Like a well-cultivated plant, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis keeps growing.
The Urban League recently celebrated the opening of its greenhouse and hydroponic units, which are key to the organization’s commitment to community empowerment and sustainable development.
“We are the first and only to have a greenhouse and hydroponic unit at its headquarters in America,” said Michael McMillan, Urban League president and CEO, of the urban location at 1408 N. Kingshighway.
“This facility will help transform people’s lives.”
The George Washington Carver Urban Farming project carries the name of the acclaimed (and purposely overlooked) American botanical scientist. A native of Diamond, Missouri who was born a slave, Carver would revolutionize farming by discovering and helping Southern farmers implement crop rotation.
His most notable recognition is developing more than 300 uses for the peanut.
The Urban League is collaborating with Vested Urban Farms, and Fresh Harvest 365 on the urban farm which McMillan said could “revolutionize urban agriculture in St. Louis city.”
Beverly Foster of Vested urban Farms said, “this journey started in 2019.”
In 2021, the urban League offered the opportunity to join them on this project. It has gone beyond what we could have ever imagined.
The 6,800 square foot greenhouse will hold 100 tower gardens and 200 more are in future plans.
The resulting produce will be sold to St. Louis families at local markets.
Within two containers, three to five acres of vegetables can be grown in seven weeks with just five gallons of water, according to Demetrious Bledsoe, Fresh Harvest 365 founder.
“Our first storage unit containers were in Cool Valley (in North St. Louis County,” Bledsoe told an audience of more than 100 people, including Gov. Mike Parson.
“We want to bring smart farming into the community.’
Bledsoe said that Fresh Harvest 365 would also like to develop an apprenticeship program at the Urban League site.
“We utilize this to help with food deserts and nutrient insecurity. We have the opportunity to have this in the community to have more viable options, education and jobs,” said Bledsoe.
His goal is to also create young urban farmers.
State Sen. Karla May continued the community theme by praising the public and private investment, which included support from the state of Missouri, in the urban farm.
“That’s how community grows,” she said.
May said the urban farm creates an opportunity “to train young people how to feed themselves.”
“if everybody is growing something, [we can end reduce] food insecurity struggles and people can learn to feed themselves.”
Foster’s explanation of the simplicity of the system and the effectiveness drew applause.
“The way that it works, water goes up the tower and rains down to the plants.”
Vested Urban Farms is a commercial farmer but will still work with the nonprofit.
“If the Urban League chooses to do a farmer’s market then we’ll participate. One of the things we’ll be doing is nutrition training,” Foster said.
“We probably will partner with the Urban League to see what plants they want for various operations and programs they do.”
In the future, the hope is that people to purchase towers of their own.
