Press Release Archives - Seed St. Louis

GATEWAY GREENING – ONE DIME AT A TIME PARTNERSHIP WITH WHOLE FOODS

Posted on March 20, 2018 by beanstalk

After Whole Foods partnered with Gateway Greening for Chefs in a Garden gala, in 2017, Whole Foods found themselves engrossed in Gateway Greening’s mission and was inspired to do more to impact food access issues in our community. Whole Foods Market decided Gateway Greening was the perfect fit for the One Dime at a Time program.

Whole Foods Market offers customers the option to donate $0.10 bag credit to Gateway Greening during the months of April, May, and June. Donations will be provided by Whole Foods Town and Country and Whole Foods Brentwood. Whole Foods has also agreed to provide reusable bags at all upcoming Gateway Greening workshops and events, through their Better Bags program.

“Gateway Greening is excited about the partnership with Whole Foods as part of their One Dime at a Time program. Whole Foods have been a partner with Gateway Greening over the years, and their support is greatly appreciated.” said Matt Schindler, Executive Director of Gateway Greening.

Gateway Greening, a local nonprofit organization, educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. The support from Whole Foods and the St. Louis community will continue aiding over 200 community and school gardens in the St. Louis region, that can connect people to the land, to their food, and each other. Gateway Greening will participate in a number of in-store tabling’s and The Whole Foods Kids Club in both Brentwood on May 27^th and June 3^rd, and Town and Country store on April 28^th, May 26^th, and June 6^th, from 10:00am-1:00pm.

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About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a non-profit 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, grants, and technical assistance; founding and providing ongoing material and educational support for community fruit and nut orchards; and Seed to STEM program which assists teachers in creating hands-on lessons in the school garden connected to federal education standards.

For more information on Gateway Greening and its programs visit www.gatewaygreening.org or call 314-588-9600.

LUCKY’S MARKET PARTNERS WITH GATEWAY GREENING

Posted on March 13, 2018 by beanstalk

Each quarter, Lucky’s Market partners with three organizations as the recipients of their Bags for Change program. During the quarter, guests who bring in reusable bags during their shopping are given a wooden dime (their bag credit). They can then choose to donate this dime to one of our three partner organizations. What’s more, Lucky’s Market will match each donation!

Gateway Greening has been chosen as a Lucky’s Market Bags for Change partner for the current quarter which ends on May 26, 2018. “Gateway Greening greatly appreciates being chosen for the Lucky’s Market Bags for Change program. Lucky’s Market has been a big supporter of Gateway Greening over the years, and we are grateful for this partnership,” said Matt Schindler, Executive Director of Gateway Greening.

Gateway Greening, a local nonprofit organization, educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. The support from Lucky’s Market and the St. Louis community will continue aiding over 200 community and school gardens in the St. Louis region, that can connect people to the land, to their food, and each other. Gateway Greening will be at the Rock Hill location on Sunday, March 18th, Sunday, April 15th, and Sunday, May 6th, from 1pm-4pm passing out information, and connecting to the community.

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About Gateway Greening

For more information on Gateway Greening and its programs visit www.gatewaygreening.org or call 314-588-9600.

MONSANTO FUND AWARDS GRANT TO GATEWAY GREENING FOR SEED TO STEM PROGRAM

Posted on February 23, 2018 by beanstalk

ST. LOUIS (February 23rd, 2018)- Students in Gateway Greening’s Seed to STEM program keep growing thanks to a $205,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund for 2018-2019.

Gateway Greening has a long history of assisting St. Louis schools to fund and support school gardens. To help teachers effectively use the garden as an outdoor classroom and learning laboratory, Gateway Greening educators developed the Seed to STEM program.

“The Monsanto Fund grant makes it possible for Gateway Greening educators to provide weekly Seed to STEM lessons in five St. Louis Public Schools. Seed to STEM is a hands-on K-5 science curriculum that uses school gardens to reinforce Next Generation Science Standards, develop scientific inquiry skills, and inspire students to connect to their environment, food system and community,” said Lucy Herleth, Gateway Greeening’s School Program Manager. “With the Monsanto Fund grant, Gateway Greening is also able to support over 60 youth gardens as well as offer monthly educator workshops, district professional development and site-specific trainings.

