Micro farming for a More Inclusive Economy

In which borough should your idea take place? Staten Island

Do you have a specific neighborhood(s) in mind?

St. George

Which audience(s) does your idea help? Select as many as apply.

Youth

Parents

Justice impacted individuals

Limited English proficient individuals

Veterans

Low income individuals

Black, Indigenous, and POC

Older adults

Unemployed individuals

LGBTQ+ community

Immigrants and/or migrants

Public housing residents

People with disabilities

Describe the challenge you want to address:

As inflation continues to make life difficult for millions of New Yorkers, it's time to reimagine how we create, transact, and ultimately create an economy. Food is the bedrock of the human experience. By reimaging how we grow and sell food, we can work together to solve century-long practices of exploitation, divide and conquer politics and ultimately a fractured economic system.

Describe your idea and approach to address the challenge:

We offer an EdTech called The Learning Marketplace that allows people to learn necessary real-world skills like healthy eating, financial education, entrepreneurship, communication skills, vertical farming, and many other subjects that allow people to thrive. One custom track is "Healthy Living for a Better Life." This track also allows learners to obtain a mini-vertical farm unit. We also have a business platform that allows people to buy and sell to each other. 10% of all sales are allocated to the Community Investment Fund, which issues prepaid capital on Mastercards so people can continue growing their business. This new economic system allows people to thrive and be off the debt economy.

Farming was used as a tool to colonize people. By reimagining how we grow, consume, and sell food to each other, we can free the economic system and create a kinder world for all.

Write the zipcode that best represents your New York City community:

10301