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{{short description|American basketball player and urban farmer}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox person
|name = Will Allen
| name = Will Allen
|image =Will_Allen_David_Shankbone_2010.jpg
| image = Will Allen holding fish.jpg
|image_size =
|alt =
| image_size =
|caption = Allen at the 2010 [[Time 100]] Gala.
| alt =
| caption = Allen holds a [[tilapia]] in his hand at the urban farm [[Growing Power]]
|birth_name = William Edward Allen
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|2|8}}
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|2|8}}
|birth_place = [[Rockville, Maryland]], [[United States]]
| birth_place = [[Rockville, Maryland]], U.S.
|death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
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| resting_place =
|body_discovered =
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
|death_cause =
| known_for = Urban farming, Professional basketball
|resting_place =
| education = [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] [[Physical Education]] (1971)<ref name="jsonline.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32467114.html|title=A will and a way for Allen|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4537249/k.29CA/Will_Allen.htm|title=Will Allen — MacArthur Foundation|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref><br />Honorary [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] [[Agriculture]] (2012)<ref name="uwmilsp12">{{cite press release |first=Beth |last=Stafford |publisher=[[University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]] |title=UW-Milwaukee Spring Commencement 2012 |url=http://www5.uwm.edu/news/2012/05/09/uw-milwaukee-spring-commencement-2012/ |date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916122301/http://www5.uwm.edu/news/2012/05/09/uw-milwaukee-spring-commencement-2012/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| alma_mater = [[University of Miami]]<br />[[University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]]
|residence = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], [[United States]]
|nationality =
| employer =
| occupation = [[Chief Executive Officer]]
|ethnicity =
| height = {{convert|6|ft|7|in|cm|sigfig=3}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/01genius.html |title=An Urban Farmer Is Rewarded for His Dream|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Barbara Miner|date=September 25, 2008|page=F6}}</ref>
|citizenship =
|other_names =
| spouse =
| children = [[Erika Allen|Erika]], Jason, Randall, Adrianna
|known_for = Urban farming, Professional basketball
| awards = 2008 MacArthur Fellowship, Genius Award
|education = [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] [[Physical Education]] (1971)<ref name="jsonline.com"/><ref>[http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4537249/k.29CA/Will_Allen.htm 2008 MacArthur Fellows: Will Allen]</ref>
| signature =
|alma_mater = [[University of Miami]]
|employer = [[Growing Power]]
| website =
|occupation = [[Chief Executive Officer]]
|years_active =
|home_town =
|salary =
|networth =
|height = {{convert|6|ft|7|in|cm|sigfig=3}}<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/01genius.html An Urban Farmer Is Rewarded for His Dream ] - [[New York Times]]</ref>
|weight =
|boards =
|religion =
|spouse = Cynthia
|children = Ericka
|parents =
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|awards = 2008 MacArthur Fellowship, Genius Award
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|website = http://www.growingpower.org/
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'''William Edward Allen''' (born February 8, 1949) is an [[urban farming|urban farmer]] based in [[Milwaukee]] and a retired American [[basketball]] player. He grew up on a farm in [[Rockville, Maryland]] with his parents and siblings, but while on the farm, he made a makeshift basketball court and taught himself to play. When he played for the middle school team, he was a huge and powerful kid and proved to be unstoppable.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.10">"Biography Today", pp. 10</ref>
'''Will Allen''' (born February 8, 1949) is an American [[urban farming|urban farmer]] based in [[Milwaukee]] and a retired professional [[basketball]] player.


