Organization Also Receives Grant from Chase Bank to Hire Its First Operations Employee

December 11, 2009 (LOUISVILLE, KY) – Breaking New Grounds, Louisville's first economic development engine created around ‘good food' principals, and headquartered in the underserved California Neighborhood, has won the 2009 LIVE UNITED Social Innovation Prize. Sponsored by the Kentuckiana Metro United Way, the LIVE UNITED Social Innovation Prize recognizes local changemakers who put their ideas into action.

At the heart of Breaking New Grounds' recent success is just the kind of active volunteer base that the LIVE UNITED Social Innovation Prize was created to reward: local people working with conviction to grow Breaking New Grounds from a simple composting project in 2006, to a regional sustainable agriculture training center and budding urban farm built to serve one of Louisville's neediest food deserts.

Designed around a unique online donation model, the LIVE UNITED Social Innovation Prize challenged eight local organizations to raise the most money in the course of a two-month period with $25,000 in prizes distributed to the top three ‘innovations.' The Breaking New Grounds sustainable urban farm took home the top prize of $10,000 by raising over $9,000 from 74 donors.

On the heels of this success, Chase Bank has recognized the vital importance of this farm to Louisville's California neighborhood by awarding a $15,000 grant that will allow Breaking New Grounds to hire its first operations employee. This new employee will assist in everything from the production and distribution of the "Life's Magic" vermicompost, to aquaculture, to composting, and day-to-day urban farm management.

"We are humbled by the support of the Louisville community and our California neighbors in our mission of economic development through sustainable urban agriculture," said Sarah Fritschner, Executive Director, Breaking New Grounds. "This LIVE UNITED prize and Chase's generous grant will help us create our first job, while we push forward with our growth in our new West Louisville home and beyond."

Breaking New Grounds' ascent in 2009 began with the April move into their new California neighborhood headquarters at 2105 Woodland Avenue where the compost operation, worms and urban farm are housed. This past fall, MacArthur "genius grant" recipient and urban farming pioneer Will Allen led hoophouse and composting workshops at the headquarters. Breaking New Grounds recently inked a deal with Allen's Milwaukee-based Growing Power organization to serve as a regional training center, further extending their mission with practical training programs designed to teach sustainable urban farming practices.

For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 502.396.5457 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 502.807.1832.

About Breaking New Grounds

Breaking New Grounds is a non-profit organization committed to economic development through sustainable urban agriculture. We compost organic materials, turning "waste into wealth" at our headquarters in West Louisville. For more information, visit breakingnewgrounds.org and breakingnewgrounds.org/facebook.