LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Even on a warm summer day, Noah Curtis can be found outside, hard at work.
Curtis founded his company, Pineal, last year. Its focus is maintaining several community gardens in and around Louisville.
The work funds the creation and installation of wooden trade stations, which are scattered across Jefferson County and beyond. More than 50 have been installed so far.
“You can just drop something off,” Curtis said. “You can just take something when you have too much produce.”
The idea is simple, but these stations give people a more formal place to trade their access goods. Curtis's mission is to promote a healthier lifestyle and closer-knit communities.
"You have 20 people in your neighborhood that's growing; that's a ton of food, like that's a ton of extra produce," Curtis said.
When Derek Ernst found out about Pineal, he was hooked. It gave him a way to share his expansive garden and passion for healthy eating with others.
Ernst's backyard garden feels more like an oasis than Pleasure Ridge Park. Behind his home, he grows well over a dozen plants and foods. He also keeps chickens and honeybees.
Ernst had a Pineal trade station installed in his front yard in June. Since then, he said he has already had a neighbor drop off goods and is glad to be part of something that helps his community be healthier.
Ernst embodies everything Pineal is trying to cultivate.
"If you’re in need and you need some food off this thing, you can just come and get it," Ernst said. "If you have extra, we’re more than happy to put it on here and spread it throughout the neighborhood," he said.
In a time when people are looking for ways to be healthier and reconnect with their communities, Curtis said he believes a cedar box filled with fresh fruits and veggies might be the right answer.
"All in all, I think it could help a lot," Curtis said.
Check out Pineal's website for a map of where stations are located.