Urbanstead

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Non Profit Organization, Urban Farming

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States

1241, South Alder Street, Bella Vista, South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, 19147, United States of America

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Urban Farming Youth Development

Our Mission:

Urbanstead develops pathways to success for tomorrow’s leaders through urban farming.

What Problem Are We Addressing?

Despite increased work opportunities, Philadelphia falls behind other major U.S. cities, holding a steady poverty rate nearly double the national average. About one-fourth of these adults are working, but are unable to earn a living wage. Nationally, 14% of all adults are without high school diplomas, 71% without bachelor degrees, and it is predicted that nearly 39% of unskilled Philadelphia laborers lack the skills necessary to secure innovation-based and global jobs.

Growing Healthy Futures!

Urbanstead provides youth with development, experience, and training in customer service and relations, public speaking, business management, outreach marketing, and group and individual presentations, as well as specialized skills in food literacy and urban farming techniques that drive youth to expand their interests and experience new workforce options. Through an innovative collaboration with community partners and local businesses, we are developing a successful system that creates jobs and healthy futures for generations.

YOUTH SKILL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Seed To Harvest

Urbanstead’s Seed to Harvest program works with participants, ages 16-21, to provide critical career, emotional and life skill-building experience by supporting them in operating farmers’ markets, teaching educational workshops in Philadelphia and growing healthy organic food. Youth receive extensive training in urban agriculture techniques while developing valuable entrepreneurial and employment skills in team collaboration, project planning, organization, budgeting, business planning, customer service, time management, networking, leadership and more. Our Seed to Harvest program strengthens the future of our neighborhoods and provides the community with increased access to local fresh food. Seed to Harvest interns onboard on a rolling basis, for a 90-hour internship over three months.

SERVICE LEARNING ON OUR URBAN FARM

Youth Plots

Through partnerships with local youth organizations, K – 12 schools and local colleges, we train young people urban farming techniques through hands-on experiences in our gardens. Trainees learn plant botany, garden planning, garden construction, weeding techniques, pest management, proper use of farm tools, proper harvesting techniques, composting, and nutrition educator from the garden, in addition to social responsibility, and food and health literacy. All students and participants are encouraged to take home produce grown at our farms to teach their friends, neighbors, and families about urban farming techniques incorporated in growing local produce. Urbanstead was created because city youth – including those in Philadelphia – do not often have the chance to understand the food ecosystem and consume food grown with their own hands. Urbanstead knows that by increasing these experiences, young people will see improvement in emotional, physical and mental health, as well as a stronger and more unified community.

URBANSTEAD WORKSHOPS

Maker & Garden Workshops For Everyone

With our Urbanstead Workshop Series, teen interns in Urbanstead’s Seed To Harvest program gain valuable career, emotional and soft skill experiences while teaching the community about the value of growing our own vegetables and herbs. All of our workshops are available to groups. Please contact info@urbanstead.org to schedule a workshop for your group/organization/business today!