The Seed to STEM curriculum is also available free to anyone that works with youth through the Gateway Greening website and its monthly educator email newsletter. Gateway Greening estimates that its school garden programs, along with the Seed to STEM initiative, have empowered more than 13,000 students across the St. Louis region to garden.

Lauren Hollis, a teacher at Clay Academy, said it takes “confidence” for educators to garden successfully with their students.

“In the beginning, I was so scared I was going to kill the plants,” said Hollis. “Now I have the experience and someone to answer questions. After going to the garden (for the past year), I would totally teach any lesson outside with confidence and not be worried.”

She also said gardening helps students to understand that food doesn’t just magically appear at the grocery store.

“Gardens help the students learn more about their environment and learn where their food is from,” she added. “Gardens help them see a process – a plant growing or a pumpkin decomposing.”

Clay Academy’s school garden was founded in 1993 and with the support of Gateway Greening educators and the Monsanto Fund, it has become a thriving outdoor classroom. Additionally, continued support from the Monsanto Fund will allow Gateway Greening to expand the Seed to STEM curriculum so that more teachers and students throughout the St. Louis region will have access to the program.

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ABOUT GATEWAY GREENING

Gateway Greening, www.gatewaygreening.org, educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Led by Executive Director Matt Schindler, the organization supports over 200 community gardens and food projects as well as 60 school gardens in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area.

ABOUT THE MONSANTO FUND

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

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School Program Manager Lucy Herleth visiting Ms. Hayes’ fourth grade class at Gateway Elementary to help students plan which crops to grow in their school garden.

2018 Community Agriculture Conference Celebrates Innovative St. Louis Projects

Posted on February 16, 2018 by beanstalk

Gateway Greening celebrates innovative St. Louis projects with convergence of local and national urban agriculture leaders.

ST. LOUIS, MO. (February 16, 2018) – Gateway Greening, a non-profit organization in St. Louis that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture, will host its annual Community Agriculture Conference on Sunday, February 25 from 12:00 PM-5:00 PM at St. Louis University High School, 4970 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. The event is sponsored by Ameren Missouri, Fehlig Bros Box & Lumber Company, Whole Foods, and funds from the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration.

“This gathering will highlight national and regional initiatives making a difference in community agriculture. Attendees have the opportunity to learn from local experts, and connect with other change-makers in St. Louis that are changing our city by growing food. Converging community gardeners, urban farmers, and regional small growers, the conference creates a platform to learn about everything from urban orchards, to building community with school gardens.” – Matt Even, Community Education Manager at Gateway Greening.

The list to-date of local and national urban agriculture leaders participating include: Rob Reiman, Executive Director, The Giving Grove in Kansas City; Nicole Hudson, Deputy Mayor for Racial Equity and Priority Initiatives; Ryan Albritton, Sprouthood and the Progressive Strategy Coalition; Matt Lebon, Custom Foodscaping; Brigette Zettl, St. Louis Community College; Nelver Brooks, Nahed Chapman New American Academy; Petra Baker, Gateway Michael Elementary School; Hannah Reinhart, the Saint Louis Science Center GROW Exhibit; Millie Mattfeldt-Beaman, the North City Food Hub; Gibron Jones, HOSCO Foods; and Bill Anderson, St. Louis University High School.

Gateway Greening is offering a limited number of full scholarships to selected participants. Applications are accepted, reviewed, and granted on a rolling basis until funds are depleted for this program.

Tickets can be purchased for $20 per person. To purchase tickets, for scholarship information, for sponsorship opportunities, and to learn additional event details, please visit https://gatewaygreening.org/community-agriculture-conference/

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About Gateway Greening

For more information on Gateway Greening and its programs visit www.gatewaygreening.org or call 314-588-9600.

THE GIVING GROVE BRINGS INNOVATIVE ORCHARDING TO ST. LOUIS

Posted on October 11, 2017 by beanstalk

Community Orchard Program Feeds Families

ST. LOUIS, MO. – Beginning this fall, Gateway Greening will partner with The Giving Grove to plant sustainable community orchards in St. Louis. A Giving Grove orchard with an average of 15 trees is capable of producing over 3,500 pounds of produce each year providing food insecure families fresh, organic fruit and nuts for 25 plus years.

