Boner Fitness & Learning Center

This farm location is what we call our hub. It houses two shipping containers where we pack and store harvest, tools and educational materials. It’s also where we host our weekly Thursday Farm Stand in summer months. It serves as a space for weekly yoga classes in the summer and most of our public programming and classes. At this location, we farm in raised beds, in the ground and in green houses. 

RAISED BEDS: Our work at the Boner Fitness and Learning Center (BFLC) began in 2012, managing 2,500 square feet of raised beds. We continue to grow roots, perennial herbs, edible flowers and more in this area. It also serves as a great learning space for groups on the farm. 

IN-GROUND: In 2014, the farm expanded space from raised into a 13,000 square foot direct planting area, making this our largest site. The public is invited to purchase produce here during our Summer Farm Stand, and it is the site for our Produce On-Demand pickup. Visitors will save money by purchasing our low-cost produce, actually see where their food was grown, and have the chance to ask questions about preparing, storing or growing produce on their own. During this time, we also have local guest businesses selling coffee and treats, kraut, eggs, and bread. 

GREENHOUSE: In addition to the Raised Bed and In-Ground areas on this site, we also manage two 1,000 square foot greenhouses in partnership with The Boner Center and Arsenal Tech HS. Plants for all of our sites are started from seed in these greenhouses and are transplanted throughout the season. We are also able to sell plant starts to the public and many area schools in early spring thanks to our greenhouses. In winter, we grow microgreens, pea shoots and sunflower shoots in the greenhouses, which helps to sustain our business through one of the toughest farming seasons in Indiana.

Cottage Home Neighborhood Farm Spaces

We farm two lots in Cottage Home. The first is highly visible at the corner of Michigan and Oriental Streets. It is a 2,200-square-foot micro-farm, nestled on a residential lot. The lot is in a high-traffic area for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians, allowing people to see and think about the role of urban agriculture in residential areas. The lot has been part of various urban farming operations since 2008, and Growing Places Indy has managed the site since 2012.

The second site is the newest of all of our GPI farm sites and is about the same size as the corner lot. It sits between a few houses on Dorman Street between St. Clair and 9th Street.

White River State Park Farm

Located between the JW Marriott Hotel on Washington Street and the Indiana State Museum, we have been growing food at the farm at White River State Park since 2010. This farm site is nearly 6,000 square feet.

Because of this garden’s unique location, more than 3.5 million visitors each year have the opportunity to interact with this urban farming site. Our hope is that it stimulates visitors to ask questions about the role of urban agriculture in Indianapolis and in their home countries, cities and towns.