A couple of weeks back we noticed, courtesy some video from Central Dallas Ministries' Larry James, that Paul Quinn College was in the midst of transforming its football field into a two-acre "urban farm," in the words of school president Michael Sorrell. This morning, we received an announcement that fills in a few more blanks: Tomorrow at noon, Sorrell, Dallas City Council member Tennell Atkins and state Rep. Helen Giddings will be on hand to inaugurate the farm -- which will be known, officially, as PepsiCo's Food for Good Farm at Paul Quinn College.
According to the release, PepsiCo's a major partner in the endeavor, which, according to Weber Shandwick's Brandon Smulyan, "will benefit the school and the local community." PepsiCo's also a major partner in Central Dallas Ministries' 3.6-acre "center of hope" planned development at Malcolm X Boulevard and Interstate 30; said the president and CEO of Central Dallas Ministries in March, the company's "presence will be catalytic in terms of jobs but also as part of their national strategy to relaunch their efforts at community engagement and healthier food product." From the release, a vision for the farm:
PepsiCo's Food for Good initiative is a new social business initiative that is working with urban communities to increase access to affordable nutrition and create economic opportunities. As part of this initiative, Paul Quinn College and PepsiCo are collaborating on a fully operational urban farm that emphasizes sustainable growing practices, environmental stewardship and community engagement. Paul Quinn College is developing an innovative curriculum that will integrate the farm into its academic program, teaching principles not only of biology and botany, but also of social enterprise. In addition, PepsiCo is working with the college to develop farm-related businesses such as farm stands that will give low-income communities access to fresh produce.