Since 2013, The Giving Grove pilot program in Kansas City has planted 135 community orchards which are already producing fruit. The total production potential of these orchards is over 500,000 pounds per year, or 13 million pounds during the trees’ lifetime. The St. Louis program is expected to meet (or exceed) these yields in just 5 years.

“Our partnership with Kansas City Community Gardens has made it possible to grow this idea from a seed to an urban landscape with more than two thousand trees starting to bear fruit across our city,” said Rob Reiman, The Giving Grove’s Executive Director. “We are beyond thrilled to be able to collaborate with Gateway Greening to help bring sustainable orchards to more food insecure communities in the St. Louis area.”

The Giving Grove’s founders, including Tortoise Capital Advisors CEO and Board Chair Kevin Birzer, launched this innovative program in 2013 by working in tandem with an established Kansas City-based community gardening organization, Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG). Birzer commented, “An important element of launching the replication strategy was identifying a well-run business with a similar model and a proven track record of successfully serving low-income families by growing healthy food. Gateway Greening represents the quintessential characteristics of that intent.”

As the program expands, Reiman anticipates the impact of this initiative to increase food security and resilience for urban communities across America. Currently, more than 42 million individuals experience food insecurity across the 50 states, skipping meals so that their children can eat and unsure how they will get enough food to feed their families.

Gateway Greening’s Dean Gunderson will lead the local St. Louis Giving Grove program, leveraging the existing resources of their community garden organization. Gateway Greening Executive Director, Matt Schindler commented, “St. Louis is missing this important piece of education and service around fruit and nut trees. By bringing The Giving Grove program to St. Louis, we are bringing Kansas City’s experience to our program, enabling us to meet the needs of various communities with greater organizational knowledge and capacity.”

This coming Saturday, October 14, Giving Grove St. Louis will have its first class for orchards at 10 AM at the Gateway Greening office at 2211 Washington Ave. Then in the afternoon on Saturday at 2 PM, Giving Grove St. Louis will have its first orchard installation at Old Ferguson West Community Garden, located at 485 Mueller Ave, Ferguson, MO 63135.

About Our Partners

Gateway Greening, www.gatewaygreening.org, educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Led by Executive Director Matt Schindler, the organization supports over 200 community gardens and food projects as well as 70 school gardens in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, and operates the 2.5-acre Gateway Greening Urban Farm in downtown St. Louis.

Kansas City Community Gardens, www.kccg.org, began nearly 40 years ago as a program of Metro Lutheran Ministries, becoming an independent nonprofit in 1985. Ben Sharda, KCCG’s Executive Director since 1989, has grown the organization to include a network of 265 Community Partner Gardens and more than 220 Schoolyard Gardens across Kansas City while educating thousands of youth each year through the Leanna Flandermeyer Beanstalk Children’s Garden.

About The Giving Grove

The Giving Grove, www.givinggrove.org, began as a program of KCCG in 2013 and is now establishing a new national organization to help launch and support Giving Grove community orchards across the Midwest. Giving Grove staff train and support community leaders to care for urban micro-orchards, using the environmentally responsible methods.

The Giving Grove was recently named as the Greater Kansas City LISC’s 2017 Thrive Award winner for Innovative Program and was recognized as a Sustainability Success Story by Mid-America Regional Council in 2014. The Giving Grove’s Kansas City program recently received an Environmental Justice grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency to help communities in Kansas City, Missouri’s urban core adapt to climate change by planting Giving Grove orchards.

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Members of Old Ferguson West Community Garden, Gateway Greening, and The Giving Grove installing the first orchard as part of Gateway Greening & The Giving Grove’s new partnership. Oct 2017.

