Artists Statement
As a photographer interested in community based agriculture as well as issues facing women in poverty, I wanted to help raise awareness for this program. It benefits not only the people it serves to assist, but the community of Kansas City as a whole.
The idea of the backdrop set on the farm was to symbolize the feelings of being a stranger to a new land. The feeling of being somewhat isolated and separated from your usual surroundings, while at the same time being in a familiar space.
Special thanks to John Deprisco, Randy Wolf, Chris Wright, Rachel Bonar and the entire NRFR staff.
About New Roots for Refugees
NRFR is a partnership program between the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture and the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. It was designed to help (mostly female) refugees from all over the world put down, literally, "new roots" in Kansas City. As a refugee coming to a new country, they often do not know the language yet, but have the skills to farm and thus have a way to become integrated into their new community and the local economy, one crop at a time.
The training farm is located at Juniper Gardens, a public housing site in Kansas City, Kansas where many of the participating families live. Here they plant crops, some native to their home country, harvest and sell at local farmers markets in the KC Metro area. Most women and their families are from Somalia, Sudan, Burma and Burundi. Also featured are individuals who direct and assist with the project. The New Roots for Refugees website can be found at:
