Homeless shelter adding greenhouse to program

From the Des Moines Register:

The homeless shelter in downtown Des Moines is partway through a project officials say will both provide fresh vegetables to its clients and teach residents about planting, growing, harvesting, preparing and selling produce.

The hope is that residents will be able to apply those skills in a number of settings — from working in restaurants and hotels to starting their own businesses — as they transition out of shelter housing and find work.

Over the weekend, the latest portion of the project, dubbed Mulberry Farms and Food, was completed: a dome-shaped greenhouse that would allow the shelter to grow vegetables year-round.

“The first part of it is growing the food,” said Tony Timm, executive director of Central Iowa Shelter & Services. “And then it’s teaching the clients how to harvest and prepare it.”

To read the full story, visit the Des Moines Register's website.