Global Peace Initiatives core program is the Peace Garden. Peace Gardens grow food to feed the hungry. Global Peace Initiatives has increased their impact in Indianapolis over the past three years in two ways. First, by managing more gardens each year (two in Y1, seven in Y2 and 22 in Y3). Second, GPI supported and encouraged community centers, churches and neighborhoods across Indianapolis to grow food to provide to their most needy residents.

What has become clear is that an urban gardening movement of unprecedented scale is underway. The interest of residents to become involved in the process of growing more of their own food is clear. Their understanding for how to do so is limited. Home-based gardens, small animals, aquaculture and hydroponics growing environments are all areas of interest where people can grow their own food and increase their level of food security for their families.

Peaceful Foods will serve as a demonstration site for urban gardening, provide food to local food pantries and provide area residents with training support for their own home based food production and preservation. The long-term plan for Peaceful Foods will include the development of the Concord Peace Garden, Teach Them To Fisheries, and Peaceful Grounds Restaurant and Farm Market.

Concord Peace Garden will serve as a demonstration project for an intensive in-ground garden and produce food that will provide for pantries and the farm market. Composting and vermiculture development will be central highlights to the gardens that will also create additional resources and products in organic growing medium and organic fertilizer. Area residents will be encouraged to learn by volunteering at the facility. As they volunteer, they will also earn food as they harvest crop.

The Concord Peace Garden will grow food to feed the hungry and also process product for sale. The Concord Peace Garden will also manage large composting and vermiculture projects to support organic soil production and crop nutrition. Revenues from sale of those value added products would provide for the sustainability of training and food initiatives to feed the hungry.

Teach Them To Fisheries will be Indianapolis’ first year-round polyculture growing environment, featuring tilapia, prawn, fresh salad produce and herbs. The intention of Teach Them To Fisheries is to produce crops for sale to the public and provide fee for service installation of 55-gallon freshwater growing environments for home use.

Peaceful Grounds Restaurant and Farm Market will feature breakfast coffees and teas with morning baked goods. At lunch Peaceful Grounds will feature soups and breads for service in or take out. Soups will also be canned and frozen for sale through the Peaceful Grounds Restaurant and Farm Market. The Peaceful Grounds Restaurant Farm Market and kitchen will serve as a vocational training facility for vulnerable populations re-entering the workforce.

Y1 Implementation

First year development will focus on land reclamation, garden development, food to feed the hungry, minimal farm market operations and refit of the warehouse. Business plan development toward Peaceful Grounds

Y2 Implementation

Development will intensify garden and market development to include four season operations and introduction of fish into fishery environment.

Y3 Implementation

Four season garden operations, fishery first harvest, introduction of home fisheries operations, refit of house toward restaurant operations and opening of Peaceful Grounds.

For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 317 319-4368.