Growing Places Indy

Growing Places Indy currently farms the Upick garden at the White River State Park. Located between the JW Marriott Hotel on Washington Street and the Indiana State Museum, we have been growing food at the farm at White River State Park since 2010. This farm site is nearly 6,000 square feet. Because of this garden’s unique location, more than 3.5 million visitors each year have the opportunity to interact with this urban farming site. As an often surprising find in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, visitors stop to enjoy the garden and often have questions to ask or stories to share. Our White River State Park garden operates as a U-Pick location, offering produce to the public free of charge. Park goers are encouraged to carefully walk through the garden and harvest their own produce. Please bring your own harvest tools and bags. We welcome visitors to capture a photo of their harvested produce and share it on social media, tagging GPI on Instagram and Facebook with the handle @Growing Places Indy. After 12 wonderful years growing and learning with community at this location, Growing Places Indy is thrilled to pass the opportunity on to a new nonprofit organization. We invite you to learn more about Helpings of Hope and check out opportunities to volunteer with them atwww.helpingsofhopeindy.org. HISTORY: Our work at the Boner Fitness and Learning Center (BFLC) began in 2012, managing 2,500 square feet of raised beds. We grew root crops, salad greens, beans, perennial herbs, edible flowers and much more in this area. It also served as a great learning space for groups on the farm. In 2013, through the vision of GPI apprentice/farmer Kate Franzman, an additional 13,000 square feet of growing space was added in front of the Boner Fitness and Learning Center. The area had been a staging area for the construction of the building. In order to prepare the land to nourish the growth of nutrient dense crops, dozens of volunteers, summer apprentices and our team spread approximately 18 inches of wood mulch over the entire sight. From there, beds and rows were measured, leaves and compost soil were layered in a “lasagna” style, and the farm production increased dramatically. A small plot was prepared in the same manner alongside the raised beds in 2014 to incubate a flower farm. Again, in 2017, this method was used to expand additional growing area at the back of the building. In addition to the Raised Bed and In-Ground areas on this site, we also managed two 1,000 square foot greenhouses in partnership with The Boner Center and Arsenal Tech HS. Plants for all of our sites were started from seed in these greenhouses and transplanted throughout the season, as well as sold and donated to the public and many area schools. At times the greenhouses made possible microgreen and hydroponic production. On site compost bays allowed for garden waste to be converted into fertilization for the farm. As the farm continued to expand, a small flock of chickens served as essential partners in breaking down plant waste that otherwise would have had to be dumpstered. It was an honor and privilege to steward the farm at this location for more than a decade. It is with great appreciation and joy that we pass this opportunity forward to a new community partner looking for the chance to expand and grow. Farm Location & Mailing Address