The purpose of the ARP and EJ funded collaborative project is to fund several activities under buftx's houston agri-power initiative to demonstrate how green tech and urban agriculture can address…

The purpose of the ARP and EJ funded collaborative project is to fund several activities under buftx's houston agri-power initiative to demonstrate how green tech and urban agriculture can address environmental and health disparities. Specifically, EPA funding will be used in houston' fifth ward and kashmere gardens communities to build a shipping container farm, edible school park, and plant 500 native trees. EPA funding will also be dedicated toward public education, community engagement, and green agricultural training. The core objectives of EPA funded HAP projects and programming is to increase local food production through commercial farming and resilient gardening, test innovative and scalable green technology, and achieve tangible environmental benefits, like air quality improvements, CO2 reduction, waste reduction, and localized flood mitigation. Direct benefits to the two houston communities include education and awareness of environmental issues and solutions, reduction of solid waste and air emissions, job creation and green agricultural training opportunities, neighborhood beautification, and alleviation of health and financial impacts caused by food insecurity. CAA 103(b)(3): people with moderate-to-severe or uncontrolled asthma are more likely to be hospitalized from covid-19. Air pollution may contribute to asthma. By addressing air pollution in CAA 103(b)(3) projects, the chances of severe illness from covid-19 are reduced. Clean water is necessary for the proper washing of hands. Sdwa 1442 grant projects contribute to providing clean water for handwashing in combatting the spread of covid-19. Beneficiaries of this project are houston's fifth ward and kashmere gardens communities. Activities: 1. Resilient shipping container farm (demonstration project) : retrofit shipping container with hydroponic, grow lights, climate controls, and the latest smart technology for controlled environment farming. The unit will also be equipped with solar panels, solar battery storage, a solar back-up generator, and rainwater harvesting, making the small container farm self-sustaining. Shipping container farm to be located at the phoenix center, which is the name of the facility owned by buftx in the fifth ward/kashmere gardens community. The property is located at 2606 gregg street, houston, texas 77026. 2. Edible school park: establish access agreement and necessary contracts with wheatley high school to implement edible school park project using student participants and school property. Wheatley high school is located at 4801 providence ST, houston, TX 77020 in houston's fifth ward neighborhood. The purpose of this demonstration is to better understand costs VS. Benefits, operational challenges, and modifications required to implement edible parks elsewhere in the community or in other houston neighborhoods. This program will engage youth in fifth ward and enhance their education with a hands-on project that incorporates various disciplines, including landscape design, agriculture, biology, environmental science, business, culinary arts, and government relations. Participating students will be encouraged to share their knowledge with community members through thesis presentations, research projects, and collaborations with community-based organizations and their members (like churches and civic groups). 3. Tree planting: plant 130 fruit trees and 370 large native trees. Partner with houston wilderness [qualified 501(c)3] to implement tree planting program. The purpose of this demonstration is to better understand, document, and educate the public about the importance of planting trees to combat climate change, reduce urban heat islands, sequester atmospheric carbon, reduce air pollution, and mitigate flooding. Public education will be a large focus on this task with support from houston wilderness (HW), national heritage society (NHS), and the city of houston. Tree planting events will