Hoop House at Bible Baptist will Increase Access to Healthy Produce

Bible Baptist Church of Kalamazoo has been growing, training how to grow and providing healthy foods since 2015. Its latest garden expansion came in the form of a hoop house installed in July.

The 30 x 72-foot hoop house was delivered by Nifty Hoops of Ann Arbor who also led the community build installation on the church’s property. This project was funded by Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Food Innovation Center through a Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) grant.

Under the leadership of its Pastor, Kevin Lavender Sr., Bible Baptist Church of Kalamazoo first began urban farming on their 13-acre campus in 2015 with a community garden that was planted, maintained, and harvested by church and community members. Michigan State University Cooperative Extension’s soil testing revealed that the land contained quality soil and inspired plans for expansion.

In 2018, the church began formulating a service-provider relationship with L.E.A.D. 1st, LLC as a consulting agency to help build capacity and program sustainability. In that same year, L.E.A.D. 1st facilitated the purchase and implementation of a tower garden and a 24-unit hydroponic system. Also that year, Kevin Lavender, Jr. and Remi Harrington, both Kalamazoo Valley Community College employees at the time, collaborated in their work, organized a site visit to the Food Innovation Center for the Senior Leadership team of Bible Baptist Church and identified the benefits of collaborating with Kalamazoo Valley. Kalamazoo Valley Community College President L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D., said the garden partnership with Bible Baptist Church melds well with the college’s mission to connect with the community and teach residents about healthy foods and overall wellness. Based on their recommendations, church leaders decided to move forward, inspiring L.E.A.D 1st to enroll in Kalamazoo Valley’s 30-week urban farming program.

The collaborative goals of BBC and L.E.A.D. 1st, LLC are to provide access where people can learn how to grow their own food and produce locally grown food and food products that promote healthier living. Church members and community members will participate in planting and caring for the farm.

Director of Kalamazoo Valley’s Food Innovation Center (FIC) Rachel Bair said she looks forward to the addition of more hoop houses throughout the community. Hoop houses don’t require supplemental heating to grow certain vegetables year-round, making “healthy choices, easy choices” for area residents. There are currently two hoop houses at the FIC.