What is Feed Erie?
Feed Erie is a component of the Bodhi Garden Initiative and started out as an idea to bring awareness to a specific area of our town and has developed into an initiative that will help thousands of Erie residents. Feed Erie’s purpose is to address the food desert crisis by using aeroponic towers to grow fresh locally grown produce to offer Erie residents a more nutritious diet.
Access to quality nutrition has been researched by the National Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to have enormous cost savings for health-related issues. In addition to growing produce, Bodhi will offer courses and information on cooking and preparing meals.
Food Desert
A food desert is a census tract area in which at least one-third of the residents live a mile or more from a supermarket or large grocery store. The distance is 10 miles in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
24 'food deserts' are located in Erie County according to the Erie County Department of Health. The downtown Erie area is one of 12 food deserts countywide; 20 are located within city limits. Nearly 28,000 people live in downtown Erie, according to U.S. Census Bureau data
It is reported that access to healthy, affordable food is a problem for more than 22,000 residents live in Erie's food deserts. The number one problem within the City of Erie is the lack of availability to fresh, locally grown, produce.
Living in a Food Desert
Physical effects: obesity, increased prevalence of diabetes, other weight-related conditions, especially in children
Mental effects: acute psychological, shame, anxiety and depression
Food Deserts in Erie, PA
*Areas where 1/4 people are in poverty with low access to fresh produce AND with a population greater than 1,500 people.
Additional Tower Garden Locations
New Life - Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority
Bodhi will be extending their roots, partnering with the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority to combine efforts to provide low-income and low-access communities access to fresh and nutritious produce. In this space, Bodhi will be able to offer many aspects outlined in Wellness Erie:
Mental Health & Community Engagement:
Bodhi will have certified professionals on-site to aid Veterans going through crisis and offer them resources.
Bodhi has been in talk with Allegheny Health Network and Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor to provide adequate resources.
Bodhi will be able to teach the practice of mindfulness.
Bodhi will host cooking classes to help teach citizens how to use the produce they now have access to.
Food Sustainability & Physical Health
Using Hydroponic Tower Bodhi will be able to grow larger volumes of produce while using less water than traditional growing practices.
Through monthly Farmers Markets, Bodhi will provide access to nutritious foods that lack in many Erie residents' diet.
EMTA Floor Plan
EMTA Floor Plan Notes:
The Site is broken into 3 areas for specific growing applications.
Area 1: Lettuce Greens and Herbs
126 Towers - 11 Pots
Area 2: Compact growing crops, seasonal change of Strawberries and Peppers
22 Towers - 11 Pots
Area 3: Vining plants, Cucumbers and Tomatoes
16 Towers - 7 Pots
Lighting is designed overhead and installed on a rail system which has some flexibility. Lights run on a 240V line. Each light contains a cooling module per fixture.
Irrigation stations should be accommodated with a portable water line to the designated areas. Mixing tanks and Dosatron located in the same area. Irrigation lines run down the center of each block of Towers and feeds each individually.
Electricity for Towers along the ground in-between the Tower rows or hanging from the ceiling.
Miscellaneous contains space for wash stations, propagation, packaging and storage.
Farmers Market/Educational Center is designed and located as a flew space. Large storefront with slide doors would be best to accommodate a larger volume of patrons.
At the 7,000-square-foot-facility, Bodhi will be able to foster the growth of a wide spectrum of fresh fruits and vegetables. The nutritious produce will bring life to Women, Children, Veterans and the hungry all across the City of Erie.
Expected Yields
Cherry Tomatoes
11 Towers
44 pints a week
Beefsteak Tomatoes
11 Towers
176 Tomatoes a week
Cucumbers
8 Towers
160 cucumbers a week
Strawberries
42 Towers
84 pints a week
Peppers
8 Towers
80 peppers a week
Leafy Greens
21 Towers
100 bunches a week
Lettuce
63 Towers
924 heads a week