achieving systems change in newburgh…

Anusha Mehar and Katie Collins are part of the first class of ECP Regenerator Fellows and will directly manage the establishment of a community farm/space at Crystal Lake in the City of Newburgh. As local BIPOC leaders, their stewardship of an underutilized piece of city-owned land represents a first step in building a new pipeline to affordable growing space for BIPOC community members. Over the next year, the ECP will support Anusha and Katie as they develop a growing space that celebrates the food cultures of BIPOC peoples, creates a community healing and wellness space, and distributes free food to food insecure local community members.

As acting land stewards/farmers of Crystal Lake Community Healing Farm + Sanctuary, Katie and Anusha are working to generate lasting community benefits in the City of Newburgh. These benefits include: developing the site in ways that pay homage to the ancestral lineage and original inhabitants of this land; implementing perennial polyculture systems, such as agroforestry and permaculture; creating a self-sustained food forest for the community; creating a healthy, thriving biodiverse ecosystem for Crystal Lake’s wildlife; cultivating safe, inviting space in collaboration with Crystal Lake’s surrounding community, including but not limited to a youth homeless shelter and public housing project; and seeding intentional invitation and agency to Newburgh’s BIPOC/ Queer community in this safe, freethinking space, while supporting the development of their specific interests and needs, while teaching sustainable living practices around farming and food.

A portion of the food grown at Crystal Lake will always be designated FREE. This project intends to engage the Newburgh community in service, and aims to provide jobs for youth through a CSA business model, workshops around creating value-added products and services; hold bi-monthly youth-led farm-to-table dinners (engaging youth in all aspects including development of the for-profit business model to harvesting; cooking and serving the food); and provide programming and workshops designed around native ancestry practices of growing, farming, container gardening, agroforestry and permaculture. 

To pursue systems change, over the next year Anusha and Katie will direct an advocacy campaign to develop and build support for an innovative model to increase land ownership opportunities for BIPOC farmers serving BIPOC communities. Anusha and Katie will work to make the creation of urban farmland a priority for the Newburgh Community Land Bank and developing a partnership with a regional Community Land Trust to place long-term rights to use these farmlands into the hands of local BIPOC farmers and community coalitions. We believe we can create a new food system model, where BIPOC farmers receive access to affordable land and home as they grow and distribute affordable and nutritious food to their communities.