Vietnamese Community/gardens

Overview

Viet Village Urban Farm

The first Vietnamese arrived in New Orleans East in 1975. Among their first activities was to establish home based gardens to grow the traditional fruits and vegetables that were not available locally anywhere at that time. As practiced in Vietnam, surplus from the gardens was brought to a community-created open market for sale to community members and tourists.

A majority of the community backyard gardens are located along the banks of the Maxent lagoon, a free water source for the gardeners. A planned beautification project along the banks displaced these gardeners. Many still grow food in their own tiny yards. To accommodate for the loss of garden space and implement other environmental friendly practices, MQVN CDC bought property large enough to accommodate all gardeners and to allow for the expansion into animal husbandry. MQVN CDC acquired 20 acres in November 2007 adjacent to Mary Queen of Vietnam Church.

Viet Village Urban Farm will be an intensively used productive landscape that will include a major produce market, commercial agriculture, and community gardens. These key functions will be supported by a network of green infrastructure and a range of community facilities that encourage the use of the site by everyone in the community.

New Orleans Food Production
updated 03/2012 by New Orleans Green Map