Ian Marvy

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2002

Ian Marvy

Added Value

http://www.added-value.org/

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Community Improvement & Economic Development, Food, Nutrition, Agriculture

The Bold Idea:

Added Value's mission is to promote the sustainable development of Red Hook by nurturing a new generation of young leaders. We work towards the empowerment of South Brooklyn's youth by creating opportunities for them to expand their knowledge base, develop new skills and positively engage with their community through the operation of a socially responsible urban farming enterprise.

For the past two and a half years Added Value has trained more than 30 young people, founded the Red Hook Farmers' Market and helped to revitalize Coffey Park. These early successes are due, in large part, to our ability to weave together a Community Advisory Council representing 30 local, regional and national institutions that support our work to improve the neighborhood by creating youth leaders. To date, participants have transformed vacant, dilapidated lots into a half acre of productive farm land. The food grown on the land is either harvested for meals, donated or sold by our youth at the Red Hook Farmers' Market (RHFM).

Established by Added Value in June 2001 the RHFM, serves over 200 customers each Saturday. By selling locally grown fruits and vegetables, pasture raised meat, and fish from the Long Island Sound, the RHFM has become the only source of fresh produce in the neighborhood. Through the RHFM we have improved the local food supply while creating jobs here in the community and upstate. Furthermore, by decreasing the neighborhoods reliance on the global food system we have reduced the environmental impact of our food consumption.

In addition to our agricultural activities, Added Values youth participants specialize in one of three program areas: Herban Solutions (micro-entrepreneurship training), Digital Horizons (our media literacy and multi-media initiativez), and Project R.E.A.L (our environmental justice projects). Youth participants work seventeen hours each week in our gardens, at market and on the computers. Among other things they are nurturing plants, selling produce and building our website. For their efforts youth participants receive a generous stipend while gaining the skills that will help them compete in today's economy. Upon completion of their year with Added Value participants possess the knowledge to make a difference in the quality of life in their community and the confidence to do just that.

Biography:

Ian Marvy, a graduate of Hampshire College, has been organizing youth to become a positive force for social change in postindustrial cities and towns like Holyoke, MA, Camden NJ, and Philadelphia PA. for the past ten years. Prior to founding Added Value Mr. Marvy was designing and implementing innovative service learning programs for first time juvenile offenders and non-incarcerated juvenile felons. Ian has also been honored with a Petra Foundation Fellowship.

Clayton Williams Award for inter-departmental cooperation
1998

Board of Directors of National Child Rights Alliance
1995

Peace and World Security Studies Scholarship: Five College Consortium
1994

Public Service and Social Change Scholarship: Hampshire College
1994

Con Edison Green Grant
1993