==Early life and education==
When he entered high school, he was {{convert|6|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}} and 230 pounds, and he dominated as he could dunk since he was in middle school. His sophomore year he nominated to the All-Metropolitan team, and the following year, he brought his team to the finals and they won. In his senior season, he helped bring them back to the finals, but they would lose in the championship game. This season would give him a selection to the All-Pro team and a scholarship to the [[University of Miami]]. He was integral in keeping the 1970-1971 basketball season alive. The Board of Trustees tried to shut down the program in the 1969-1970 season. With Allen rallying his teammates on a strike and press conference, and the fact that his teammates and him did not have enough notice to transfer schools, the Board agreed to keep it open for another season.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.10-11">"Biography Today", pp. 10-11</ref>
Will Allen was a high school state champion in basketball at [[Richard Montgomery High School]] in [[Rockville, Maryland]]<ref name="yesmagazine.org"/> Allen played [[College basketball|collegiately]] for the [[Miami Hurricanes]] at the [[University of Miami]], where he was on a basketball scholarship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200908-omag-will-allen|title=Making Fresh Food Affordable|website= [[O, The Oprah Magazine]]}}</ref> He was the first [[African-American]] to play basketball for the [[University of Miami]].<ref name="jsonline.com"/>


==Career==
He was drafted in the fourth round (60th pick overall) in the [[1971 NBA Draft]] by the [[Washington Wizards|Baltimore Bullets]]. He would never play an NBA game, but would go on the [[ABA]]'s [[Miami Floridians]] and then for [[Belgium]] in the European Professional League. While in Belgium, he cultivated an old passion: farming. He would retire from basketball at the age of 28. He moved back to the [[United States]] and found work at [[Marcus Corporation]] and eventually [[Procter & Gamble]]. When he quit P&G, he received a severance package, and with it bought a tractor and {{convert|100|acre|km2}}, to raise his three kids with his wife.<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 11-13</ref>
After college Allen was selected by the [[Baltimore Bullets (1963–73)|Baltimore Bullets]] in the 4th round (60th pick overall) of the [[1971 NBA draft]]. He never played in the [[NBA]], but appeared in seven games with [[The Floridians]] of the [[American Basketball Association (1967–76)|ABA]] during the 1971–72 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/allenwi01.html|title=Willie Allen|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> He also played professionally in [[Belgium]].<ref name="Street Farmer">{{cite news |first=Elizabeth |last=Farmer |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |title=Street Farmer |page=MM22 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?_r=1 |date=July 5, 2009 |access-date=June 12, 2012}}</ref>


Allen retired from basketball in 1977, when he was 28.<ref name="Street Farmer"/> Upon retirement, Allen moved to his wife Cynthia's hometown of [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]].<ref name="jsonline.com"/>
He started with the {{convert|100|acre|km2}}, and nine years later he bought a {{convert|2|acre|m2|adj=on}} lot on the [[Neighborhoods of Milwaukee|north side]] of [[Milwaukee]] that was a derelict plant nursery that was in foreclosure.<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref name="Biography Today, pp.13">"Biography Today", pp. 13</ref> In 1995, a [[YMCA]] group asked him to how to make a small organic garden profitable, and from that, Farm City Link was formed. After ideas suggested by [[Heifer International|Heifer Project International]] to help expand, and a couple years of little profitability, Hope Finkelstein offered to merge her [[Growing Power]] with Farm City Links, as they both had the same goals. He accepted and became co-director. This merger would bring much success to them, as they won both [[Ford Foundation]] and the [[MacArthur Foundation]] "[[MacArthur Fellows Program|Genius Grant]]".<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 13-17</ref> Growing Power also has a branch in [[Chicago]], run by Allen's daughter Erika. He is still currently director of Growing Power.<ref name="yesmagazine.org"/><ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32497129.html Urban farmer’s work honored: Growing Power’s Allen gets MacArthur 'genius grant'] - [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]</ref>


