Two of St. Pete's most impactful organizations joined forces this spring, and today they announced the fruits of their collaboration (literal results, in this case): Leadership St. Pete and St. Pete Youth Farm held a grand opening ceremony for their new kitchen and major upgrades to their outdoor seating and event space this Wednesday.
The St. Pete Youth Farm is one of the city's most meaningful organizations, not only providing fresh, healthy produce to South St. Pete, but also educating and developing the city's children to learn valuable life skills. The renovation and completion of the new kitchen and outdoor event space will allow the Youth Farm to expand both its educational and community curriculum. The kitchen will provide learning opportunities for children and volunteers, while also providing the capacity to host large community events, private events and dinners.
Renovations to the outdoor area included installing new waterproof sails for shade, leveling the grounds and improving the farm's multi-use area, all done by the 2024 Leadership St. Pete class as part of the “Sprouting Success” class project. This year's LSP class raised more than $50,000 in total for the renovations and also contributed manpower to the construction and completion of the renovations. Much of the work went into enhancing the main gathering space with permanent seating where community members can sit comfortably during trainings, workshops and other events hosted at the farm.
Naturally, the highlight of these renovations is the updated kitchen, prep and event space, including a new butcher block, wood-fired oven and additional storage areas. St. Pete Youth Farm plans to expand its programming with these additions, including cooking classes, educational experiences and other culinary-themed events.
“At St. Pete Youth Farm, everything we do is to support the community we serve. We are honored to have been selected as the 2024 Leadership St. Pete® Class Project,” said Carla Bristol, Collaborations Manager for St. Pete Youth Farm. “We are well aware of previous LSP class projects and the ripple effect their contributions create. We know their ability to transform spaces, impact functions, and better fulfill an organization's mission. Coincidentally, this project is completed just before our fifth anniversary and will undoubtedly elevate how we serve our community. We are certain this project will leave an indelible legacy for our teens and community!”
Leadership: St. Pete prepares future city leaders
Now in its 55th year, Leadership St. Pete is one of the oldest leadership programs in the United States and exists as a division of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and its 501(c)(3) Foundation. The six-month program is a dynamic, intensive, interactive experience designed to foster and strengthen community leadership through an in-depth introduction to social, economic, business and political issues in the St. Petersburg region.
Made possible with the support of the Chamber’s community partners, LSP’s mission is to identify, recruit and develop leaders who represent the diversity of the city and will assume future leadership roles in the community.
