Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF) uses food as a foundation so that young people can lead, create, and grow a healthy future for themselves and their community. The organization envisions communities inspired by food and transformed by youth.
About JVFT:
- JVTF has worked closely with Birmingham City Schools (BCS) since 2012, operating seven student-centered Teaching Farms. Annually, it serves 3,450 students at its BCS-based Teaching Farms and projects to engage over 3,550 students in 2023 via camps and field trips at its Center for Food Education.
- In 2022, the High School Internship and JVTF Apprenticeship expanded workforce development and certification opportunities while offering paid on-the-job training to 12 youth. Also in 2022, the organization harvested 21,000 pounds of produce, grew 44,000 seedlings, and launched Good Community Food to catalyze its food resiliency strategic goal. JVTF donated 19,974 pounds of produce and 16,000 seedlings via two Farm Stands and community partnerships.
- The IPC Foundation grant received supported the expansion of the JVTFGood School Food education and apprenticeship model.
"Through Good School Food, our education and apprenticeship model, we see young people find wonder and curiosity in learning, create meaningful careers, and build skills to last a lifetime. This is big, important work, and we are grateful to have partners like the IPC Foundation as we watch youth discover the powerful act of growing their food, cooking their food, and sharing that harvest with others every day."
~ Amanda Storey, Executive Director, Jones Valley Teaching Farm
The IPC Foundation has supported the work of Jones Valley Teaching Farm in the Birmingham community since 2008.
Their mission statement says, “Food is our foundation; people grow here. We use food as a foundation so that young people can lead, create, and grow a healthy future for themselves and their community. We envision communities inspired by food and transformed by youth. Our strategic goals center youth and advance their educational and professional attainment while also creating more equitable and food-resilient communities.”
You can learn more about Jones Valley Teaching Farm and how IPC has helped make a lasting impact on others through the generosity of donors in the 2022 IPC Foundation Annual Report. Copies can be found throughout the church such as the narthex, Parlor, and the table between the receptionist desk and the elevator.
