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lans also call for greenhouses, a farmhouse, fruit and nut orchards, a produce stand, and even beehives. Jones imagines art projects integrated into each of these various farm activities, helping establish Frogtown Park and Farm as a gather- ing spot for the whole neighborhood. “From the


very beginning, the community said they want a farm up here and they want an arts program,” he says. “And they don’t mean just painting kids’ faces at events. They mean a whole range of arts.” Among the first artists to sign on were sculptor Gita


Ghei, who usually works in cast bronze or copper but is contemplating ice sculptures for the park, and papermaker Mary Hark, who wants to grow and produce some of her materials right on site. Art and agriculture may seem an unlikely pairing outside the Minnesota State Fair (where pictures made of seeds are a big hit). But as a professional artist himself, Jones believes it’s a compelling combination. “My work is about creating a sense of place in an interdis- ciplinary way,” he says. “My dream job is to be an artist-in- residence at a farm, blending art and nature.” Jones has been drawn to farming as long as he can re-


member. “I was always digging around in my grandmoth- er’s little garden,” he says. “She grew a lot of vegetables and had plum trees. My aunt called me ‘Little George Wash- ington Carver.’” “I hated that,” Jones admits. The pioneering scientist’s politics weren’t exactly his own. “But I later came to ap- preciate him. He actually started his career as a painter— doing botanical art.”


The future site of Frogtown Park and Farm.


Park power to the people As we gaze out from atop the hill at the modest homes of Frogtown, Jones taps my arm. “See that guy down there getting his bike out of the garage? That’s Jason, our local vintner—he grows grapes in his yard and in a lot across the street to make wine.” He motions to another house just down the block. “That’s the Vang family house. They sell produce from their yard. It’s more than just garden- ing—they’re farmers. That’s our mission: to promote and expand and celebrate that kind of urban agriculture.” The design for Frogtown Park and Farm emerged from


a series of neighborhood meetings over the past four years. Often packed to capacity, the assemblies drew participants as diverse as Frogtown itself: the Vietnamese and Hmong communities, African Americans, East African immigrants, Latinos, and whites—both newcomers and Polish families who settled here a century ago. Though their backgrounds differed, attendees shared a sense of the park’s potential. “A lot of these people come from farming traditions,” Jones says, “and they are aching to get back to the land.” Jones credits Frogtown Farm’s Ambassadors program


for the strong public participation in planning the project. Ambassadors—local volunteers of all ages—went door-to- door asking their neighbors what they wanted to see in the park and farm. Ian Marquez, 16, came to one meeting and immediately applied to become an ambassador. “I thought it was amazing how much input they got from the commu- nity,” says Marquez. “So often all the decisions are made by the higher-ups.”


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jeff johnson


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