Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now members of Catholic Social Services' Fresh International Gardens program, pull weeds in a plot of garden cress in the Grow North Farm on Mountain View Drive on Thursday, June 24, 2021. (Bill Roth / ADN)
The Grow North Farm in Anchorage’s Mountain View neighborhood kicked off its third season this week.
The program “gives some people in the refugee community an opportunity to showcase their talents through growing food and serving hot food,” said Keenan Plate, refugee agriculture program coordinator at Catholic Social Services. “They share pieces of their culture with the Anchorage community.”
Grow North Farm operates through a partnership between Catholic Social Services and the Anchorage Community Land Trust.
“Almost everyone is coming from a refugee background,” Plate said.
Farmers are from Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar, Somalia, Mexico and Iraq. Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo participate in Fresh International Gardens, a refugee-run farming co-op supported by Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services, a program of Catholic Social Services.
“RAIS resettles people from all over the world,” Plate said.
The farm stand at 3601 Mountain View Drive is now open Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. Hot food prepared by the farmers and Set Up Shop entrepreneurs will be served every Thursday. Weekly farm-fresh veggie boxes will be available in the first week of July.
Yad Rana rinses and bundles spinach in preparation for opening day of the Grow North Farm's third season in Mountain View on Thursday. Rana, who moved to Anchorage from Nepal six years ago, has a garden plot and grows a variety of produce that he sells at the farm stand. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Yad Rana rinses radishes grown at the Grow North Farm. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Cherry Tacang of Myanmar sells produce that she grew at the Grow North Farm in Mountain View during opening day of the farm stand. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Chives add a splash of color in the Grow North Farm in Mountain View on Thursday. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Keenan Plate is the refugee agriculture program coordinator at Catholic Social Services, where refugees grow a variety of produce at the Grow North Farm located at 3601 Mountain View Drive. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Mustard greens soak up the sun at the Grow North Farm located at 3601 Mountain View Drive on Thursday. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Yad Rana and his sister Nir Rana and son Shahil, 14, cooked chow mein on opening day of the Grow North Farm stand located at 3601 Mountain View Drive on Thursday. The farm stand is now open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hot food will be served each Thursday. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Bok choy for sale on opening day of the Grow North Farm stand located at 3601 Mountain View Drive on Thursday. Weekly farm-fresh veggie boxes will be available in the first week of July. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now members of the Catholic Social Services' Fresh International Gardens program, help maintain the Grow North Farm in Mountain View on Thursday. (Bill Roth / ADN)