By: Johnny Hartsfield

Mossop + Michaels, a Landscape Architecture firm out of New Orleans, has just received an Award of Excellence from the ASLA for their analysis and planning of the “Viet Village Urban Farm“.

Located in New Orleans East, the Viet Village Urban Farm is a community design response to the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina.  Attempting to reestablish the tradition of local farming in this community, the project is focused on providing an economic catalyst for the community and the development of a flexible, strategic plan for seeking funding for it’s execution.

Established in the mid-1970’s, this Vietnamese-American community established these home-based gardens to grow the traditional fruits and vegetables that were not available locally.  There were over 30 acres being farmed before Katrina hit.

Today, the proposed plan seeks to provide small-plot gardening for family consumption, larger commercial plots to provide food to restaurants and grocery stores, and a livestock area for raising chickens and goats in the traditional Vietnamese way.  As many as 3,000 people are expected to come to the site for a Saturday market.

Other project goals include: establishing a Certified Organic farming practice, becoming a model for low-tech sustainable site development by using bio-filtration and other alternative energy sources, and creating an economic and cultural resource for the community.

In addition to the significant water and soil issues, the site has a few other planning and analysis issues to overcome.  In order to complete the project, there are many funding and labor resources that must be coordinated.  The design team worked hard during a series of public meetings with the local community to develop overarching goals and strategies for the design of the site. 

Funding for phase1 of the project (15% of the entire project) has been committed to in principle and will help establish the ”backbone of the larger watershed system, develop pedestrian and service circulation, and establish the first small-plot and commercial-plot farms.”  The group is currently seeking additional funding for future phases.    

Click here to learn more.

 

Via: Pruned

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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