Taking daily amenities for granted is all too easy in the hustle of daily life. After a long workday, sitting down for a relaxing, hearty dinner is often a time to which we look forward. Unfortunately, there are many without the opportunity to do so. Food inequality, especially within Pinellas County, is an issue garnering attention from an increasing number of concerned citizens. So much attention that urban agriculture and its proponents hosted a day of events at the second annual Et Cultura festival, St Pete’s week long answer to South by Southwest.
Named SEEDS Day, the event brought together entrepreneurs and pioneers striving to reinvent the city’s food chain to better supply areas with little access to fresh produce – known as food deserts. St. Pete is home to more than a few of these deserts, ranging from small communities to entire neighborhoods. One of the pioneers facing down this challenge is Nicole Brand, the Program Coordinator of the Food Systems Center at Pinellas Technical College. “Urban agriculture in St. Pete is really gearing up. We’re working on policy issues, we have growers in the city, entrepreneurs working together… all these wonderful projects.” said Brand.
The new Food Systems Center Program at Pinellas Technical College aims to bolster these projects by training the next generation to better mold our food chain for the community. “It’s a tech college, not a university, meaning that instead of focusing on theory, there’s a lot of practical application in everything that comes out of the college. We train for the job market so students can have a real impact.”
More than just another program, Brand sees the Food Systems Center as a focal point for food equality in the area for years to come. She explained, “In February we start launching classes. It’s a slow and steady process, right now we’re watering it and watching it grow. We aim to make PTC an innovative hub by connecting community actors, always with the thought of keeping the program socially equitable, meaning no one is left out.”
One of these community actors is Shannon O’Malley, co-founder of the indoor hydroponic Brick Street farms, who brought her commercial agriculture knowledge to SEEDS Day as a featured speaker. “We’re the second largest container farm in the country, tackling what it means to be local and sustainable,” said O’Malley, “We do this by growing at the point of consumption, providing top quality food to St. Pete in an eco-friendly manner.”
As a local produce supplier, O’Malley knows firsthand the troubles that come with sourcing food from outside a community, stating that “30% of food cost is directly attributed to transportation. Talk about sustainability.” She continued explaining, “We do direct, farm to table delivery, cutting out the entire distribution channel. Details like this show that urban agriculture isn’t just about community gardens or for profit business, it really is a multifaceted approach to making a sustainable food chain. Ultimately, we’ve got community gardens, we have commercial farms, but we still need to educate local government and rally St. Pete.”
Despite the long road ahead of St. Pete’s urban agriculture movement, retired CEO of nonprofit Growing Power, Will Allen sees the city is ripe for urban farming. This is what brings him to help launch the Food Systems Center at PTC as well as becoming the Aresty Speaker for the SEEDS day event this year. “The people I’ve met in the neighborhoods around St. Pete, they’re so ready to change our food system and make it work for everyone.” said Allen.
The retired urban farmer holds no illusions concerning the challenges facing the city, however. He noted, “When people ask me where we’re at with our food system, I tell them that we’re in the infancy stages. As a process, it’s so large and so complicated. We’re trying to make sure everyone has a right to eat, and we wanna make sure everyone’s eating good food, the food that brings communities together.” Will concluded that, “Most importantly, there are people all over the world, young people, who will go without a meal tonight. It’s our job to fix that.”
Are you interested in volunteering or starting an internship at PTC’s new Food Systems Center? Contact Nicole Brand at 808-202-3048
