Danielle Guerin is the founder, CEO and executive director of Soul Food Project. Soul Food Project is a nonprofit urban farm where youth gain leadership and employment skills. It has been operating on the northeast side of Indianapolis, Indiana since 2017.

 

The farm uses sustainable practices such as no-till, cover crops and crop rota­tion. Soul Food Project’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program is run by its Youth Grow Indy partici­pants, ages 12 to 19. Each veggie box share contributes to the leadership and professional skills of the youth involved with the program as they plant, tend and harvest crops from two farms in Indianapolis and then prepare and distribute CSA shares for weekly pickups.

 

“The northeast side of Indianapolis has been a food desert for over 20 years, only just receiving a small grocery store in 2016,” said Guerin. “Many residents still rely on fast food establishments or take the bus to the nearest grocery store, which is a 30-minute trip. While economic viability for my operation is important, I want to be as socially responsible as possible. Therefore, I focus on improving the quality of life for the community I operate in.”

 

Selected by North Central Region SARE

Marie Flanagan, Communications Specialist

Photo courtesy Soul Food Project