Q&A with urban farmer Sharrona Moore

Sharrona Moore wanted to solve food insecurity and food access in her east-side community. So she’s trying to do it herself.

Moore’s farm, Lawrence Community Gardens, is accessible via a winding road near the intersection of 46th Street and Post Road, on grounds near Monarch Beverage Co.’s 500,000-square foot distribution center.

There, Moore, 45, is growing varieties of peppers, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, greens and more, much of which she donates to food pantries.

Moore’s profession is barber. The farm, where she serves as garden manager, and the Indiana Black Farmer’s Co-op, which she helped found, are spare-time efforts aimed at using social enterprise to solve food insecurity in the community

What inspired you to start Lawrence Community Gardens?

I’ve been living in this neighborhood about half my life. It’s a shame people can’t get fresh food in our neighborhood. There are a lot of people that can’t get to the grocery store. They can eat cheap in a neighborhood but it’s not healthy.

I remember when Monarch Beverage built their facility here in 2009. I remember when this used to be farmland. I said, “Hey, I would like an acre of this land to grow food for the pantries.” Monarch was all in. They said, “We’re giving you 7.6 acres.”

What caused you to help start the Indiana Black Farmer’s Co-op? How is that going?

I would go to panel discussions and workshops, and I would be one of the only black people there. I thought, “Where are we?” Why don’t we have any skin in the game? I knew there were some black farmers. They’re facing the same problem I’m faced with: a lack of resources. If we pulled together, we could support each other and have more black and brown people growing food. We can be more in control of our own destiny, our finances and our health.

How has this effort impacted you personally?

I started this last year. Shortly after, I had a heart attack. It became even more important why I needed to grow the food here. I’m active. I’m out here all the time. I have small children. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody.

That’s when it became more than just a mission to feed the community. It became a mission to educate the community. It’s passion. It’s purpose. When you know what you’re doing is making a difference, you just do it.

How did you get into farming?

I was exposed to farming as a little girl, eating from the farm, and since I’ve been an adult, I’ve always grown something, whether in pots, the backyard or on the windowsill. I’ve always had an interest.

What would you say to people who may want to get involved?

This initiative takes more than just us. It’s hard, physical work. We need people to just be growing something, even if it is just herbs in the windowsill. If we get more people in charge of their own lives, then that’s the only way we’ll be able to survive.

We need more hands involved and more farmers involved in this thing. Come out and volunteer. Come out and support a market and buy what we’re growing.

The Indiana Black Farmers’ Co-Op operates markets the second Sunday of every month at Zion Hope Church, the third Sunday of every month at Community Alliance of the Far Eastside, and the fourth Sunday of every month at St. Andrew’s of the Apostle.•