A farm in the back of a truck? On a mission to expose the Phoenix community to foods that can be grown right here in the Valley — by farmers or in your backyard — Truck Farm Phoenix has packed the soil and seeds into the bed of a truck and is driving it to a location near you.
Truck Farm Phoenix is one of 25 mobile farming exhibits across the country designed to teach kids about local food. Truck Farm was born in Brooklyn, NY, in the spring of 2009, when filmmaker Ian Cheney set out to plant a vegetable garden in the bed of his grandfather’s 1986 Dodge pick-up truck after realizing he didn’t have anywhere else to grow food in New York City. The mobile garden project literally grew from there. Ian and collaborator Curt Ellis (co-creators of the “King Corn” documentary) took the public art project on the road, exhibiting Truck Farm at 40 schools and on the National Mall in Washington D.C. In Spring 2011, the first annual Truck Farm Garden Contest inspired hundreds of young people to plant creative farms of their own. The contest was judged by food celebrities Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, who awarded the grand prize to Ivan Skrabalo for his “Everyday Parsley Farm.”
This fall, Truck Farm Phoenix will be reaching out to local schools and youth organizations to share the joy of gardening, locally grown foods and educating students about healthy eating. They are also making their debut this month at farmers’ markets, festivals and businesses in the greater Phoenix area.
Self-described as “a Wicked Delicate farm and food project: a mobile community farm, a documentary about urban agriculture, and – a public art and education project,” Truck Farm Phoenix is managed by Natalie Morris, Clea Sennevile, Patty Emmert and Mike Avilla, and is co-sponsored by Slow Food Phoenix, Native Seeds Search, Duncan Family Farms and The FUSION Foundation.
If you are interested in having Truck Farm visit your organization or school, contact truckfarmphx@gmail.com. For upcoming events and the latest sprouts, visit their Facebook page “Truck Farm Phoenix” or follow on Twitter @TruckFarmPHX
