Saving an Oklahoma City Neighborhood with Organic Urban Farming

Allen Parleir has many passions and he's found a way to combine them all. He was approached with an idea to turn abandoned lots in Old Town Oklahoma City into flower gardens, but Allen and his wife Elia Woods, thought of creating community food gardens instead. The city resisted at first before finally agreeing. Needing topsoil, Allen approached local organic food stores and asked for their compostable "unsolds". Allen then got a group of volunteers together, including teens, some doing court-ordered community service. Beautiful and bountiful food gardens, as well as relationships, ensued and neighborhood property values actually increased, as the area has literally transformed from crime-ridden to highly desirable.