Lane College Urban Farm

LANE COLLEGE URBAN FARM

Connecting Students to Community Needs

BY KYLER STUBBLEFIELD

PHOTOS BY LANE COLLEGE MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS

The definition of the word “vision” is the following: the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. Lane College has a variety of visions that have made positive impacts on both the institution and the community of East Jackson as well.

Lane College is a liberal arts institution located on the Eastern side of Jackson, Tennessee. The college was founded in the year 1882 by Isaac Lane, a former slave, and bishop of

the Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. Through his actions of selling Bibles for profit, Lane College became a reality. The college is the first institution established by the Methodist Episcopal Church. While Lane receives praise for making changes within the school, the college is more confident in future changes to come about in its community. With a primary purpose of providing higher education, Lane College’s vision gives students and faculty the opportunity to be the change needed for the people of East Jackson.

According to “Areavibes”, the average household income in Jackson is $39,747 (which is 15% lower than than the state’s average and 28% lower than than the national average) and the average unemployment rate is 5% (which is 4% higher than the national average). The poverty rate in Jackson totals up to 23% (which is 54% higher than the national average). These statistics show how much of an asset the urban farm can be to the community.

The purpose of the Urban Farm is not only to create a place of beauty for the community, but

also to provide community service opportunities for the students who attend Lane College.

“Students will learn how to build a concrete skillset around gardening. Whether it’s math skills, skills associated with planting, planning ahead, learning how to be self-sufficient in terms of growing your own food and harvesting your own food, and also giving students opportunities to think through issues of injustice in communities of color,” said Deborah Rogers, Ph.D, Director of Lane Institute.

Lane continuously works to show the “power of potential.” The hope is that the Urban Farm will provide several varieties of food and plant products to the campus and surrounding community. This effort will provide valuable opportunities for students to help the community of East Jackson tackle the problems of food insecurity and create stronger relationships between the college and the community. The future of the Lane College Urban Farm is bright.