The Growing Power of Will Allen
Will Allen didn’t move to Milwaukee until he retired from pro basketball, having played both in the ABA and abroad for Belgium. He was far from done with his working days then at the age of 28, so he and his wife Cynthia moved here to Milwaukee, Cynthia’s hometown. But boy, Milwaukee sure is glad he came. Allen has made a serious impact not just on Milwaukee but also the world. He was named a 2008 MacArthur Fellow and one of Time Magazines’ 100 Most Influential People of 2010, because of his pioneering work in community-based urban farming. He actually credits his time in Belgium for showing him intensive methods that farmers there employed on their small lot farms.
Allen is now the founder and CEO of Growing Power, a Milwaukee-based non-profit organization that makes healthy food available to low-income communities, develops urban farming techniques, and teaches others about how to produce food in poor, inner-city neighborhoods. This extends way beyond even the United States, as Allen has even trained and taught in the Ukraine, Macedonia, and Kenya. And even with that busy, world-trekking schedule, Allen manages to make the time to work his farm out in Oak Creek.
Want to learn more? Why not read articles about Allen’s work or check out a book or DVD about urban farming or sustainable agriculture at your Milwaukee Public Library.