This story is a part of the CBJ’s Newsmakers edition. This year-end wrap-up from the staff of the Corridor Business Journal is a compilation of the year’s most noteworthy articles and projects, as told through stories that appeared in the bi-weekly issues of the CBJ. This story was originally published in September 2022. Tapestry Farms […]
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This story is a part of the CBJ’s Newsmakers edition. This year-end wrap-up from the staff of the Corridor Business Journal is a compilation of the year’s most noteworthy articles and projects, as told through stories that appeared in the bi-weekly issues of the CBJ.
This story was originally published in September 2022.
Tapestry Farms has big plans for growing. The nonprofit organization that helps refugees resettle in the Quad Cities and operates an urban farm system to grow food in the area, has a long-term goal of buying a building in downtown Davenport and turning it into Tapestry Farms’ new headquarters. The project could take five years and cost $2 million. Ann McGlynn, the founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms, said it will take a lot of work and fundraising but she firmly believes “it will happen.” “For us, to continue our growth, it will be lovely to be in one space,” she told the QCBJ. The ultimate goal is to buy and renovate the vacant building at 814 W. Third St. that could house Tapestry Farms offices, its farm operations center and have an apartment on the second floor. The property is owned by RKJ Properties of Bettendorf, according to the Scott County Auditor’s Office. The Tapestry Farms founder added that fundraising and planning efforts are at the “beginning stages,” but she hopes the organization will be in its new downtown headquarters in less than five years. “We are going through the process now, as an organization, to see the feasibility of this. … We’ve never done anything like this before. We don’t know what to expect,” she said. Ms. McGlynn said Tapestry Farms is “very excited” to have its own space that will be used for office space, conference meeting space and storage for donated items. The nonprofit organization was started five years ago to help refugees build a good life in the Quad Cities. Along the way, people in the organization discovered that many of those people they are helping have “tremendous skills in growing food,” said Ms. McGlynn. So, as part of its mission, the group has set up an urban farming system to grow and share food in the community. It now has seven garden plots in Davenport and Rock Island. On a recent hot summer day, Ms. McGlynn and two urban farm specialists — Evangelina Ndagijimana and Aline Niyokwizera — were busy working at the Tapestry Farms garden plot at 2005 N. Main St., Davenport. Ms. Ndagijimana, who has seven children and has been living in Davenport about a year, said she loves the gardening work and being in the community. “We love it here. We really like it,” she said through an interrupter service that was provided through Ms. McGlynn’s cell phone. (Ms. Ndagijimana and Ms. Niyokwizera both speak Swahili and are from Burundi.)
Tapestry Farms has big plans for growing. The nonprofit organization that helps refugees resettle in the Quad Cities and operates an urban farm system to grow food in the area, has a long-term goal of buying a building in downtown Davenport and turning it into Tapestry Farms’ new headquarters. The project could take five years and cost $2 million. Ann McGlynn, the founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms, said it will take a lot of work and fundraising but she firmly believes “it will happen.” “For us, to continue our growth, it will be lovely to be in one space,” she told the QCBJ. The ultimate goal is to buy and renovate the vacant building at 814 W. Third St. that could house Tapestry Farms offices, its farm operations center and have an apartment on the second floor. The property is owned by RKJ Properties of Bettendorf, according to the Scott County Auditor’s Office. The Tapestry Farms founder added that fundraising and planning efforts are at the “beginning stages,” but she hopes the organization will be in its new downtown headquarters in less than five years. “We are going through the process now, as an organization, to see the feasibility of this. … We’ve never done anything like this before. We don’t know what to expect,” she said. Ms. McGlynn said Tapestry Farms is “very excited” to have its own space that will be used for office space, conference meeting space and storage for donated items. The nonprofit organization was started five years ago to help refugees build a good life in the Quad Cities. Along the way, people in the organization discovered that many of those people they are helping have “tremendous skills in growing food,” said Ms. McGlynn. So, as part of its mission, the group has set up an urban farming system to grow and share food in the community. It now has seven garden plots in Davenport and Rock Island. On a recent hot summer day, Ms. McGlynn and two urban farm specialists — Evangelina Ndagijimana and Aline Niyokwizera — were busy working at the Tapestry Farms garden plot at 2005 N. Main St., Davenport. Ms. Ndagijimana, who has seven children and has been living in Davenport about a year, said she loves the gardening work and being in the community. “We love it here. We really like it,” she said through an interrupter service that was provided through Ms. McGlynn’s cell phone. (Ms. Ndagijimana and Ms. Niyokwizera both speak Swahili and are from Burundi.)