Chefs in a Garden Fundraiser Showcases Local Food and Chefs in 2017

Posted on September 1, 2017 by beanstalk

St. Louis Chefs use locally grown ingredients to create a benefit meal for Gateway Greening

ST. LOUIS, MO. (September 1, 2017) — St. Louis’ best chefs are cooking with locally grown produce to create great food for a local cause. Gateway Greening, a non-profit organization in St. Louis, educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening will host the 20th annual Chefs in a Garden Gala on Sunday, September 17 from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM at the Four Seasons St. Louis. The event’s media partner is St. Louis Magazine and producer is Synergy Productions. Sponsors of the event include Lexus, Centene Charitable Foundation, Commerce Bank, Home State Health, Husch Blackwell, Missouri Foundation for Health, and Greenscape Gardens and Gifts.

The list to-date of chefs and restaurants participating include: Ben Welch of Big Baby Q Smokehouse, Adam Lambay of Boundary, Cian Nicola Colucci of Cielo, Cassy Vires of Companion Bakery, William Thomas Pauley of Confluence Kombucha, Max Crask of Ices Plain and Fancy, John Perkins of Juniper, Mike of The Sweet Divine, and more.

Other event highlights include a mystery raffle, Gateway Greening’s Chef of the Year Award, special guest food judge Holly Fann, a few words from Gateway Greening program representatives, and a special appearance by student chefs from St. Louis Public Schools. The event’s emcee is KMOV anchor Courtney Bryant and the auctioneer is Rene Knott of KSDK’s Today in St. Louis.

Tickets can be purchased for $150 per person. To purchase tickets, for sponsorship opportunities, and to learn additional event details, please visit www.chefsinagarden.org.

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About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a non-profit 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, grants and technical assistance; urban beautification projects that enhance the downtown St. Louis urban landscape; and the Gateway Greening Urban Farm, a 2.5 acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and jobs training programs to individuals who are homeless and underserved.

For more information on Gateway Greening and its programs visit www.gatewaygreening.org or call 314-588-9600.

WELLS FARGO ADVISORS GRANTS $100,000 FOR GATEWAY GREENING GARDEN PROGRAM

Posted on June 20, 2017 by beanstalk

Gateway Greening is grateful to announce a new partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors. Within our community and school garden program, Wells Fargo Advisors is providing $100,000 in funding to Gateway Greening to build new gardens and to expand existing gardens. The new partnership allows Gateway Greening to assist more community-led projects with urban agriculture resources and training. For 2017, this funding will help build or expand 25 community or school gardens.

“It’s great to join hands with non-profits and make a positive impact,” said David Kowach, head of Wells Fargo Advisors. “It brings even more fulfillment to the work we do every day.”

“Gateway Greening greatly appreciates this new grant from Wells Fargo Advisors to expand and create community and school gardens in the St. Louis area.,” said Matt Schindler, Executive Director of Gateway Greening. “In terms of community development, access to healthy food, and sustainable land use, this partnership will improve the lives of hundreds of people in a wide variety of neighborhoods across the region.”

This new partnership with Wells Fargo Advisors will strengthen Gateway Greening’s garden development program. Demand for urban agricultural knowledge and resources continues to grow, and Gateway Greening has been St. Louis’ source for 33 years.

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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 220 community and school 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.

GATEWAY GREENING AWARDED $205,000 GRANT BY MONSANTO FUND

Posted on April 19, 2017 by beanstalk

Grant will be used to educate and empower the youth of St. Louis through exposure to gardening and healthy eating.

St. Louis (April 20th, 2017) – Gateway Greening has been educating and empowering individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture in the St. Louis community for more than 30 years. As part of its 2017 initiative, the Monsanto Fund has granted $205,000 to Gateway Greening for its Youth and School Garden Program. Monsanto Fund has partnered with Gateway Greening since 2004, contributing more than $1.5 million to various programs over the last 12 years.

Through the Monsanto Fund, Gateway Greening’s youth and school gardens are able to inspire and educate children across St. Louis through hands-on outdoor lessons and activities in the garden. Gateway Greening works with parents, teachers and other community leaders to teach kids about gardening, agriculture and healthy eating. Matt Schindler, Gateway Greening’s Executive Director, explains the importance of this grant. “With the Monsanto Fund, Gateway Greening is educating and inspriring St. Louis’ future agricultural professionals. Our youth and school garden program is impacting 10,151 students in 51 neighborhoods,” said Schindler.

