Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erika Allen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erika , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Urban and farming has not always been understood as it is now. When I first started this work back in 2001, farms were not part of our landscapes in cities. I coined the phrase “Productive Landscape” back in 2009 to broaden our collective visioning of what depleted and often toxic vacant spaces could be if we had a collective vision of how these areas could be transformed into public health resources to grow food, rest and regenerate habitats for the natural world. Chicago is a major pitstop for migratory insects and animals, and cultivating these pollinator habitats directly impacts the entire food chain. We often forget that these pathways exist and the opportunity they afford all of us to be good stewards of the land, especially in depleted spaces that we also occupy and live our lives in.

Erika , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) cultivates nourishing environments in Chicago’s historically disinvested communities, seeding pathways to freedom while supporting residents’ health, economic development, healing, and creativity through urban agriculture. The challenges of healing our lands and people and re-establishing equitable and just economies is a multi-generational mission, requiring failures and lessons learned and activating both the imagination and entrepreneurial spirits of our communities. Learning how to work collectively, leading with respect toward eldership, and building on the vision and energy of youth is the path we are on, as evidenced by the diversity of our team and community of partners, institutions, funders, and collaborators.

Now, Urban Growers Collective (UGC) operates eight urban farms over 11 acres of land across Chicago, yielding more than 18,000 pounds of fresh produce annually and enabling food access to thousands of individuals in need through our weekly farm stands, CSA boxes, mobile markets, and emergency food response efforts. Each year, we also provide life-enriching opportunities to more than 500 individuals through our training and education, workforce development, and community engagement programs.

I consider myself a social change artist, with a focus on the healing arts related to understanding and deconstructing/revealing how structural oppression impacts society and humanity. My arts practice for the last 22 years has focused on community-based food systems and agriculture in the built environment.

I emphasize reclamation of food, culture, spirit, and the inherent arts that manifest outside of the traditional art world codex. My approach is practical and visible in the commons, or public spaces, carrying on traditional indigenous Americas and a primarily West African folk arts influence that centers creativity and humanities around work with the earth and nature.

I earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1992; an MA, University of Illinois, Art Psychotherapy, 2000; and recently was honored with a Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Illinois. I lean into an approach of integrated creative and therapeutic techniques with food security and community development. As a principal partner with Green Era Sustainability and its NFP, we are developing green energy and circular economies that are centered on climate resiliency and mutualism.

Urban Growers Collective is built upon the foundation of Growing Power, a nonprofit organization and land trust established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1993. Growing Power operated its urban farm and educational workshops for 25 years before closing its doors in the fall of 2017. Will Allen, Growing Power’s founder and CEO, welcomed thousands of visitors annually—allowing folks to see firsthand how local food hubs can transform a community and inspiring the “Good Food Revolution.” Growing Power’s Chicago branch was established in February 2002 to address the need for scalable food system models that were inclusive, impactful, and economically viable. After Growing Power closed, Chicago’s leadership team, committed to continuing the legacy of Growing Power, formed Urban Growers Collective and worked to complete the Green Era Campus without losing ground while continuing to build upon its successes in Chicago. Will Allen also happens to be my father, and he trained all of us in methods he cultivated after learning from many others, taking those techniques to the next level and raising a high bar for production and systems. He inspired millions during his tenure, and he continues to mentor and consult many rising leaders and farmers.

The organization I cofounded, Urban Growers Collective (UGC), works to dismantle inequities and structural racism through community food system development, because lack of food access prevents communities of color from living healthy, vibrant lives. Ultimately, UGC’s programs advance environmental equity to benefit and uplift all. As a Black- and woman-led organization, we believe that achieving food justice is a necessary first step in healing the historical trauma experienced by communities of color, building their resilience, and, ultimately, achieving liberation. Although our work is rooted in farming, UGC’s approach is holistic. Our urban farms produce more than 18,000 pounds of fresh produce annually, enabling food access to thousands of food-insecure Chicagoans and providing educational and life-enriching opportunities to hundreds of individuals each year through public workshops, workforce development, and land stewardship.

Now UGC is preparing to open a new renewable energy facility and hub for urban agriculture and green jobs on Chicago’s South Side, the Green Era Campus. Through this work, we are breathing new life into long-neglected communities, building a sustainable model for a just food sector, and redefining what’s possible for Chicago’s local food systems.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I have multiple business partners! Laurell Sims cofounded UGC with me at the executive level along with Lauralyn Clawson and Malcolm Evans, who were all rising stars with Growing Power, Inc. and core to the Chicago office. Without their belief in my leadership we would not have been able to continue the mission of the office; all of the beautiful farms, eight in total, and a newly inherited mobile market, Fresh Moves, that was originally founded by colleagues who also are active in the food justice space, would have been lost. The founding board members of UGC, the funders who continued their support, and the subsequent emergence of a new generation of community development are all a powerful testament to collective power-building and teamwork.

I have also been working with Jason Feldman for 15 years on the development of the Green Era Campus, along with a dedicated team focused on catalyzing green technology. We will be opening a new renewable energy facility and hub for urban agriculture and green jobs on Chicago’s South Side, called the Green Era Campus. Through this work, we are breathing new life into long-neglected communities, building a sustainable model for a just food sector, and redefining what’s possible for Chicago’s local food systems and a world shifting in response to climate change.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Being real, exposing your vulnerabilities, and taking responsibility is critical in cultivating an inclusive culture that embraces the gifts and levels of experience in a diverse team. It is important to tell your own story and share not only the workload but also the vision and passion for the work you lead. I think this is true for all effective leaders, those with high-ranking titles as well as those in the springtime of their development.

As a Black woman with multiple cultural competencies, I believe this is critical. Even as well-lauded leaders, there are times when we are not heard or respected, and sharing the strategies for addressing these longstanding social norms not only supports the team but the industry as a whole when team members migrate to new opportunities. As a senior leader, I find it restorative to take time to explain the current situation and what we are working toward as an organization, business, and the movement for Good Food as a whole. Acknowledging the struggle to course-correct and establish just and equitable systems, communication, and energy requires trust and consistency—and having a sparkling personality doesn’t hurt either.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.urbangrowerscollective.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbangrowerscollective/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbangrowerscollective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-allen-56a39a16b/

Image Credits
Photos Courtesy of Urban Grower’s Collective Headshot Photo Credit: Tonika Johnson