Meet Your Greens: “Cultivating Justice – Farm Without Harm”
- Lorenzo Jones
- Jan 4
- 2 min read
Diana Martinez, Founder of Cultivating Justice will share some lessons learned about food justice, urban farming, and community action at the Miller Street Community Farm
Thursday, January 16th, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
@Conspiracy, 350 Main St, Middletown, CT
Diana Martinez, Founder of Cultivating Justice will share lessons learned from the Miller Street Community Farm and how it has increased the social capital for families within the long underserved Miller/Bridge Street area of Middletown, CT’s Northend neighborhood.
The Miller Street Community Farm is sustained through donations from individual people, local businesses, and foundation grants. The day to day land stewardship and animal husbandry is held by the local residents from the neighborhood and residents across the City. Monthly meetings are led with area residents and Cultivating Justice members to plan events and activities. The City of Middletown has provided grass cutting and land care services that has greatly helped keep access to the farming projects open.
In Sept 2023 through meetings with Cultivating Justice and the City of Middletown's staff we brought public water access back to the land. This has provided fresh water for not only Cultivating Justice projects but also other residents who have growing projects in the area who can access water for their crops when needed. This past May 2024, we installed a large barn-style shed for storing and protecting the farming supplies, and added security cameras that are monitored by Cultivating Justice members.
Miller Street Community Farm Projects
Honeybee Apiary
Diana facilitates bee hive installations and inspection days to build local support for protecting honeybees and other pollinators through farming and practicing conservation locally.
Chicken Keeping
A rooster and 8 laying hens, producing fresh chicken eggs daily that are collected by and shared with the residents in and around the Miller/Bridge Street area.
Two raised grow beds
Twin custom built, 32-foot long grow beds that are producing herbs, greens, tomatoes, and other fresh produce for local families in the neighborhood.
Civic Engagement
Diana has established an intergenerationally-led, diverse team of volunteers as the stewards of these projects. The yields and harvests from the animals and crops go to the local residents first.
The Farm Fund
The Farm Fund raises funds and support Agribusiness startups and Farmers in Connecticut with land access, business fees and services farm supplies, training, and communications strategies. Donate to support some future Farmers from underserved communities in Connecticut like Miller/Bridge Street in Middletown.
RSVP for the Cultivating Justice Monthly Meeting
The mission of Cultivating Justice is to nurture Connecticut's next generation of farmers of color. We meet the first Thursday of every month! We alternate between informational and action meetings each month, RSVP here for notices.
Diana Martinez is a committed and proven community leader. She started Dee Crafty Bees and began farming with the goal of creating pathways to agriculture that are sustainable, affordable, practical for families, and accessible to everybody. Securing a land lease with the City of Middletown for a public city park has increased the social capital for families in one of the most historically marginalized neighborhoods in Connecticut.