COVINGTON, Ky. -- Sure, you've heard about cities' vacant land being turned into community gardens. But you probably haven't seen one that's full-time working farm, at least not locally.
You'll see one soon in Covington: A deal the city's Board of Commissioners passed Tuesday night paves the way for a startup commercial farm to triple its production.
Yogi and the Farmer already owned one plot of land on East 12th Street. With more land now available, they plan to grow fruits and vegetables, along with holding yoga classes among the growing greenery (that's where the "yogi" comes in).
"This is a market garden or a working mini-farm, so it's managed by farming professionals, and it's managed year-round," said Jessica Starr, startup founder.
Geoff Milz, Covington's economic development manager, calls the deal a trifecta: Not only would it make use of a formerly blighted, vacant lot, it would bring a new business to town and make fresh, local, sustainable food more accessible in the heart of an urban neighborhood.
Yogi and the Farmer is community-supported agriculture, meaning people can buy shares for $600; then, for 26 weeks, shareholders go to their market and pick up $20 worth of locally grown produce.
Crops should be planted on the new site next spring.
