Shop Ubuntu Urban Farmers Market
The Vincent Walters Music Academy is on the National Register of Historic Places
Former Columbus music academy recognized on National Register of Historic Places
This initiative is led by Jodi R. Spencer to establish a Cultural Heritage Agriculture Center (CHAC) in the Bronzeville King-Lincoln neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. This center aims to revitalize food systems, promote urban farming innovation, and foster community engagement through food and cultural exchange. Spencer plans to scale up her operation and establish the center at the site of the historic Vincent Walters Music Academy. The center will serve as a hub for sustainable farming practices, providing access to healthy, culturally appropriate, and locally grown food while connecting diverse communities, including new Americans. The initiative also recruits young people, especially BIPOC, into farming through virtual reality and real-life hands-on agricultural experiences, culinary exploration, and cultural heritage conservation. Young people will be inspired to establish local food systems and explore the deeper meanings of food, sovereignty, and culture.
The Ohio State University’s Middle East Studies Center and Center for African Studies and Central State University will lead educational efforts related to the work of Jodi R. Spencer, Owner Operator of the Dorothy England Legacy Farm. The goals of the educational project are rooted in food, local/global cultures, and the human systems that support them. We are creating an educational program designed to inspire interest in food sovereignty that will include a combination of academic learning, hands-on activities, and virtual reality experiences. It will introduce youth to food, agriculture and the interconnectedness between our food sources, cultural heritage, and community wellbeing. We will be exploring farming practices in Louisiana, Columbus, Bronzeville, and diaspora communities in Columbus, in addition to cultural practices in West African and the global histories of various crops. We will connect student learning with practice by offering culturally relevant foods at key events and opportunities to learn about the vegetables they are growing. The educational program will be pivotal for the CHAC’s community-building efforts.
Our curriculum will start by looking at the connections between African American heritage, West Africa, and historic connections between those communities and the cultures of the Middle East. A virtual reality exhibit will introduce students to the curriculum and will allow learning to be accessible to all. Long-term goals of the CHAC include enhancing local food systems and increasing access to nutrient-dense foods. In the first activities participants will gain an understanding and appreciation of diverse agricultural traditions and practices from around the world. We will start with defining the meaning of the word agriculture and learn about the different forms it has taken in history and in different cultural contexts today.
Historic Significance and Initiative
CHAC Goals and Activities
Educational Program