New Council members brush off Chamber of Commerce - Columbia ...

as important are the partners who buy their produce; chief among them
amore and Red & Moe, two downtown restaurants.
tnerships also come from many individuals throughout the city who
ntributed in a thousand different ways,” Soetaert said.
agronomist is learning how to help the CCUA stand on its own financial feet.
have cash-flow meetings all the time,” said Soetaert with a rueful smile.
come a businessman.”
ded by Soetaert, Bobby Johnson and Adams Saunders, the CCUA operth
a board of directors, headed by Saunders, the president.
10 the CCUA began selling the produce grown at the Smith Street farm
ded some 4,000 pounds of vegetables and fruits and another 300 pounds
en. But according to its annual report, that only brought in $4,210. To
the CCUA only started working on the farm last spring, so production
increase this year.
the CCUA isn’t putting all its “eggs” into one basket.
ard bucks
10, the center kicked off a new project called Backyard Gardens/Edible
aping. In this money-making project, the center provides services such as
pe designs, oversight of projects and planning or oversight for organizach
as Kilgore’s.
A’s new landscaping-for-pay plan does not mean the CCUA is turning
on its nonprofit mission. A portion of the money made from its landservices
will be funneled back into its Opportunity Gardens, which proe
garden help for low-income families and schools. Some funds will also
rd other needs of the organization.
the new landscaping venture has helped the CCUA start paying some
ployees. This is the first time Soetaert has drawn a salary, budgeted for
for 2011, according to the annual report. “Most of our money has come
oduce sales, landscaping and donations,” Soetaert said.
there are dangers in CCUA’s new landscape-for-cash move. Some of the
re from grants, which once again could mean the income could end. “Our
Habits project with the CDC, PedNet and CHA (Columbia Housing
ity) is grant money,” Soetaert said.
example, though Kilgore’s is allocating some of its advertising budget to
den project, CCUA’s fees are partially funded by a grant received by the
center.
ant is also partially funding the work the CCUA is doing for the new comgarden
soon to be planted at the Columbia/Boone County Department
th and Human Services location on Worley Street.
Kilgore’s community garden is a good story, and there should be more
ories like Kilgore’s,” Soetaert said.
until there are, CCUA’s goals are to increase production and marketing of
produce, increase the landscaping business and continue to seek other
. The organization will also continue to expand its education offerings
eschool tours to workshops to college internships, Soetaert said.
ough Soetaert said he’s become a businessman, he added that the CCUA
want to lose its focus on serving the community.
a nonprofit run like a business,” he said. “We want to provide good
and goods to people while staying committed to the community. … We
grow but not grow too fast.” •
By Dianna Borsi O’Brien
As a partner in Kilgore’s Medical
Pharmacy, Ann Bromstedt knows what ails
an ever-increasing number of people: diabetes,
high blood pressure, obesity.
She also knows that many of these diseases
could be alleviated with better nutrition.
That’s why she’s so passionate about the
community garden Kilgore’s created last year
next to its Providence Street location and why
they’re expanding it by one-third as well as
increasing expenditures on it to create a landscaped
oasis of produce production.
That’s also why almost all the produce
grown at the former vacant lot goes to the
Nora Stewart Early Learning Center, a nearby
educational daycare that serves more than 50
children from ages 2 to 10. Last year, they also
sold some of the produce, cucumbers, cantaloupes
and tomatoes from a basket at the
pharmacy counter, and the $100 made from
that also went to the nonprofit daycare.
FAR, LEFT: Billy Polansky laced up his well-worn
boots to plant peas in the community garden on
Ash and St. Joseph streets on Sunday (April 10)
during a CCUA volunteer workday.
Left: Adam Saunders, the CCUA president,
planted lettuce during the volunteer workday.
Despite impending rain, several people came out
to the garden to get a few of the crops started
in the garden. "If there's something to be done,
we'll be out here as long as the rain doesn't get
too bad," Saunders said.
Right: Polansky shoveled compost, put up
fencing and planted peas and other crops with
volunteers at the community garden.
Cucumbers with that aspirin?
Bromstedt said she believes the garden is
first an educational center, which will help
children learn about the benefits — and joys
— of fresh food. She hopes that someday
moms and dads picking up their children
at the nearby center will stop by the garden
for strawberries for dessert that night or tomatoes
for tacos rather than stopping at the
nearby fast-food restaurants.
But if nutrition can help minimize disease,
isn’t the garden being tended by community
and pharmacy volunteers going to hurt her
business?
Bromstedt isn’t worried.
“It is not a PR stunt,” she said. “We’re leading
the way. That’s what businesses should do.”
She’s backed by the four other Kilgore’s
partners, including Bob Kilgore, Bill
Morrissey, Beth Stubbs and Laura Kingsley.
In fact, in addition to expanding its size, the
pharmacy this year is spending five times as
much on the project.
(continued on page 17)