Asheville Southside farm sees community support after housing authority pushes for removal

ASHEVILLE - After a wave of community input against a Housing Authority of the City of Asheville resolution that would replace a beloved community farm with a playground, Monique Pierre, president and CEO of HACA said she would work with the community to discuss the future of the farm, saying "there is a path forward."

The April 24 public meeting at the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center was the first since supporters of the Southside Community Farm called attention to Housing Authority Resolution No. 2024-11, which would remove the Black-led urban farm from the Southside neighborhood.

Despite overwhelming turnout, the board kept public comment to just 30 minutes, denying many the opportunity to voice their support for the farm.

"We wish that the leadership and staff of Southside Community Farm had been contacted or consulted before Resolution 2024-11 had been written and presented at the last Housing Authority Board Meeting," farm manager Chloe Moore said during the meeting.

Moore and her staff had not been notified of the draft resolution to sever ties with the farm until late March, she previously told the Citizen Times. After the resolution was drafted, Moore and farm staff created an online petition against the resolution, gathering nearly 3,000 signatures.

"We hope this offers an opportunity to communicate or collaborate between our two organizations," Moore continued.

Community chef speaks out in support

In the resolution, HACA said the farm "does not provide a direct benefit" to residents and alleged the farm was the source of a rodent infestation. Members of the community disputed HACA's findings, noting the lack of fresh produce in the community and extensive programming the farm provides.

Cleaster Cotton spoke during the meeting, introducing Hanan Shabazz, a beloved local chef and Asheville native who has worked extensively on the farm and in the Southside Community Kitchen. Shabazz also experienced the city prior to urban renewal, Cotton said.

"If you were hungry, you could walk down the street and eat a piece of fruit from a tree and all those trees left," Cotton said of Shabazz's experience, comparing the farm's elderberry trees and blueberry bushes to trees removed during urban renewal.

Shabazz recalled her experience preparing meals in the Southside Kitchen, often meticulously cleaning greens from the Southside Community Farm, and preparing meals for many who could not afford to buy or make their own.

"It means a lot to be able to go out there and pick food up from the Earth. Get your hands dirty," Shabazz said, receiving a standing ovation after finishing her speech.

'Lack of communication'

Pierre called the lack of communication with Southside Community Farm staff "unfortunate" as "conversations were started" on changing the farm. However, she said that she would "sit down and have a discussion" with those concerned about the farm.

"I think it's really important for us to figure out a way to talk, to get together and come up with what options are available and come up with a path forward," Pierre said after the public hearing.

Shawn Smart, a special event coordinator at My Daddy Taught Me That, told the Citizen Times the garden doesn't just feed residents but rather it "feeds community."

"When you create a system like the garden, I think it should be duplicated," Smart told the Citizen Times, stating the lack of fresh produce in communities can contribute to poorer health.

Smart said he feels HACA has lately suffered from poor communication, adding the board should have given the community more than 30 minutes to express their concerns over the farm.

"We're dropping the ball, and this has been happening in housing," Smart said, expressing that previous administrations — like Gene Bell's — had been more transparent.

In regard to a potential vote on the resolution, Pierre said HACA has "an obligation to federal rules and regulations, but we're not in a rush."

Pierre did not respond to emails or phone calls from the Citizen Times on April 25.

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville housing authority agrees to work with urban farm staff