A unique initiative is blossoming in Dallas in the heart of the Wilson Historic District.
Liberty Street Garden (LSG), located on a 1-acre former dog park at 510 Liberty St., will grow organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs to sell to local restaurants, farmers markets, and the community. But the garden project aims to serve an even bigger purpose: helping survivors of human trafficking and exploitation on their journey to recovery while providing them with work experience and an income.
This initiative is the brainchild of The Meadows Foundation, which is funding the project for its first year and is the owner of the property on which the garden sits. Additionally, the organization has forged strategic partnerships with Bonton Farms and New Friends New Life (NFNL) to lend their expertise and support to the initiative.
Bonton Farms brings its horticultural experience and an extensive network of vendors and contractors to the project. The non-profit group has been serving up organic produce, nutrition counseling, and cooking classes in the Bonton area of South Dallas since 2012.
CEO Daron Babcock said urban farming offers therapeutic benefits and is an effective way to prepare participants for the workforce.
“Investing in the soil yields healthy plants; investing in the soul yields healthy people,” Babcock states on the organization’s website.
Partnering organization NFNL plays a crucial role in this endeavor by providing essential support services to trafficked and sexually exploited teen girls, women, and their children. Their involvement in the project ensures that the Liberty Street Garden is equipped to support survivors.
LSG will hire women from the NFNL program.
This initiative provides these women with gainful employment and a chance to learn skills, earn a living, and rebuild their lives. This is especially significant as survivors of trafficking often face challenges in securing employment due to limited education, criminal records, or scant work experience. LSG seeks to overcome these barriers, offering a path to economic mobility and stability.
NFNL’s CEO, Bianca Davis, stressed the transformative nature of the project. She said it gives survivors an opportunity to transcend their pasts and grow in a space that supports and understands their unique challenges.
“Through Liberty Street Garden, we can now offer a bridge to economic empowerment in a trauma-informed space for those where the hurdles to conventional employment are currently too high to overcome,” Davis shared.
Liberty Street Garden will operate under the supervision of a farm director with a team of employees known as apprentices. Members active in NFNL’s Women’s Program for at least 90 days will be eligible for employment at LSG, and the garden aims to employ six apprentices at any given time for approximately six to nine months.
By intertwining sustainable farming with social enterprise, the organizations behind LSG hope to bring healing and empowerment to those they serve.
