St. Louis (22 Nov 2016) –Florissant Community Garden in Florissant, MO was expanded in Spring of 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Six additional raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The garden also received an arbor and 1 watering hose.
Florissant Community Garden has 26 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 2,900lbs of produce annually, on average. This produce is used by the gardeners and informally given away to community members.
“In 2013, through an introduction via Gateway Greening, the Florissant Community Garden partnered with the St. Louis Zoo to include a place for people to learn about the importance of pollinators, thus was born the Florissant Community Garden and Pollinator Park. Over the years our garden went from a simple idea of teaching others about the importance of growing healthy food, to a garden that holds 32 raised beds, a berry patch, a fruit tree orchard and a home for pollinators. The Florissant Community Garden in order to be inclusive, does not charge fees, and so heavily relies on the grants available through Gateway Greening. Almost all of our tools, all beds, soil, compost bin, and many plants and flowers came from Gateway Greening. Without their generosity and knowledge, I’ve no doubt we wouldn’t be where we are today.” – Lisa Scherer & Megan Moncure, Garden Leaders of Florissant Community Garden
For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.
The Florissant Community Garden is located at 601 N St. Charles Street, Florissant, MO 63031.
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About Gateway Greening
Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.
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