Do you have two and a half minutes to spare? Get your daily dose of positivity by watching “Busy in the Battery”, a short documentary on a thriving urban farm in the heart of New York City!
The Battery Conservancy
While some say it’s a concrete jungle, The Big Apple is home to The Battery Conservancy and has been since 2011. Run by volunteers, the farm grows all the things you’d typically expect in a food garden; tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, salad greens, and so much more.
It offers all of the produce it grows back to the community via a farmers market and donations to organizations helping the food insecure. The Battery has been proud to grow food throughout the pandemic to help the many NYC residents facing challenges during these difficult times.
The farm’s success is thanks to a group of tireless volunteers pouring their love and attention into the garden and, of course, the hidden helpers.
Help From Our Friends
Right next to the farm, a bee conservancy houses a Bee Village. People can visit and learn about bees and how they live, but the village also helps with pollination at The Battery.
The conservancy estimates they’ve been able to produce twice the amount of crops as usual thanks to the presence of these essential pollinators. After all, 1 in 3 bites of food we eat depends on bee pollination.
While we’ve been dealing with a pandemic this past year, the bees have a battle of their own: colony collapse disorder. In the US, 1 in 4 bee species faces extinction. They’re losing their natural habitats, and pesticide use is killing them off at a rapid rate.
We can all do our part in helping them by planting flowers on our balconies or in our gardens and ditching toxic chemicals.
Take Two Minutes
Please watch and share “Busy in the Battery”. This mini-doc sends such a great message and proves how cities can grow food close to people while protecting and encouraging pollinator populations!