Neelam Sharma speaks about a Village Marketplace at 2011 Social Innovation Fast Pitch

Community Services Unlimited Inc. in South Central Los Angeles.

Growing Healthy

The Growing Healthy program engages youth in urban farming and food based learning as a tool to help them adopt a healthier lifestyle and develop an awareness and political consciousness to the food access and environmental justice issues impacting their communities. The program currently operates at three sites: John Muir Middle School, Normandie Avenue Elementary School, and the Expo Center. We work youth and adults of all ages, from pre-school to seniors. We offer nutrition and gardening education and engage the youth in community research and projects aimed at understanding the food environment and improving access to healthy local food at their schools and in their community.

From The Ground Up!

The From the Ground UP! Apprenticeship program offers at-risk youth training and mentorship in farming, gardening and entrepreneurial skills and leadership development. Apprentices assist with maintaining CSU’s five mini-urban farm sites learning how to harvest, dry, package and market herbs grown at our sites, run a community farm stand where produced from the mini-farm’s and local farmers is sold and in the future will help plan for and operate a for-profit business that distributes produce from our mini-farms sites to area restaurants and markets. Along with farming and marketing skills apprentices learn leadership skills while training other youth and adults through the Growing Healthy program, where they assist staff and pass on what they have learned to others.

Visit their website here.