Newport News Receives $125,000 Grant Earmarked For Peninsula’s First Food Forest

NEWPORT NEWS-The American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA) and the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) presented The City of Newport News and Newport News Green Foundation with a $125,000 grant that’s geared toward improving community health, increasing access to affordable basic nutrition needs, and offering educational components that help market the program with its community.

The City of Newport News was one of four cities with an African American mayor to receive the grant. Through this project, Newport News will create the third-largest food forest in the nation.

The grant will support the Sarfan Food Forest in the city’s Southeast Community. Located on a 5.02-acre parcel of land, the Sarfan Food Forest is currently under development. The focus of the project is to cultivate an active green space with a diverse ecosystem of more than 75 different species of fruit-bearing trees. Designs will also incorporate an outdoor classroom, plants for an indigenous garden and pollinator meadow, community farm stand, recreational areas, and other features.

“Thank you to the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America and the African American Mayors Association for investing in Newport News and helping bring the Sarfan Food Forest to life,” said Mayor Phillip D. Jones in a prepared statement. “The poverty rate in the Southeast Community is 54 percent, a staggering statistic we are striving to address through initiatives like the Sarfan Food Forest. I commend ABFHA and AAMA for their commitment to cities across the nation and supporting the health of our residents.”

The land was donated by the Sarfan Family and is anticipated to address food scarcity in the area while promoting the environmental benefits of productive green space. Theoretically, food forests model the structure of a young ecosystem by producing food in small green spaces and providing host environments for a variety of beneficial organisms. As spaces mature, they typically become areas that promote community connection by offering opportunities to interact and connect with others within the community.

“We are creatively using green space in Newport News to solve food insecurity while developing a community gathering place where all feel welcome,” said Tami Farinholt, executive director of the Newport News Green Foundation. “This significant grant from the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America and the African American Mayors Association will provide healthy food options for generations and become a source of pride for the community.”

As part of the grant award, the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America and the African American Mayors Association created a video highlighting the Sarfan Food Forest. For more information about Sarfan Food Forest, view the clip online and visit Newport News Green Foundation’s website.