Decatur To Consider Urban Market Garden

Refugee women from Burundi, a strife-ridden nation in eastern Africa, will be tending an urban market garden if the Decatur City Commission grants approval Tuesday night.

 The city has spent about two years looking for ways to develop an urban market garden that could sell fruits and vegetables directly to consumers.

The city recently reached an agreement to use 2 acres at the , Assistant City Manager David Junger said in a memo to the commission.

 The next step was finding a group with expertise to operate such a garden. Staff members became aware of a garden along Sams Street in the former Friends School playground that was clean and productive.

 The Refugee Family Services Inc. operated the garden.  Most of the gardeners were refugee women who resettled to the United States from Burundi, Junger wrote. RFS and the city agreed to work together.

But there was no money available until several weeks ago when the announced grant funding to develop these kinds of gardens. The city would act as the facilitator among the groups.

Junger is asking the city to approve $40,000 in financial aid or in-kind support for the garden. The city would also need to sign memorandums of understanding with the children’s home and the RFS.

The would lead the community education effort.

In other business, the city commission will be asked to support an $184,000 loan to . The restaurant recently relocated to a spot off the Court Square and renovated a historic building.

The loan would come from the Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The DCA requires municipal support for the loan application.

The also helped Cakes & Ale apply for a separate $184,000 loan from the Georgia Cities Foundation.

The commission starts its series of meetings Tuesday with dinner at 6 p.m. in the commission meeting room. At 7 p.m., it will hold a work session to discuss the urban market garden, followed by the main meeting at 7 p.m. All meetings are open to the public.