The Urban Farmstead

In the past year, there has been an explosion of urban farming projects in Central City.  Tucked away on a large lot on the edge of Central City bordering the CBD exists the Urban Farmstead. Just over a year old, the permaculture education center began in September of 2013 and focuses on teaching DIY skills. The project is a collective effort comprised of individuals and sustainability-focused groups that focus on teaching permaculture techniques and homesteading skills. The lead organizer, Jordan Banteulle, began the project to pursue his interest in growing food and sharing his knowledge with others at the same time.
A New Orleans native, Banteulle has a degree in Biology from LSU. Banteulle got into farming after spending some time volunteering on farms in Southern Louisiana through the WWOOF organization after college. “It’s hard to get out of southern Louisiana,” Banteulle noted. “I love it here.” A former environmental activist, Banteulle felt ready for something more hands on.

The Urban Farmstead site is full of surprises. Before even entering the entrance of the garden, visitors are greeted with a wide variety of trees and herbs – including apple and peach trees. “The original gardener was really ambitious,” Jordan explained. I gazed at a large row of two and a half foot tall mint leaves that grew along the fence in a nearly perfect formation.

While there has been a resurgence in farming in the city, it remains difficult to make a living from selling vegetables alone.
Bantelle hopes to see more animals utilized in city farming.
“And I hope to be able support people in that, to be able to show them some ways of making it easier. Or just giving them the confidence boost to get started.”

The Central City lot has several ambitious projects and unusual trees growing.