Wednesday, October 3, 2018 -- The Johnnie Mae Farm, located at 2518 Winter St., is hosting a Harvest Celebration Friday, October 5 from 4 to 6 p.m.

All remaining fruits, vegetables and flowers will be harvested and offered free of charge to residents on Friday. Collard and mustard greens, tomatoes, zucchini, green beans and peppers, should be available. After Friday, gardeners will prepare the planting beds for winter. In addition to the produce, the celebration will include free children’s activities.

This season, volunteers and staff have harvested and sold more than 3,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables grown on-site. Collard and mustard greens, oregano, thyme, radishes, tomatoes, sweet corn, zucchini, green beans, peppers, broccoli, okra, kale, swish chard, strawberries, sweet potatoes, cabbage, eggplant, brussels sprouts and watermelon have all been available at the farm stand.

Operation of the Johnnie Mae Farm is a partnership between the City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services, the Purdue Extension - Allen County, Vincent Village, Community Harvest Food Bank, the Renaissance Pointe YMCA and the Renaissance Pointe Neighborhood Association.

In 2015, the City of Fort Wayne’s Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services completed the historic renovation of former fire station #9 and equipped it with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, which is available for rent or use by community groups. The City also began farming the vacant residential lots behind the fire station and has been working to distribute fresh produce to local residents ever since. The farm is named after long-time neighborhood advocate Johnnie Mae White.

“We are seeing the farm become a resource for healthy living as well as a gathering place for neighborhood residents,” said Kelly Lundberg, director of the Office of Housing & Neighborhood Services. “We appreciate the support from our partners in helping make the Johnnie Mae Farm a success this season.”