Earlier this summer, LSI hosted a ribbon cutting for a new 12-acre urban agriculture farm in Pleasant Hill, just east of Des Moines. The land was donated by Phyllis Childers.

The land will be used as part of LSI’s Global Greens program, which is offered through LSI’s Refugee and Immigrant Services and provides farming land to former refugees in Polk County as they start their own small farming businesses. The program also provides land at the Global Greens Farm in West Des Moines, as well as donated urban garden spaces located across the Des Moines metro area.

“For many of the farmers who are ready to graduate out of the Global Greens program, it is difficult to find their own farming land in the metro area,” says Nick Wuertz, LSI’s Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services. “Thanks to this new space, graduating farmers will be able to continue growing their small businesses while LSI can continue welcoming more new farmers into the program.”