===Urban farming===
==Early life (1949&ndash;1967)==
Will Allen's parents were [[sharecropper]]s in [[South Carolina]] until they took part in the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] and moved to [[Rockville, Maryland]], where Allen grew up.<ref name="yesmagazine.org">{{cite web|url=http://yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/growing-power-in-an-urban-food-desert|title=Growing Power in an Urban Food Desert|first=Roger|last=Bybee|access-date=26 August 2016|archive-date=21 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821151207/http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/growing-power-in-an-urban-food-desert|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agriview.com/articles/2007/09/13/capitol_news/news05.txt|title=Milwaukee's Growing Power Founder Pushes Urban Farming}}{{Dead link|date=October 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
'''William Edward Allen''' was born on February 8, 1949 to Willie Mae and O.W. Allen. His mother worked as a housekeeper and his father was a former [[sharecropper]]. He was the second youngest to seven siblings, and grew up in [[Rockville, Maryland]]. The family purchased the farm after moving from [[South Carolina]].<ref name="Biography Today">{{cite book |last=|first=|title=Biography Today|year=2009|page=9|publisher=Omnigraphics|location=[[Detroit, Michigan]] |isbn=978-0-7808-1052-5}}</ref>


Finishing a career in marketing, Allen left a job at [[Procter & Gamble]] in 1993 and purchased a derelict plant nursery that was in foreclosure, located on the [[Neighborhoods of Milwaukee|north side]] of [[Milwaukee]].<ref name="Street Farmer"/> Around this time, Allen also purchased a 100-acre farm in [[Oak Creek, Wisconsin|Oak Creek]], previously owned by his wife's parents.<ref name="jsonline.com"/><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32497129.html|title=Urban farmer's work honored|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>
When Allen was 13, he started playing basketball. "I could run like a deer, and I was really strong" recalled Allen, after years of working on a farm gave him those characteristics. He went as far to make a make-shift court at home by first flattening the ground and hanging a bushel basket on an oak tree. He even attached a flashlight so that he could play in the evening.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.10"/>


Allen became the director of [[Growing Power]], an [[urban farming]] project in [[Milwaukee]], with a 40-acre farm west of Milwaukee in the town of [[Merton (town), Wisconsin|Merton]] and an offshoot project in [[Chicago]] run by Allen's daughter, Erika.<ref name="yesmagazine.org"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> Under increasing debt after two decades of operation, the nonprofit discontinued in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://civileats.com/2018/03/13/behind-the-rise-and-fall-of-growing-power/ |title=Behind the Rise and Fall of Growing Power |publisher=Civil Eats |date=March 13, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> Allen remains active on the site in north Milwaukee through his company Will Allen Farms, LLC.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.facebook.com/WillAllenFarms/|title=Will Allen Farms, LLC |website=[[Facebook]] |access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref>
He attended [[Julius West Middle School|Julius West Junior High]] and became the star of the eighth grade team, and could even dunk at his age. When he entered [[Richard Montgomery High School]], he was {{convert|6|ft|m|abbr=on}}, 7&nbsp;in and 230 pounds.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.10"/> While he was a sophomore, the [[Washington Post]] selected him for the All-Metropolitan team. In 1966, his junior year, he led his team to win the state championship. In his senior season, he again led them to the finals, but they lost. He was, however, selected to the All-American team and received a scholarship to play at the [[University of Miami]].<ref name="Biography Today, pp.10-11"/>


In 2005, Allen was awarded a [[Ford Foundation]] leadership grant on behalf of his urban farming work.<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 2008, he was awarded the [[MacArthur Foundation]] "[[MacArthur Fellows Program|Genius Grant]]" for his work on [[urban farming]] and [[sustainable food systems|sustainable food]] production.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/arts/23fell.html|title=25 Receive $500,000 'Genius' Fellowships|date=23 September 2008|work=The New York Times|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref> In 2009, the [[Kellogg Foundation]] gave Allen a grant to create jobs in [[urban agriculture]].<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/44487467.html|title=Will Allen and Growing Power in the national spotlight again|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>
==College Basketball career (1967&ndash;1971)==
After he was a high school state champion in basketball, playing the forward position,<ref name="jsonline.com">[http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/32467114.html A will and a way for Allen: MacArthur grant aids urban farmer’s quest to bring fresh food to inner city] - [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]</ref><ref>[http://yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/growing-power-in-an-urban-food-desert Growing Power in an Urban Food Desert: Will Allen is bringing farming and fresh foods back into city neighborhoods]</ref> Allen played [[College basketball|collegiately]] for the [[Miami Hurricanes]] at the [[University of Miami]], where he was on basketball scholarship.<ref>[http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200908-omag-will-allen Making Fresh Food Affordable] - [[O, The Oprah Magazine]]</ref> He was the first [[African-American]] to play basketball for the [[University of Miami]].<ref name="jsonline.com"/>. While at college in the '60s and [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregation]], Allen received death threats from the [[Ku Klux Klan]].<ref name="Biography Today, pp.11">"Biography Today", pp. 11</ref>


