Residents, advocates urge Pittsburgh to sell Manchester farm to long‑time operator

PITTSBURGH — Dozens of residents, volunteers and urban‑agriculture advocates urged Pittsburgh City Council on May 19 to allow Ebony Lansford Evans to buy land now used by the Food for the Soul community farm in Manchester, saying the site provides food, education and community services that would be lost if the city proceeds with planned redevelopment.

Speakers at the public‑comment portion of the council meeting described the farm, located at 1707 Fulton Street, as a long‑running neighborhood resource. Laura Totten Kadoori told the council that since 2020 the farm has produced more than 12,000 pounds of food, including 5,382 pounds in 2024, and said it would be a “major disservice” if the property were not sold to the farm operator. Several other speakers gave similar testimony about volunteer involvement, youth programming and food distribution to seniors and people experiencing food insecurity.

The matter is tied to competing city priorities. Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle said the Manchester plan adopted by the city designates a section of the neighborhood, including the farm parcels, for affordable housing development. Lavelle told council that the parcels are currently owned by the city, that the temporary lease under the city’s adopt‑a‑lot program expires in July, and that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has previously provided support for the operator. “The URA gave her a $200,000 grant as part of the Avenues of Hope program,” Lavelle said during committee discussion.

Ebony Lansford Evans, who identifies herself as the farm’s steward, told council she applied to the Pittsburgh Land Bank after receiving guidance from City Planning and said she was later informed that the land bank committee had moved not to accept her application. “I am asking my city to please help me. Please talk to the mayor and sell this property,” Evans said at the microphone.

Supporters stressed the farm’s neighborhood role. Lisa Freeman of Freeman Family Farm and Greenhouse said the site draws volunteers from social‑service organizations and provides free produce; Freeman also noted the personal cost of operating the work, saying, “Dollars 6,184 and 94¢. That's my city taxes,” as an example of her financial contribution to sustaining farm work. Volunteers, social‑service providers and representatives from local food‑policy groups asked the city for clearer, more transparent pathways for community growers to acquire land.

Councilmembers acknowledged the tension between preserving an established community farm and carrying out the Manchester redevelopment plan. Lavelle and other members described earlier meetings with Evans and staff from City Planning and the land bank. Lavelle said the city and partner agencies are working on new processes to give growers clearer pathways when they seek permanent ownership, and he expressed willingness to meet again with Evans and neighborhood stakeholders to explore options.

Several speakers urged the council to pause any sale or transfer involving the parcels until a fuller conversation among the city, the URA, the land bank and community stakeholders can take place. Advocates pointed to the farm’s claimed public‑health and community benefits — nutrition education, intergenerational programming, volunteer opportunities, and local produce distribution — and warned that displacement of the site could worsen food access in Manchester and nearby neighborhoods.

What happened at council: testimony during the May 19 public‑comment period focused on the request that the city sell the parcels to Evans or otherwise secure the farm’s long‑term future. Council members said the parcels are part of a larger affordable‑housing plan for Manchester and that the current lease was structured as a temporary adopt‑a‑lot agreement.

Why it matters: Speakers said Food for the Soul supplies fresh produce and hands‑on education to residents in a neighborhood they described as underserved for healthy food options; they asked the city to treat growers as stakeholders in planning processes. City officials signaled a willingness to continue conversations but did not announce an immediate change in city land‑use plans during the meeting.

Next steps: Council members said they would pursue additional meetings with Evans, the Manchester Citizens Corporation (the local affordable‑housing developer noted in council remarks), City Planning, the land bank and the URA to explore options that could accommodate both the Manchester plan and long‑term urban‑agriculture stewardship. Evans’ current adopt‑a‑lot lease expires in July; the city has not announced a final disposition of the parcels.