Do Gooder Alert: Local Urban Farmer Wins Genius Grant

Who in their right mind would pay $500,000 for veggies? The MacArthur Foundation, natch. It just named Growing Power and its founder Will Allen a recipient of its genius grant. Allen, who founded the organization in Milwaukee in 1993 to supply under served inner-city communities with access to fresh vegetables, can use the $500,000 prize for whatever he chooses. Since he's expanded to locations in Chicago, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Mississippi, we think he'll probably keep spreading the good around the country. And you locavore die-hards thought you were pioneering? Growing Power has farms in Chicago at Cabrini-Green and in both Grant and Jackson parks and sells its healthy stuff at Green City Market as well as farmers markets in Bronzeville, Woodlawn and Englewood. [via Sun-Times]