Will Allen appears in the [[documentary film]], ''[[Fresh (2009 film)|Fresh]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freshthemovie.com/|title=FRESH the movie -|website=www.freshthemovie.com}}</ref> The film refers to Allen as "one of the most influential leaders of the [[food security]] and [[Urban agriculture|urban farming]] movement."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/46111057.html|title="Fresh" celebrates Growing Power on film|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref>
While in his junior season, the Board of Trustees suddenly announced that it would cancel the basketball program at the end of the year, which was bad for the players as it was not enough time to transfer to another school. Allen organized his teammates to form a player strike and hold a press conference. The national press caught on, which forced the board to extend the program one more year. He graduated with a degree in [[physical education]] in 1971<ref name="Biography Today, pp.11"/>


Will Allen is the co-author, with Charles Wilson, of the book ''The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People and Communities'', published by Gotham Books, a member of [[Penguin Group]], USA.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/308914/the-good-food-revolution-by-will-allen/| title = The Good Food Revolution by Will Allen: 9781592407606 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books}}</ref> The book was nominated for a 2013 [[NAACP]] [[NAACP Image Awards|Image Award]] in the category of biography/autobiography.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naacpimageawards.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/44th-NIA-Nominations_Final_Release.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129133746/http://www.naacpimageawards.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/44th-NIA-Nominations_Final_Release.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Allen is also the subject of 2014's ''Farmer Will Allen & the Growing Table'', written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Eric-Shabazz Larkin.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.readerstoeaters.com/our-books/farmer-will-allen-and-the-growing-table|title= Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table}}</ref>
==Professional Basketball(1971-1977)==
After college Allen was selected by the [[Washington Wizards|Baltimore Bullets]] in the 4th round (60th pick overall) of the [[1971 NBA Draft]]. He never played in the NBA, but appeared in seven games with [[The Floridians]] of the [[American Basketball Association (1967-1976)|ABA]] during the 1971–72 season.<ref>[http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/allenwi01.html Allen career statistics]</ref> He also played professionally in [[Belgium]].<ref name="Street Farmer">[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html Street Farmer] - [[New York Times]]</ref>


On May 20, 2012, Allen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree from the [[University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee]]. He also delivered the commencement address for the graduation ceremony held on that day.<ref name="uwmilsp12"/>
While in Belgium, he made friends with local farmers, which was nostalgic of his early childhood. "They farmed a lot like we used to. It must have released a hidden passion in me, because before I left Belgium, I had a garden and some chickens of my own."<ref>"Biography Today", pp.11-12</ref>

Allen retired from basketball in 1977, when he was 28.<ref name="Street Farmer"/> Upon retirement, Allen moved to [[Milwaukee]], his wife Cynthia's hometown.<ref name="jsonline.com"/> At this time, they had three children under the age of eight, Erika, Jason, and Adriana.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.12">"Biography Today", pp. 12</ref>

==After Basketball (1978&ndash;1982)==
Allen took on some jobs to help support his growing family. He was an executive at [[Marcus Corporation]], and then a technology salesman at [[Procter & Gamble]]. He would recall of the daily grind, "I needed the farm--it's so real and so satisfying. Mostly, I wanted that life for my kids."<ref name="Biography Today, pp.12"/>

