Food Access Program
Our largest program is focused on growing and distributing high-quality, organic, nutrient dense produce to residences of St. Louis experiencing food insecurity. Many northside St. Louis neighborhoods have high concentrations of poverty due to institutional racism and economic segregation and are less likely to have simple amenities like supermarkets that sell fresh produce. Urban Harvest STL collaborates with local partners as part of a food access cluster to grow and distribute healthy food in these communities. With our partners, we aim to generate a more equitable food system through food access, advocacy, and education. Currently, we our distribution partners are:
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Food Pantry
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Food Pantry primarily serves families and individuals in the boundaries of the O.L.O.P.H. community North St. Louis communities, but no one is turned away. It provides quality food items to households experiencing food insecurity. This program supplies critical nutrition to hungry individuals and families to help meet basic nutritional needs.
Flance Early Learning Center and Guardian Angel Settlement Association
All of the fresh, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables grown at our school gardens are either utilized for lessons, by the schools for the free lunch program, or distributed to families. As part of Little Sprouts garden lessons, students are exposed to a wide variety of food from seed to harvest. What is not used in classes for taste tests is donated to the kitchen, where chefs create baby food purees, integrate harvests into the lunch menu, or offer up extras to families.
Lifewise STL
LifeWise STL is helping individuals and families achieve economic well-being by providing high-impact, relationship-based programming and by addressing systemic barriers to their success. Our produce is distributed through LifeWise STL’s channels and used to support their nutritional cooking classes for adults.
Our Farming Partners
We partner with organizations around St. Louis who have allowed us access to farm land to grow around 7,000 lbs of produce each year. We are grateful to our farming partners for joining in this effort with us!
