Green Bridge Growers
Follow us on...
  • Our Blog
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • How We Do It
  • Contact Us
  • Press
  • Produce Orders

Welcome!

Hey there! Glad you could stop by to learn more about Green Bridge Growers, the innovative social venture with the mission of  growing good food and good jobs for young adults on the autism spectrum.

Contact Us

Welcome to the New Face of Farming!

3/30/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Self-reliance...the power of entrepreneurship....collaboration...building the local economy by growing  good food and good jobs. 

These values are the foundation of Green Bridge Growers (GBG),  a dynamic  new social venture based in South Bend, Indiana, that will grow food using cutting-edge, sustainable farming methods such as aquaponics and extended-season harvests.  We've launched our venture to contribute to the growing demand for healthy, local food, but we're also a business with powerful impact -- our farm has been created to employ young adults on the autism spectrum, who face a staggering 90% joblessness rate.  

We've had the opportunity to train in aquaponics the past several years, and Jan Pilarski,  co-founder of GBG, was selected for this year's cohort for the Commercial Urban Agriculture Program at Milwaukee's Growing Power,  with the opportunity to learn from the country's leading urban farmer, Will Allen.  Aquaponics - the growing of fish and vegetables in a closed-loop system - provides numerous benefits, including year-round growing, quicker vegetable harvests because of the rich nutrients provided by the fish,  and a requirement of 90% less water than traditional farming.  We are excited by the potential of aquaponics to produce delicious, healthy food for our community.

The spark for GBG originated after Jan experienced the heartache of watching her son, Chris, graduate from college in 2010 and be unable to find work of any kind despite degrees in chemistry and environmental studies.  It was evident that this was a broader problem affecting many others with autism here and throughout the country, and an entrepreneurial approach seemed key to combating this problem.  As master gardeners with experience in organic farming, agroecology, and horticulture, Jan and Chris began last year to research and develop GBG as a social impact business.  We have learned much from the meetings and focus groups we've conducted throughout the community the past several months, and that feedback strongly endorses the mission and aims of GBG, as well as the need for more quality local food.

We invite you to follow our progress as we launch our venture and get growing!
1 Comment
Jay link
12/26/2015 04:57:38 am

Awesome job using aquaponics to produce delicious, healthy food for our community!!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Newsletter Signup

    * indicates required

    About Us

    Green Bridge Growers is a social enterprise created to put to work the many gifts and skills of young adults with autism.  Our founders, Chris and Jan, are building an exciting venture that grows fresh local food and grows great jobs for autistic adults. We invite you to learn about us and follow our work! 

    Archives

    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    June 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Tweets by @GreenBridgeGrow
    View my profile on LinkedIn
Green Bridge Growers
61591 Bremen Highway
Mishiwaka IN 46544


574-310-8190
info@greenbridgegrowers.org

  • Our Blog
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • How We Do It
  • Contact Us
  • Press
  • Produce Orders