1982 saw Allen quit at Procter & Gamble and return to his childhood roots. "I remember when I left for [[Coral Gables]], telling my father, 'I will never work on a farm again'. I guess you should never say never." He received a severance package from P&G, he bought a junkyard tractor and {{convert|100|acre|km2}} in [[Oak Creek, Wisconsin]], which was previously owned by his wife's parents.<ref name="jsonline.com"/><ref>"Biography Today", pp. 12-13</ref>

==Urban farming (after 1982)==
===Personal farming/Farm City Link (1982&ndash;1998)===
Will Allen’s parents were sharecroppers in [[South Carolina]] until they bought the small vegetable farm in [[Rockville, Maryland]], where Allen grew up.<ref name="yesmagazine.org">[http://yesmagazine.org/issues/food-for-everyone/growing-power-in-an-urban-food-desert Growing Power in an Urban Food Desert: Will Allen is bringing farming and fresh foods back into city neighborhoods] - [[YES! Magazine]]</ref><ref>[http://www.agriview.com/articles/2007/09/13/capitol_news/news05.txt Milwaukee's Growing Power Founder Pushes Urban Farming]</ref> After owning the farmland , nine years later he was ready to expand his operation. There was a {{convert|2|acre|m2|adj=on}} plot located on the [[Neighborhoods of Milwaukee|north side]] of [[Milwaukee]] that was a derelict plant nursery that was in foreclosure.<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref name="Biography Today, pp.13"/> In what once was called Greenhouse Alley, he made a greenhouse of his own, and it was the last remaining farmland in the city and was in the middle of a low-income neighborhood. Will's Roadside Stand became a popular for its organic output, and at this time he established the Rainbow Grower's Cooperative, which connected family farmers outside Milwaukee to the city.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.13"/>

In 1995, a nearby [[YMCA]] group came to Allen on how to make a small organic garden profitable. He had a half-acre of unused land behind the greenhouse that he offered. Soon enough, the kids got to work and crops began to grow, and it also gave Allen a chance to mentor. "I talked to them about how the garden was teaching basic life skills: how to get up in the morning, how to be responsible for growing something."<ref name="Biography Today, pp.13-14">"Biography Today", pp. 13-14</ref> With his help, Farm City Link was formed.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.13-14"/>

Then in 1996, he was approached by [[Heifer International|Heifer Project International]] and was given some ideas on how Farm City Link could expand. They told him to set up a [[tilapia]] fish farm of 150, putting red worms to enrich the soil of the vegetable beds, and using [[hydroponics]] system to help grow plants. Allen was eager about all these ideas and used them right away.<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 14</ref>

When it first began, it struggled financially. One of the biggest problems was growing a massive amount of crops in a small amount of space. He raised the vegetable beds to make room to raise the chickens, ducks, goats, and farmed fish. Allen was at a crossroad: Should he remain productive or train new farmers. In 1998, his answer came in the form of Hope Finkelstein, an organizer and activist. She had formed [[Growing Power]], and since the two organizations were so similar, she asked that the two merge, with Allen becoming co-director.<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 14-15</ref>

===Growing Power (1998-)===
The name "Growing Power" was ideal, as it matched up with his goal to "grow communities by growing sustainablie food sources." 1999 saw the building once known as "Will's Roadside Stand" turn into Growing Power's Community Food Center, where farmers of all ages and experience come to receive training and assistance in farming practice.<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 15</ref>

A part of Growing Power is the Growing Power Youth Corps, which is a youth development apprenticeship program. The program gives kids from low-income backgrounds academic and professional experience by learning different farming methods, developing leadership experience, build entrepreneurial skills, and learn to work with a wide range of people.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.16">"Biography Today", pp. 16</ref>

