Lee Harrison and his wife, LeeAnn, are the founders of Gardens on Air, an indoor vertical farm located in Rainbow City, Alabama. Operating in 3,000 sq. ft. of a 20,000 sq. ft. former grocery store, Gardens on Air grows chemical-free produce and herbs harvested and sold locally. They are a Certified Woman-Owned, Certified Natural Grown, Vegan Certified, and a Non-GMO Project business.
The Harrisons are driven by a mission to improve people’s lives by ensuring the abundance of healthy food choices and offering second chances by providing employment opportunities to disadvantaged individuals. So strong is their belief in what they’re doing to make a positive difference that when a devastating turn of events threatened them with financial ruin, they took risks, made sacrifices and fought the odds to not just survive, but triumph. They could hardly give up they are surrounded by friends and mentors whose encouragement and influence kept them forging ahead.
Lee traveled up to Delaware from Alabama on February 28 to see Second Chances Farm’s operations firsthand. A retired Alabama State police officer and a man of faith, Lee was particularly interested in our innovative approach to ending recidivism by providing employment, mentorship and entrepreneurial opportunity to previously incarcerated individuals. He knows the value of giving second chances to people, and has seen firsthand how returning citizens are ostracized by society once they’re released from prison. He’s also witnessed many success stories of how good people can rebuild their lives if given the opportunity, trust and respect.
Lee learned a lot of hard lessons about the importance of respect in his rookie years as a cop. He admits to having been a strictly “by the book” cop, stone-faced and uncompromising, until one day when someone literally knocked some perspective into him.
“I was so gung ho about enforcing the law that I had complaints on me,” says Lee. “I never lied. I've never done anything that would be considered an unethical treatment of anybody. I just didn't have the capacity to see past the written law.”
Read the complete article at www.secondchancefarm.com.
For more information:
Gardens on air
www.gardensonair.net