or not,” District 6 Commissioner Violet Edwards said.

Located off of Meridian Street in Huntsville, people are able to pull up to the farm, start picking the seasonal produce available, and take the bounty home free of charge.

“The fellowship and conversations I hear out here are very fulfilling,” Madison County Harvest Associate Jason Andra said. “When I can, I enjoy walking with people, talking with them about what crops we have, what to look for, how to tell when it’s ripe. We even talk about recipes out here.”

Madison County has been growing produce on Alabama A&M’s campus for decades. However, The People’s Patch isn’t just about putting food on the table.

“On a larger scale, it’s teaching our kids where food comes from,” Andra said. “That it’s not just going to the store and buying produce. That there’s actually a process to it.”

Commissioner Violet Edwards says the new name is a major step forward in getting the community involved with the project.

“I think we’re getting it right,” Edwards said. “The bugs are down, the weeds are down, the produce is nice and fresh and green and there’s no day that you can drive by and not see people out there growing it.”

Edwards says a building is in the works for younger students to take classes and for harvesters to get out of the elements. She says they’ll break ground on the site when A&M students return to campus in the fall.

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