The NOLA City Farms uses an organizing framework of Neighborhood Food Clusters that are locally-based partnerships of individuals, neighborhoods organizations, local businesses, institutions, and NOFFN at the neighborhood level.
A neighborhood food cluster’s aim is to enable anyone from a locality to access resources – seeds, good quality soil, tool-lending, etc. – and education to grow, preserve, process, and distribute food successfully.
NOFFN works with neighborhood-level entities (organizations, institutions, schools, individuals, etc.) to determine their individual short-term and long-term goals, offer neighborhood-wide technical and material assistance when possible, and to initiate collaborative actions to improve neighborhood food security and spur local food economic activities.
The reason for this organizing framework is to democratize urban agriculture in New Orleans.
In the past, NOFFN focused its attention almost exclusively on the support of specific projects in neighborhoods.
Now there are many other groups and individuals that have developed or are planning food projects in these neighborhoods.
With so many projects, it is difficult for NOFFN to adequately respond to requests for assistance and often the loudest voices receive the most attention.
By using a food cluster framework we make sure all partners and projects can increase their capacity.
