Grow Together

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Recognizing the immense importance of nutrition and education, we have partnered with local organizations and businesses to provide edible gardens and landscaping for low-income, foster, kinship, adoptive, or needy families and organizations. Growing organic produce saves money, enhances nutrition, lowers carbon footprint, and teaches responsibility and togetherness.  Families and communities alike benefit from initiatives such as these.  We are currently working with Veteran-owned and operated, Tampa Urban Farming, to give families and groups low maintenance gardens that thrive year-round in Florida’s uniquely hot climate.

Thanks to a generous donor, we are now operating our own garden and small farm in Pinellas Park, Florida.  The food model we are utilizing grew and donated over 300,000 pounds of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to local shelters. We plan to serve families, children, and students by increasing access to healthy foods, conducting educational classes and workshops, and filling a number of nutritional and social service gaps.

Growing organic produce saves money, enhances nutrition, lowers carbon footprint, and teaches responsibility and togetherness.  Families and communities alike benefit from initiatives such as these.

YAMS : You And Me Sucseeding

For each basket or membership purchased by a community member, we donate an equal basket or membership to someone in need.  Details on how to join our Community “Co-Oppurtunity” coming soon!

Why We Grow:

Healthy Families:  Incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables is key to a healthy lifestyle.  With obesity at an all-time high in the United States, it is more important than ever to eat a balanced diet. Vitamins and nutrients found in fresh produce are more easily digested and absorbed than artificial supplements.  Many children or adults don’t even know what fruits and vegetables look like in raw form or where they come from.

Education:  Giving family members hands-on learning opportunities teaches youth and adults where food comes from, how food is created and grown, and gives essential survival tools that translate to a variety of other fields.  By providing these different forms of engagement for children, you are increasing their knowledge, awareness, and providing a stronger family bond.

Carbon Footprint:  If you look closely, you may find that many of the fruits and vegetables you are purchasing come from other states or countries. The environmental cost of transporting those foods is nearly as bad as the pesticides and mass-production techniques used to yield the foods.  When you grow food at home, you can do so organically without the use of harsh chemicals. You also eliminate fossil fuels and emissions from planes, vehicles, machinery, and refrigerated trucks that pollute the air during transport and harvest.

You Have Control: When feeding young children, parents often worry about where their food is coming from, what was used to grow them, and what pesticides or preservatives may have been used to enhance growth or maintain “freshness.” When you grow your own food, you oversee and care for the food from seed to plate.

Fresh Air:  The benefits of being outdoors in the fresh air are endless. Gardening doesn’t have to be labor intensive. It provides a cognitive break from the everyday grind, and gives time to relax, reset, stretch, and engage in a rewarding activity.

Money Saver: Fresh foods can be expensive and prices change according to season, climate, and demand. Growing your own food can be much more economical. For the cost of one fruit or vegetable, you can buy a whole packet of seeds that will grow much more.

Pride and Accomplishment:  Caring for a garden is a way to build responsibility, togetherness, and personal achievement. Every new leaf, flower, stem, or growth is another source of excitement and satisfaction.  This small feat can build self-esteem in adults, teens, and children alike.

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