Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Battle.
Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Pastor Chris Battle started a Community Garden on the property of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN. It was during this time that he learned about food disparity and food deserts. The USDA states that if 1/3 of your community is living at poverty level and more than a mile away from a grocery store or Farmers Market you were considered a “food desert.” These deserts usually affect communities of color. While fast food restaurants, Dollar Stores and the corner convenient store may flourish in these deserts, they offer no nutritional value to the diet, only providing processed foods. People in these deserts suffer from higher rates of obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Why? Lack of access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. The church was 2 miles away from the nearest grocery store and there was no Market. Your zip code should not determine your access to fresh affordable vegetables.
Battle said our community garden wasn’t enough. He reached out to other pastors in the area who had empty plots and encouraged them to start community gardens. As a result, 4 churches started gardens on their properties. But for Battle, that still wasn’t enough. He reached out to Nourish Knoxville about starting a Farmers Market in the 37915 zip code. Nourish is a Knoxville based non-profit that cultivates healthy communities by supporting relationships between local farmers, producers and the public. It was at this meeting that he became aware of other organizations who were having the same concern: Women in Agriculture, SEEED, and 5 Points Up. These organizations got together and started the Eastside Sunday Market that is open every Sunday from 1:00 – 4:00 pm from July – September at Dr. Walter Hardy Park.
Abbey Field was a local 2 acre urban farm. When the farm operator left they needed someone to run it. Pastor Battle accepted the challenge. The farm was rebranded as BattleField Farm, a play on his name. But more importantly this space would be where the fight against food insecurity would take place. When that property sold, Battle purchased the property of their present location.
Battle also runs a Veggie Van named for Fannie Lou Hamer. The Veggie Van serves 6 subsidized housing units by giving free fruits and vegetables. Through our partnership with Second Harvest and Nourish Knoxville, a ton of produce is given out weekly.
Presently, Battlefield is working on a mobile grocery store to serve the community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The greatest struggle has been keeping up with the demand. We get daily requests for our produce and oftentimes these requests come from outside our targeted area. It’s hard to say No. Most recently we have been struggling to supply our Veggie Van. With the latest cuts, our supply of produce from Second Harvest as all but disappeared.
We’ve been impressed with Battlefield Farm & Gardens, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There is no grocery store in our zip code. Our goal is to turn the food desert into a food oasis through the establishment of community gardens. We have established 6 gardens. Community members grow their own food, and we only charge them 10% of their harvest. That 10% is then shared to the community by providing fresh produce to pantries or Fannie Lou.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people are surprised to learn that my wife and I have 19 children; 15 of them are adopted or we have legal custody over.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.battlefieldfarm.org
- Instagram: battlefieldfarm
- Facebook: BattleField Farm & Gardens
