About this project

WHO:Sheaux Fresh Sustainable Foods is a family business owned and operated by Thaddaeus and Tamara Prosper (me). Thaddaeus began growing food in our yard when our first child was born. Nine years, three children and 14 chickens later we have a garden that produces more food than our family can eat. First we gave food away. Then we started selling food. Now we get more requests than we can handle.

WHAT: With your support, here is what we will do with a second Sheaux Fresh garden.

• Make fresh, organic, affordable produce available to those who would otherwise have a difficult time acquiring it.
• Show the community exactly where and how their food is being produced.
• Teach people how to grow their own food.
• Turn an empty lot into something beautiful and beneficial.
•  Improve the general health of the community by influencing food choices and encouraging outdoor activity.
• Take the next step toward our goal of making fresh food accessible to all New Orleanians.

Your donation will allow us to purchase fencing, tools, soil, seeds and other supplies for the garden.

WHEN: As soon as possible! If we begin planting soon, we will be able to reap a crop this winter.

WHERE: The first garden is in our backyard. With your help we will develop the second garden in our community, Algiers. Once that is established we hope to create gardens in under-served neighborhoods throughout our city.

WHY: The distinct cuisine of New Orleans is one of the many reasons people around the world love our city. No trip here is complete without sampling some gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish etoufee’, shrimp creole, po-boy’s….the list may never end. Nonetheless New Orleans has been deemed a food desert which means many neighborhoods lack grocery stores or adequate access to fresh, healthy food. Some people, many without their own vehicles, must travel several miles to find a grocery store that carries fresh produce. Although convenience stores and fast food retailers are in many neighborhoods, they rarely offer the fresh, healthy foods that are required for a balanced diet. Sheaux Fresh Sustainable Foods wants to produce fresh food in the under-served areas that need it most.

HOW:Depending on the season our current, back yard garden produces tomatoes, peppers, shallots, okra, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, tomatillos, basil, mint, parsley, lemongrass, celery, beans, rosemary, beets, carrots, chives, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, blackberries, raspberries, cantaloupe and watermelon. We also have chickens for eggs. This garden has been expanded twice and is now about 45 feet wide by 50 feet long.  In order to serve more people and provide a place that we can open to the public we will create a second garden on a lot a mile and a half from our home. We will utilize the entire 30 by 140 foot lot to produce vegetables, fruit, herbs and eggs that we will sell to neighbors and local restaurants.

Be an important part of our effort to make fresh, organic produce affordable and available to everyone in New Orleans!