Youths Get Their Hands Dirty With Healthy Food For South St. Pete - St. Pete, FL Patch

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — St. Pete Youth Farm ambassadors gathered on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and got their hands dirty as they prepared land for gardening that will benefit the South St. Pete community.

One of the initiatives behind this is the 22nd Street Walmart closure in 2017 that took access to healthy foods away from South St. Pete residents.

Volunteers, Congressman Charlie Crist, state senators and city council members showed up to the .83 acres behind the Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Avenue South, to show support for the project in honor of MLK Day of Service.

"It was just nice to see our young people volunteering," Carla Bristol, St. Pete Youth Farm collaboration manager said. "They were so proud that so many people came out to support them and this effort."

Volunteers assisted with planting herbs in gardens that will provide healthy eating options for South St. Pete. (Skyla Luckey/Patch)

Along with local volunteers who helped, Rob Greenfield, a national environmentalist, brought his team of interns from around the nation.

Jameson Johnson, 30, an intern from Minnesota with the Live Like Ally Foundation, in partnership with Greenfield, said he believes an end result of this large gardening project will set a good example for others.

"I just arrived here a week ago," Johnson said, "and this is my first time in St. Petersburg and I only have a week of experience, but I have rode my bicycle around a little bit and this is very unique what they're doing. When you bike around there's not a lot of people out in their front yards tending to gardens. And I think this should be an example to the community to drive by since it's close to the community and public spaces."

Dozens of youth ambassadors planted herbs, trees and prepared a greenhouse that will house microgreens. Another example of good health the community can take advantage of on this land is outdoor yoga. Waterproof yoga mats were laid out in front of the greenhouse Monday.

Residents will have access to micorgreens and other healthy garden grown items in the greenhouse. (Skyla Luckey | Patch)

Part of the programming is entrepreneurship, with 30 percent of sales going to Daystar Life Center. The board is in the process of figuring out the best costs of the greens for the community.

"We're just excited about the progress we're making," Bristol said. "In the greenhouse, there will be microgreens as well as a hydroponic system through the city of St. Petersburg, and we have another hydroponic project going on with USF to help grow large amounts of greens."

Bristol said this is an ongoing farm project, and they are always looking for volunteers to come out and help. If you are interested in volunteering, visit St. Pete Youth Farm.

St. Pete Youth Farm was founded in June 2019 with a goal of empowering youth. Its program offers mental health coaching and leadership training to kids who reside in South St. Pete. The work ambassadors do is paid volunteer work, $10 to $12 an hour.

Shaimya Mitchell, 16, who has been enrolled in the program for about a year appreciates learning how to be a team and working with large groups of people.

"A counselor at my school gave me the application for St. Pete Youth Farm and I filled it out and brought it here," Michell said. "I've just met some really cool people and learned a bunch of stuff as far as personal growth. And it's so much more than what everyone else sees on the forefront here today. It's much larger than this. Like a mental thing."

For more information, visit the program's website.

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