LocalShops1 is helping make an impact with a donation to the St. Pete Youth Farm towards their new community-wide compost center. St. Pete Youth Farm is a place where people can access locally grown produce, learn to grow their own food, and also provides programming to teens to promote youth development through leadership skills, entrepreneurship, urban agriculture and wellness. St. Pete Youth Farm employs kids ages 14 and up to help them develop a strong work ethic and sense of pride, in helping and also provides nutrition for their families, friends and neighbors.
The $10,000 donation from LocalShops1’s Shopapalooza Festival is going to help the St. Pete Youth Farm build a community compost program. The St Pete Youth Farm will create a system for community members to pick up buckets and fill them with fruit and vegetable scraps, non-greasy food, rice, pasta, bread, grains, cereal, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, and cut flowers. In return, they will get finished compost to use in their gardens.
“St. Pete Youth Farm exists to address nutrition insecurity. We create 100% of our soil and after four and half years of being asked for a compost center, this donation will allow us to help our local community do the same. This funding will help with promotion, marketing, branding, and packaging by utilizing LocalShops1 vendors as suppliers. This allows us to keep these dollars local and in the LocalShops1 community,” said Carla Bristol, director of the St. Pete Youth Farm.
“We are committed to making an impact in our community. LocalShops1 business members will have the opportunity to be a part of this program. and we are thrilled to make a donation to help with addressing nutrition insecurity in the Tampa Bay area,” said Ester Venouziou, LocalShops1 founder.
Every year, LocalShops1 Shopapalooza Festival kicks off the holiday shopping season by celebrating the great independent businesses that make Tampa Bay such an amazing place. LocalShops1, launched in 2008, is Tampa Bay’s source for all things local. Our mission is to provide advocacy, support and education to locally owned, independent businesses throughout the region. For more information about LocalShops1, please visit https://www.localshops1.com/ or Instagram @localshops1 or Facebook LocalShops1.