Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) announced on
Thursday a $100,000 American Electric Power Foundation grant to Food On The Move to increase food production for Tulsans in need.
Food On The Move’s Urban Farm will produce more than 150,000 pounds of fresh produce every year.
The nonprofit founded by Tulsa musician Taylor Hanson will give away a portion of the food through monthly Community Food and Resource Festivals and sell the remainder to Oasis Fresh Market and other local vendors.
The AEP Foundation grant will help fund the first phase of the $7.5 million Urban Farm, a project designed to increase the quantity and quality of fresh produce using sustainable and
state-of-the-art technologies.
Located at the Food On The Move campus at 3787 E. Apache St., the Urban Farm is a holistic approach to serving a community battling legacy issues of health problems, education challenges and lack of employment opportunity because of decades of living in a food desert.
“The ability to sell our produce will allow this to be a sustainable model to fight food insecurity that can be replicated in any community,” said Food On The Move President and CEO Kevin Harper.
“We will measure the amount of produce grown, the amount distributed to those in need and the quantity sold along with the sustainability of the Urban Farm.”
AEP Foundation is a charitable private foundation of American Electric Power and its operating subsidiaries, including PSO. Advocacy for the AEP Foundation grant continues PSO’s connection to Food On The Move. In April, PSO and the EPRI donated a container garden that uses emerging technology to facilitate sustainable indoor agriculture to Food On The Move for its Tulsa campus.
“We look forward to seeing the Urban Farm flourish and serve the community,” said PSO President and Chief Operating Officer Leigh Anne Strahler.
“Food On The Move’s innovative efforts help make Tulsa a healthier, more resilient community, and we’re pleased to work withthe AEP Foundation to support their efforts.”