Susie Harrison Aquino & Rachel Ezzo | Urban Farm in Ormewood
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Photo courtesy of UFO Board Members (l to r) Susie Aquino, Rebecca Reese, Rachel Ezzo, and Hattie Gelhausen.
Susie Harrison Aquino & Rachel Ezzo
Urban Farm in Ormewood
Atlanta, Fulton County
The Urban Farm in Ormewood (UFO) Community Garden lives on Red’s Farm Preserve, honoring the legacy of Brian “Farmer Red” Harrison who started the farm in 1991. After his passing, the city of Atlanta purchased the land, making it the first city-owned urban farm under Atlanta’s Parks and Recreation Department. "As Red's sister, it has been an honor to see that his legacy continues through the farm and garden spaces at the city's first urban farm," said UFO Board Member Susie Harrison Aquino. "He shared his land with the community and now his memory will live on there."
The garden features 15 raised beds and in-ground plots, serving about 30 total gardeners. At the center of the site is a greenhouse, donated to Brian by a community member but missing some pieces, so it never reached its full potential. With the Farm Forward Grant from Food Well Alliance, the garden has restored the greenhouse so that it can be used by growers as a space to store seed starts and host workshops. The grant funded new polycarbonate panels and retrofitting parts that are no longer produced. A Special Project Labor Support stipend from Food Well covered the labor costs for the repairs. Additional grant funds were used to buy new drip tape for the irrigation system and new gardening tools, with the remaining funds set aside for solar panels.
"The restored greenhouse is a vibrant hub of activity at Red’s Farm," said UFO Board Chair Rachel Ezzo. "Beyond giving us the ability to grow and propagate plants more successfully, it has created new opportunities for community learning and connection. This fall, we hosted a seed-sowing activity during Red's Fall Festival, and we recently held a kimchi-making workshop inside the greenhouse - both of which brought neighbors together in meaningful and creative ways. As we look ahead, the greenhouse will continue to serve not just as an agricultural resource, but as a gathering space that helps us deepen community engagement, extend the growing season, and expand our capacity to cultivate and share healthy food."
UFO is a space that gives many people a sense of peace and connection to nature. By supporting organizations like Food Well, you help protect these spaces for the community’s health, well-being, and the history they hold.
