FLANNER FARMS

When the last of the Double 8 grocery stores closed in 2015, the Northwest side of Indianapolis went from being mere “food insecure” to full-blown "food Apartheid". Feeling the severity of the situation, Flanner House, under the direction of Brandon Cosby and Sibeko Jywanza, tapped into its long-standing legacy of food access and laid out plans to start a community-focused farm on the Flanner campus. In 2016, Flanner Farms opened as a 2-acre farm in the heart of the Northwest food desert. Flanner Farms is able to provide an abundance of healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate produce for the community through Cleo’s Bodega. As a moving part of the greater Food Justice Program at Flanner House, the farm operation is also working towards empowering the local community to become more self-sufficient and providing employment opportunities. Flanner Farms is proud to be a part of a growing network of resurgent urban farms in the community that is all working to combat food insecurity through education, empowerment, and accessibility.