At the corner of 14th Street and Convention Plaza in downtown St. Louis sits an undistinguished U-Haul dealer. Non-descript office buildings and a sand volleyball court surround it. But, hidden from the street atop this two-story building, is a space that will be transformed into St. Louis first Food Roof Farm, a garden in a concrete jungle. Construction on Urban Harvest STL’s Food Roof Farm began March 16, 2015.
Urban Harvest STL, which began four years ago as a grassroots movement, has grown into an example of urban Midwestern food gardens providing improved access to healthy fruits and vegetables often found for sale, rather, at rural roadside stands. Similarly, The Victory Garden Initiative in Milwaukee has helped establish more than 2,000 gardens in backyards, schools, churches, and businesses since 2009. Like Urban Harvest STL, the organization provides fresh produce, educational programs, and a pleasant place for families in the area to gather.
Here’s how The Victory Garden Initiative and Urban Harvest STL are helping their communities grow healthy, from the ground up.
