ATLANTA VETERANS FARMER’S MARKET OPENS

By Clare S. Richie

The Atlanta Veterans Farmer’s Market, located at 307 Walker Street on 2.3 acres in the Castleberry Hill community, opens April 25.

This market and organic training farm for participating veterans is the inaugural endeavor of The 3x3 Project. It also honors Army Spc. Jamaal R. Addison, the first Georgian who sacrificed his life for his county in the Iraq war.

Executive Director Markus Gaffney is a veteran and son of a career military father who served in Vietnam. Throughout their lives, both Markus and his father turned to horticulture for therapy. In 2013, Markus donated produce grown in his backyard to The Trinity House, a homeless shelter in Midtown, but he felt called to do more. He decided to bring healthy food to urban areas and help fellow veterans.

“Each day in Georgia, three veterans take their own lives,” Markus said with tears in his eyes. And the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that 6,600 displaced veterans are on Atlanta streets every night.

The 3x3 Project seeks to address these alarming facts by working alongside veterans, some of who may choose to earn an Organic Farming Certification. It plans to split harvest proceeds between a Veterans Help Fund and the Jamaal R. Addison Motivational Foundation. The site will also commemorate each veteran lost to suicide in Georgia with an American flag.

The newly formed nonprofit transforms vacant industrial lots into thriving community gardens and markets to bring fresh produce to urban food deserts. This site was formerly the old livery stables for the Atlanta Street Car Company and is in the shadow of the new Georgia Dome.

Markus’ low-cost, efficient milk crate gardening system can grow anywhere, but he seeks concrete pads on industrial lots to provide better access for the disabled and seniors. One square foot milk crate is lined with landscaping fabric and then filled with soil and seeds. It is placed on top of another milk crate, empty except for a cut wet t-shirt that serves as a supplementary water source. Stacking minimizes exposure to bugs and weeds. Nine of these comprise the modular 3’ x 3’ garden, which can yield roughly 13 pounds of fresh produce every month.

“Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive when you use recycled materials,” Markus explained. He uses old windows, provided by North Georgia Placement Windows for greenhouses and trellises. Markus is working with Whole Foods to receive their discarded milk crates. Greenscapes in Calhoun gives “end runs” from large rolls of fabric to line the crates.

Donations and volunteers help too. Scott’s Miracle Gro provided truckfuls of soil and a pallet of seedpod “gro-ables”. Volunteers have come from The Home Depot, Hands On Atlanta, and more.

“Our goal is to convert the market to a veteran’s park within the next five years,” Markus shared. He’ll move the portable milk crate system farm to another location. Shouldn’t be too hard to find a spot, since the Atlanta Regional Commission identified 4,000 acres of vacant concrete land in Atlanta.

A more ambitious goal is to have a Veterans Farmer’s Market in each state capitol within the next three years. In 2015, three are already scheduled – Atlanta in April, Columbus, Ohio in June and Sacramento, California in August. “I want to be the Johnny Appleseed of urban gardens to improve health, create jobs, help veterans, and reduce crime,” Markus said.

Come check out the weekly community farmer’s market starting this month and cooking demonstrations planned for later this summer. In addition to flowers and produce, items for sale will include cut milk jugs or crates with plants like patio tomatoes, cilantro, and basil, so you can create your own portable garden.

For more information, visit The3x3Project.org.

Intown Market Guide

Freedom Farmers Market: The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. now through Dec. 19 at the Carter Center in Poncey-Highland. Expect to find fresh produce, meats, baked goods, cheese and dairy, handmade preserves and honey, fresh coffee and more. There will also be regular pop-up restaurants for those who want to grab a bite. Information: freedomfarmersmkt.com.

Green Market at Piedmont Park: The 12th annual Green Market at Piedmont Market opened at the end of March and has more than 40 vendors including local farmers, bakers, sauce makers, crafters, chef demonstrations, canning workshops, live music and history tours of the park. The market is open every Saturday now through midDecember from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. near the 12th Street entrance. Information: piedmontpark.org.

East Atlanta Village Farmers Market: The market reopens on April 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. and will continue every Thursday through Dec. 17 at 561 Flat Shoals Ave. There will be fresh produce, locally-made food and products, chef demos and much more throughout the season. Information: farmeav.com.

Morningside Farmers Market: Open yearround, this neighborhood market at 1393 N. Highland Ave. has been a Saturday morning favorite for 20 years. Check out organic produce, freshly prepared foods and baked goods. Market hours are 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Information: morningsidemarket.com.

Grant Park Farmers Market: The market reopens April 19 and will be open on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Dec. 20 at the corner of Cherokee and Milledge avenues. There will be locally grown fruits, vegetables, artisan produced breads, cheeses, and other delicacies. Information: grantparkmarket.org.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market: Located in the parking lot at Cathedral of St. Phillip, 2744 Peachtree Road in Buckhead, the market will reopen for the season on April 11 from 8:30 a.m. to noon and continue every Saturday through Dec. 19 (hours change from 9 a.m. to noon in October). There will be 50 weekly vendors, regularly scheduled chef demonstrations, live music and kids’ activities. Information: peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com.