430: Lee Perry on Fleet Farming
Helping urban farmers grow food in other people’s yards.
Lee Perry is currently the Fleet Farming Director, which is her passion occupation. She has her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Central Florida. Seasonally, she teaches children at an ecology camp at the Ed Yarborough Geneva Wilderness Area and was on the board of the Cuplet Fern Native Plant Society.
Fleet Farming has a mission to empower all generations to grow food to increase local food accessibility. Their program minimizes the ecological footprint of agriculture by converting lawns into micro-farms and increasing fresh produce accessibility while training the next generation of American farmers. To Lee, Fleet Farming is a true solution to shift our culture and change the cycle of food.Don’t miss an episode! Click here to sign up for podcast updates
In This Podcast:
Lee Perry passionately shares the progress of the Fleet Farming movement and how it is strengthening Florida communities. This collective farming movement is an awesome way for gardening novices and interns to get hands-on gardening education while helping the community. Listen in to learn more about this fun, positive community experience, how it converts lawns to edible landscapes, and how you can get involved!
Listen in and learn about:
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- How many miles the average plate of food travels
- How depression fueled her to begin Fleet Farming
- Her drive to give back to the planet and its people
- Her “Ah-Ha” moment when she realized the potential in the fleet farming movement
- How to ask the right questions and enlist experts when starting a project
- Reaching full potential through positivity and having fun
- The daily choice to be happy
- Fleet farming as a fun, active, healthy community activity
- Strengthening all types of communities through gardening
- The benefits of teaching farming and gardening to novices through hands-on volunteer experiences
- How they convert home lawns and community spaces to gardens
- Their edible landscape services and education projects
- The kind of energy that changes the world
- The future of fleet farming
- The need to shift our shopping so we food shop our back yards
- How you can get involved in fleet farming
As well as:
Her failure – Little failures happen every day, but figuring out the right way to engage a variety of communities has been a learning curve.
Her success – The culture shift that fleet farming is driving as they bring awareness and desire to have an edible landscape.
Her drive – Always wanting more for the people, animals, and ecology in her city.
Her advice – Don’t give up!
Lee’s Book recommendations:
The Urban Farmer: Growing Food for Profit on Leased and Borrowed Land by Curtis Stone
How to reach Lee:
Website: www.fleetfarming.org
Facebook: @Fleet Farming
Instagram: @FleetFarming
Twitter: @FleetFarming
Related Podcasts:
Back on Sept 29, 2016, we had spoken with Heather Grove about Fleet Farming when the movement was still a new community initiative. To hear our earlier podcast related to this topic, click here:
Episode 137: Heather Grove on Fleet Farming
UrbanFarm.org/LeePerry
Note: You can also find these books mentioned above at one of our favorite local independent bookstores and have the satisfaction of knowing you are supporting a small business.
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