Urban farmer Kate Sexton highlights education and volunteer roles at Fields Market Garden

Kate Sexton, the urban farmer who runs Fields Market Garden, told the commission the site is roughly one and a half acres adjacent to the North End neighborhood and the Monon Trail and is designed to both sell produce and serve as an educational hub. "We are on almost 1 and a half acres here," Sexton said, describing the farm stand open multiple evenings and a monthly Saturday market.

Sexton said the garden intentionally provides paid work and engagement opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live within walking distance of the site, and that volunteers and seasonal employees play a large role in operations. "Our volunteers are a backbone to our operation," she said, listing vegetables, flowers, plant starts and honey among current products.

The garden is a nonprofit that depends on grants and fundraising, Sexton said, and participates in local partnerships: Old Town donated the land and assists with accounting and benefits administration, and Sexton said she typically donates surplus produce to Merciful Help Center. She told commissioners Fields Market Garden hosted about 150 unique volunteers in 2025 (roughly 1,800 volunteer hours), supported about 380 seasonal part-time employees from North End with IDD, and donated about 600 pounds of produce in 2025.

Commissioners focused questions on whether volunteers and neighbors could receive donated produce and on kitchen and processing capacity. Sexton said volunteers do take "seconds" and other surplus home and that the garden’s site lacks a certified kitchen for processing; she suggested partnering with school kitchens or nearby community kitchens for food-preparation workshops and repackaging.

The commission asked Sexton to share event information and contact details so the city can help promote workshops; Sexton provided fieldsmarketgarden.com and a contact page. Commissioners said they will consider listing garden workshops in city communications and exploring the garden’s role in a potential "fields-to-families" pilot to link harvests directly to households identified by local pantries.

The commission did not take formal action. Chair (S1) asked commissioners to think about operational support, volunteer recruitment and how the garden might be leveraged in the commission’s final report to the mayor.