As Growing Power came to fulfill its name, they selected [[Chicago]] as the next city to start another program. They selected Allen's eldest daughter, Erika, to run it. The new branch opened in February 2002 and established more Community Food Centers. He said of his daughter that "People admire Erika's intelligence and grasp. But her commitment and passion are incredible, and that's what it really takes." In this year, Growing Power was producing over 100,000 pounds of chemical-free vegetables and growing rapidly.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.16"/>
[[File:Will allen growing power milwaukee wisconsin usa.jpg|thumb|Will Allen nets [[Tilapia]] at the urban farm [[Growing Power]] in 2008.]]
By 2005, he was in need of funding, and he won the [[Ford Foundation]] Leadership for a Changing World Award, which came with an $100,000 grant from them.<ref name="Biography Today, pp.16"/>

In 2008, Allen would receive the genius grant [[MacArthur Foundation]] "[[MacArthur Fellows Program|Genius Grant]]". The award came with a $500,000 grant for "individuals across all ages and fields who show exceptional merit and promise of continued creative work."<ref name="Biography Today, pp.16"/> The award statement said the following about Allen: "Will Allen is an urban farmer who is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved, urban populations...Allen is expirementing with new and creative ways to improve the diet and health of the urban poor."<ref>"Biography Today", pp. 16-17</ref>

After this, he was interviewed by [[Good Morning America]], [[CNN]], [[NPR]], and the [[New York Times]]. He had gone overseas to train people in [[Africa]], [[Europe]], and [[South America]]. His staff and had increased to three dozen full time employees, he owned five greenhouses, and produced $500,000 annually from fresh, organic food.<ref>"Biography Today", p.17</ref>

Allen currently serves as director of [[Growing Power]], a now mature [[urban farming]] project in [[Milwaukee]], with a {{convert|40|acre|m2|adj=on}} acre farm west of Milwaukee in the town of [[Merton (town), Wisconsin|Merton]] and an off-shoot project in [[Chicago]] run by Allen's daughter, Erika.<ref name="yesmagazine.org"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==Awards==
In 2005, Allen was awarded a [[Ford Foundation]] leadership grant on behalf of his urban farming work.<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 2008, he was awarded the [[MacArthur Foundation]] "[[MacArthur Fellows Program|Genius Grant]]" for his work on [[urban farming]] and sustainable food production.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/arts/23fell.html 25 Receive $500,000 MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowships] - [[New York Times]]</ref> Most recently, in 2009, the [[Kellogg Foundation]] gave Allen a grant to create jobs in [[urban agriculture]].<ref name="Street Farmer"/><ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/44487467.html Will Allen and Growing Power in the national spotlight again] - [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]</ref>

==Miscellaneous==
Will Allen appears in the [[documentary film]], [http://www.freshthemovie.com/ Fresh]. The film refers to Allen as "one of the most influential leaders of the [[food security]] and [[Urban agriculture|urban farming]] movement."<ref>[http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/46111057.html "Fresh" celebrates Growing Power on film] - [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]</ref>

==Personal life==
He has six siblings. He met his wife, Cynthia, early in their respective college years, and were married on February 8, 1969. They have three children: Erika, who works for [[Growing Power]], Jason, a lawyer, and Adrianna is a model/actress. "I had my kids when I was very young, so I grew up with them. But we've made that transformation from father/daughter to friends...Now it's more equal."<ref>"Biography Today", pp.18</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 114: Line 55:


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985243,00.html The 2010 Time 100 — Heroes: Will Allen]; ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', April 29, 2010
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100502135436/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984949_1985243,00.html The 2010 Time 100 — Heroes: Will Allen]; ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', April 29, 2010
* [http://www.10milliarden-derfilm.de/ 10 Milliarden: Wie werden alle satt?]


{{NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award}}
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[[Category:Urban farmers]]
[[Category:21st-century American farmers]]

Latest revision as of 23:40, 15 November 2024

Will Allen
Allen holds a tilapia in his hand at the urban farm Growing Power
Born (1949-02-08) February 8, 1949 (age 75)
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
EducationB.A. Physical Education (1971)[1][2]
Honorary Ph.D. Agriculture (2012)[3]
Alma materUniversity of Miami
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
OccupationChief Executive Officer
Known forUrban farming, Professional basketball
Height6 ft 7 in (201 cm)[4]
ChildrenErika, Jason, Randall, Adrianna
Awards2008 MacArthur Fellowship, Genius Award

Will Allen (born February 8, 1949) is an American urban farmer based in Milwaukee and a retired professional basketball player.