Michelle Insco, Monsanto Fund program officer, highlights the wide scope of benefits provided by the program. “Gateway Greening’s Youth Garden Program beautifies our community, teaches young people about food and nutrition, and pulls science education out of the classroom and into an engaging, outdoor environment,” said Insco. “Many of these students grew up in the city, so they also learn how agriculture is an integral part in our daily lives, even if they’ve never been to a farm. Monsanto Fund is proud to support this program.”

When building youth gardens, projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community and staff 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), curricular resources and training. We strive to establish sustainable garden projects that can continue teaching our youth for years to come.

About Gateway Greening

About Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farm families and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

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USDA Awards Grant to Support Green Jobs for St. Louis Teens

Posted on April 5, 2017 by beanstalk

USDA Awards Grant to Support Green Jobs for St. Louis Teens

Gateway Greening, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Public Schools among organizations working together to support teens pursuing degrees and careers in food, agriculture, and natural resources

ST LOUIS, Missouri, April 4, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded a $135,000 two-year grant to local organizations that employ teens in urban farms, parks, trails, gardens, and other green space. As part of its SPECA program (Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture) in the K-12 Classroom, the agency is supporting a collaborative project of Gateway Greening, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Public Schools, and other community organizations, aimed at connecting urban teens with outdoor summer jobs and school-year internships that also provide opportunities for academic enrichment, career development, and civic leadership.

Specifically, funding will support youth workforce development through the efforts of the St. Louis Green Teen Alliance, a collaborative of 8 organizations who collectively recruit, employ, train, and support teens via summer jobs and school-year internships focused on productive, healthy lands and waters, ranging from community gardens in food desert neighborhoods to city parks, trails, and reserves. In addition to building critical skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration, the effort is designed to cultivate a sense of civic pride and ownership among participants, building a future workforce with training in urban issues and solutions.

“This is far more than a summer jobs program,” says Dawna Wharton, Career and Technical Education Specialist for Saint Louis Public Schools. “Our students will learn first-hand about urban agriculture, ecology, and environmental stewardship. They’ll interact with career professionals in fields like urban planning, natural resource management, environmental engineering, education, research, and public policy. And they’ll do all of this alongside peers, working in their own neighborhoods and communities.”

The two-year grant will also fund the University of Missouri – St. Louis to lead an evaluation and assessment effort aimed at improving program impacts in the areas of knowledge and attitudinal shifts and broadening of academic and career interests among participants. Indicators of success will also include direct improvements to green space, such as local food production, ecological restoration, storm water management, and wildlife habitat.

Information on the St. Louis Green Teen Alliance, its programs, and partner organizations can be found at http://www.stlycc.org/.

This project was supported by the SPECA Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant#12122428

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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 220 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance, and the Gateway Greening Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and jobs training.

About Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden’s mission is “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.” Today, 158 years after opening, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark and a center for science, conservation, education and horticultural display.

About Saint Louis Public Schools

Saint Louis Public Schools is the district of choice for families in the St. Louis region that provides a worldclass education and is nationally recognized as a leader in student achievement and teacher quality. The SLPS mission is to provide a quality education for all students and enable them to realize their full intellectual potential. SLPS also believes that competent, caring, properly supported teachers are essential to student learning.

Contacts:

Kathleen Carson, Gateway Greening Education Manager. [email protected]

Sheila S. Voss, Missouri Botanical Garden Vice President of Education. [email protected]

Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of Lyon Academy at Blow School Garden

Posted on December 14, 2016 by beanstalk

St. Louis (28 Nov 2016) – Lyon Academy at Blow School Garden in St. Louis, MO. was expanded on 17 Nov 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. The garden received 8 picnic tables, 1 garden scale, 1 garden sign and 200’ of water hose.

Lyon Academy at Blow School Garden has 15 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 640 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce grown will be used by the gardeners, formally donated, and informally given away throughout the community.

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.

Lyon Academy at Blow School Garden is located at 516 Loughborough, St. Louis, MO 63111

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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