Wandering verdant lanes of mustard greens, watercress, nasturtium, collards, and kale, I follow Emmanuel Roux on a tasting tour at 15th Street EcoFarm (342 15th St N). Blaring rush hour traffic threads around us, but the farm is serene. Intermittently, Roux jumps off the path to pluck plants for me to inspect and taste. Some are sweet, others bitter, and some flare open my sinuses, but all are densely rich and nutritious.
“Food has turned into a commodity; it’s lost its soul,” opines Roux, handing me an heirloom tomato. “What we are trying to do here is bring back the value of food as a cultural element and wellness element.” Formerly part of the Faith House, a drug and alcohol rehab center, an early version of the farm transformed sections of the property into therapeutic vegetable gardens, providing activity and nutrient-rich foods to those recovering from addiction. Now the farm engages the greater community, including underserved ones, and advocates for food as a holistic health program. The farm yields 8,000 pounds of produce annually, maintained by volunteers.
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In September 2024, they introduced a kitchen and event space, facilitating a dinner series: family-style meals that promote social and physical wellness, served outside on a long communal table. “Anything can happen when sharing a meal,” says Roux. Roux offers some samples for delectation: candied pineapple and pita dipped in a sauce similar to chimichurri but with basil instead of parsley. I’m compelled to corroborate Roux’s claim that most food has, by comparison, “lost its soul.”
Bringing the community together through dinners at the farm
The dinner series is funded by a grant from Healthy St. Pete and produced in partnership with Positive Impact, which helps source, cook, and serve the meals. Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck shortly after Roux debuted the commercial kitchen and event space. True to the farm’s mission, Roux and his team, along with Feeding Tampa Bay, pivoted to deliver meals to utility linemen and community members affected by the storms, underscoring EcoFarm’s potential role as a reliable food resource in times of crisis.
After the hurricanes, areas historically insulated against food insecurity found themselves insecure and unprepared. Food shortage was not the issue. There were no channels to identify the most affected areas and no means to distribute the available food. In response to that revelation, the 15th Street Farm has entered a burgeoning coalition, a think tank called Future of Food, with a unified vision “to create a dynamic university and community partnership network across the Tampa Bay food system, dedicated to the translation of research and education into practice and action.”
“We want to become an emergency center for food,” says Roux. As an emergency center, 15th Street Farm could store and manage food resources, mobilize food distribution in key areas, and aid community preparedness planning and education.
Making a major impact at local schools
15th Street EcoFarm’s mission extends beyond its half-acre. Roux and his team developed gardens at 15 local schools. Students tend the gardens and bring home produce they’ve grown themselves. “We give kids a taste of success in an environment where that’s rare,” Roux explains. “The garden becomes a context for them to learn.”
Supporters of 15th Street Farm can make a difference through online donations or volunteer time. Whether attending a farm-to-table dinner, participating in a cooking class, or simply visiting for a tour, every visit helps sustain the farm’s mission and positive influence on the community.
For more information on events, impacts, and volunteer opportunities, visit 15th Street Farm online.
Upcoming events:
- April 19: Special Earth Day Event
- April 25: Community Dinner: Taste of Thailand
- April 26: Farm Tour and Tasting
- April 27: Gut Healing Brunch Series
- April 30: Volunteer Day
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