Early life and education

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Will Allen was a high school state champion in basketball at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland[5] Allen played collegiately for the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Miami, where he was on a basketball scholarship.[6] He was the first African-American to play basketball for the University of Miami.[1]

Career

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After college Allen was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the 4th round (60th pick overall) of the 1971 NBA draft. He never played in the NBA, but appeared in seven games with The Floridians of the ABA during the 1971–72 season.[7] He also played professionally in Belgium.[8]

Allen retired from basketball in 1977, when he was 28.[8] Upon retirement, Allen moved to his wife Cynthia's hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1]

Urban farming

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Will Allen's parents were sharecroppers in South Carolina until they took part in the Great Migration and moved to Rockville, Maryland, where Allen grew up.[5][9]

Finishing a career in marketing, Allen left a job at Procter & Gamble in 1993 and purchased a derelict plant nursery that was in foreclosure, located on the north side of Milwaukee.[8] Around this time, Allen also purchased a 100-acre farm in Oak Creek, previously owned by his wife's parents.[1][10]

Allen became the director of Growing Power, an urban farming project in Milwaukee, with a 40-acre farm west of Milwaukee in the town of Merton and an offshoot project in Chicago run by Allen's daughter, Erika.[5][10] Under increasing debt after two decades of operation, the nonprofit discontinued in 2017.[11] Allen remains active on the site in north Milwaukee through his company Will Allen Farms, LLC.[12]

In 2005, Allen was awarded a Ford Foundation leadership grant on behalf of his urban farming work.[8][10] In 2008, he was awarded the MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production.[10][13] In 2009, the Kellogg Foundation gave Allen a grant to create jobs in urban agriculture.[8][14]

Will Allen appears in the documentary film, Fresh.[15] The film refers to Allen as "one of the most influential leaders of the food security and urban farming movement."[16]

Will Allen is the co-author, with Charles Wilson, of the book The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People and Communities, published by Gotham Books, a member of Penguin Group, USA.[17] The book was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award in the category of biography/autobiography.[18] Allen is also the subject of 2014's Farmer Will Allen & the Growing Table, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Eric-Shabazz Larkin.[19]

On May 20, 2012, Allen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He also delivered the commencement address for the graduation ceremony held on that day.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "A will and a way for Allen". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Will Allen — MacArthur Foundation". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b Stafford, Beth (May 9, 2012). "UW-Milwaukee Spring Commencement 2012" (Press release). University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  4. ^ Barbara Miner (September 25, 2008). "An Urban Farmer Is Rewarded for His Dream". The New York Times. p. F6.
  5. ^ a b c Bybee, Roger. "Growing Power in an Urban Food Desert". Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Making Fresh Food Affordable". O, The Oprah Magazine.
  7. ^ "Willie Allen". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e Farmer, Elizabeth (July 5, 2009). "Street Farmer". The New York Times Magazine. p. MM22. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  9. ^ "Milwaukee's Growing Power Founder Pushes Urban Farming".[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ a b c d "Urban farmer's work honored". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Behind the Rise and Fall of Growing Power". Civil Eats. March 13, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  12. ^ "Will Allen Farms, LLC". Facebook. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  13. ^ "25 Receive $500,000 'Genius' Fellowships". The New York Times. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Will Allen and Growing Power in the national spotlight again". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  15. ^ "FRESH the movie -". www.freshthemovie.com.
  16. ^ ""Fresh" celebrates Growing Power on film". Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  17. ^ "The Good Food Revolution by Will Allen: 9781592407606 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books".
  18. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2013-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table".
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