With a little help from a local nonprofit organization, a vacant lot in a downtown neighborhood could feed the homeless.
St. Francis House, a shelter and soup kitchen, is raising money to transform the lot into a community garden to grow one ton of produce. The Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers Inc. intends to plant 10 55-foot rows of produce in the privately owned lot, said Travis Mitchell, a coordinator for the nonprofit’s food projects.
“We might expand beyond that,” he said.
The owner of the Porters Community neighborhood lot has agreed to let the community use the land, he said. The nonprofit worked with local farmers to clear the land and plant cowpeas, which add nutrients to the soil and keep down the number of weeds.
They’ll rely on volunteers to tend the crops, which Mitchell said he hopes to have planted by the beginning of October.
The nonprofit hopes to raise $16,000 to pay for the garden and its maintenance for the year. Thus far, an IndieGoGo.com campaign has raised about $1,000 for the organization.
But it’s not only the shelter’s diners who will reap benefits from the harvest.
The GIFT Gardens program, administered by FOG, will provide Porters Community-area residents with free plots in the garden.
The nonprofit plans to start by planting standard winter and fall produce such as collard greens, lettuce, squash and peas.
“I really like the idea of taking these unused spaces and trying to create a positive example,” Mitchell said.
Lee Smith, director of operations at St. Francis House, said he thinks the people who come to the shelter for meals will enjoy the harvest.
“Fresh produce — that’s certainly welcome,” he said.
