Bridgeport resident Joan Miller’s plan to operate a small educational urban farm at her home on Deforest Avenue to introduce farming to children has been approved.
Andreas Yilma/Hearst Connecticut Media
Bridgeport resident Joan Miller’s plan to operate a small educational urban farm at her home on Deforest Avenue to introduce farming to children has been approved.
Andreas Yilma/Hearst Connecticut Media
BRIDGEPORT — Joan Miller plans to waste no time turning her backyard farm into an outdoor classroom.
After winning city approval to operate a small educational urban farm at her Deforest Avenue home, Miller said she’s already preparing to welcome children to learn how food grows and where it comes from.
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The Bridgeport Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special permit and site plan allowing Miller to operate the educational farm on her 0.23-acre property. The program will focus on neurodivergent children, including those with autism and ADHD, though it will be open to children of all ages.
Miller said when she got the approval, her knees buckled a little and she was “overwhelmed with relief.”
Now, she said, it’s “go time.”
Miller plans to fence in the backyard, purchase gardening supplies such as trowels and gloves, complete the paperwork parents will need to sign and begin building partnerships with local organizations and farms.
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She is also seeking grants and hopes to find a grant writer, although participation in the program will remain free.
“The next step would be to make it happen,” she said. “I have to make the property safe for the kids. I have to get my documentation ready for parents to sign if they’re bringing their kids onto the property. Right now, it’s time to put everything in order.”
She hopes to officially open next April but said a pilot program could begin as early as September if enough funding becomes available. Early activities would include weeding, soil preparation and learning how to care for plants.
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Miller expects to launch an online registration form by the end of July. She also plans to advertise through flyers, social media, a website and a sign outside her home. For now, interested families can contact her at Navigapathway@gmail.com.
The farm will be operated by Miller’s nonprofit, Naviga Pathwa, which has previously taken children to New Pond Farm Education Center in West Redding to learn about agriculture.
In her original proposal to the city, Miller said she hopes to collaborate with organizations including Green Village Initiatives, a Bridgeport nonprofit that promotes urban farming, food access and community gardens.
“Having Joan offer insight and education to her neighborhood regarding where food comes from and how to nourish our minds and bodies is always a win,” said Kathleen Benson, Green Village Initiatives’ community garden liaison. “I look forward to seeing her plans come to fruition.”
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Miller already grows tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cucumbers and raspberries at her home using organic practices and heirloom seeds, which can be harvested and replanted year after year.
“I really strive to stay organic in everything that I do because I do have a granddaughter,” Miller said. “I love that she can just pick something from the garden and just wash it on the hose and just eat it. There’s no pesticide. I’m not interested in any kind of toxic anything, especially around children.”
Her 3-year-old granddaughter never wants to leave the garden, Miller said, and the time they spend outdoors together is free from tablets and electronic devices.
“As soon as she gets up, if I’m outside, she wants to be outside,” Miller said. “I am hoping to lead by example by teaching my grandchildren that it’s OK to be outside and teaching them what to grow.”
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Benson agrees with Miller that too many children — particularly those growing up in cities and apartment buildings — have little connection to farming or nature.
“Healthy food comes from farming, which helps people of all ages feel better when they eat better. Knowing where your food comes from, from seed to sprout to table, is a truly powerful thing,” Benson said, noting the mental health benefits of farming and being in nature.
Miller said she is also teaching her 16-year-old granddaughter how herbs can be used for medicinal purposes, and hopes the knowledge she shares will spread beyond her own family.
“When you teach someone something, you never know how far that knowledge is going take them, how many people it’s going to touch,” Miller said.
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Looking ahead, Miller hopes to partner with the Bridgeport Board of Education and local colleges. She envisions students studying horticulture, social work or photography volunteering at the farm, possibly for academic credit.
Ultimately, she hopes the garden inspires children to appreciate agriculture and healthy food.
“We want to make sure that when we’re gone and they’re here, they’ll understand that farming is important, farming is necessary,” Miller said. “I want them to fall in love with growing things.”
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