We believe that empowering young people with hands-on experiences can transform their relationship with food and health. Recently, we had the privilege of hosting UF Health Pediatric Metabolic & Obesity Program patients for a day filled with fresh greens, life skills, and valuable lessons on sustainable, healthy eating.

The Giving Garden has partnered with Project YouthBuild to connect students interested in food system leadership with opportunities for career development. In collaboration with Nicoya Farm, the Giving Garden provides vocational training for these young people at our farm and throughout the community. With the goal of exposing apprentices to all aspects of our food system - seed to plate - apprentices get hands-on experience working with a range of community players. All the while, apprentices learn valuable skills about farming, seed-saving, culinary arts, and job-readiness.

Our local seed stewards, Working Food, partnered with the Giving Garden to hybridize Everglades currant tomato with a dwarf variety, Tanunda Red. “By working collaboratively with a community of growers to provide adapted varieties, we continue growing the locavore movement with a supremely local food product- local food grown from local seed! Ultimately the increase in local growing and eating has beneficial effects for our community, environment, and economy. But it all starts with the seed!” - Melissa DeSa, SeedEO of Working Food

Project YouthBuild is a second-chance program for disadvantaged youth to earn a diploma and create a bright future for themselves. They volunteer at the Giving Garden to earn community service hours, which are part of their graduation requirement. In the process, we’ve had quite a lot of fun learning to grow together!

Our friends at the Gainesville Opportunity Center began monthly volunteering afternoons with us in Fall 2022. The GOC is a program where adults whose lives have been affected by mental illness come to rebuild their lives. The members who volunteered with us were incredibly kind, helpful, and full of positivity.

Working Food, a nonprofit located in Gainesville, is North Central Florida’s regional seed bank. We are thankful to Working Food for their seed donation to the Giving Garden for our 2022-2023 season. Read on to learn why this donation matters to us. In a time where it feels nearly impossible to eliminate dependency on global supply chains, we come closer to independence through seed stewardship.

What does circular community action look like? How can a small cup of coffee contribute to the community at large? Opus Coffee wanted to find out.

The Healing House of Alachua offers their gifts to uplift the garden’s mission