ORLANDO, Fla. — The City of Orlando is digging into innovative ways to provide accessible food to in-need communities.
City leaders celebrated the grand opening on Thursday of the South Street Urban Farm. It’s located off South Street in Parramore.
“Right now, we’re growing Ethiopian kale, eggplant, Tuscano kale, tomatoes,” Vern Renzette, the Sustainability Project Coordinator for the city, said.
Those are just a few of the produce items the team is currently growing on the farm.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Shan Rose celebrated the grand opening and the gap it will fill in a community considered a food desert.
“We have something called Neighborhood Fridge,” Dyer said. “We take the fresh vegetables grown right here and put it in the neighborhood fridge. The local residents can access it the day it’s been picked.”
The team is utilizing new ways to conduct farming like the upcoming installation of a solar-powered composter and a Block n’ Lock garden bed.
“It’s nice at waist level,” Renzette said. “You’re interacting face to face with the plants and able to access them with your hands. That’s a big thing here. Just to create a focal point where people can see beauty as they step onto the property.”
Project leaders said this farm creates a safe and welcoming space for Parramore residents.
“To get outdoors for the multitude of benefits that it offers for both our mental, physical, spiritual health,” Renzette said.
As well as access to fresh nutritious foods.
“They usually only have access to things that come in bags,” Mayor Dyer said. “We’re trying to help people with their diets.”
On the Block n’ Lock garden bed, project leaders are going to paint a mural on it that they say will pay tribute to the Parramore community.
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