Community Food Grant Program Update – Daystar Life & 15th St. Farm
By Sarah Wiemert, Healthy St. Petersburg, Health Planner II
As the fall season rolls in and the final quarter of the Community Food Grant Program (CFGP) comes to a close, Healthy St. Pete is reflecting on the important work that our grant subrecipients are doing to improve health equity through food security. Continue reading for program updates from two of our funded partner organizations and keep an eye out for one more monthly CFGP update!!
Daystar Life | $10,000
Growing Access: From Garden to Table for Healthier Communities
Daystar Life has been empowering the St. Petersburg community with its range of services aimed at addressing the systemic implications of poverty since 1982. The services, including rent and utility assistance, a professional wardrobe closet and a food pantry, are designed to maintain the dignity of the participant and highlight the value that each person in our community holds. A well-known feature on the Daystar Life campus is the pantry garden, which features sustainably grown produce items that are often inclusive of diverse cuisines and culturally traditional dietary patterns. This garden is the central feature of the program operated through Healthy St. Pete’s Community Food Grant Program.
As of January 2025, Daystar Life has been able to serve 20 program individuals monthly. Funds have been utilized to improve food pantry and educational offerings through the development of the Healthy Pantry Coalition, a monthly committee of clients, volunteers, and associates under the direction of a Registered Dietitian. Daystar Life now offers menus that feature pantry items distributed during client pickup, new items that improve whole-diet food access like spices, staple proteins, and eggs, fresh produce to supplement harvests from the onsite pantry garden, and a monthly cooking class. Program participants have reported an improved experience and appreciate the organization’s responsive actions, guided by participant input. Staff have noted improved client retention and program effectiveness when instruction is intentionally paired with support services.
To learn more about Daystar Life, volunteer, or donate, visit https://daystarlife.org/.
15th St. Farm | $25,000
St. Pete Food Hub
A pilot food hub program to increase access to healthy food through aggregating and distributing fresh, local organic produce, bulk grains and beans, and prepared meals as well as hosting community members at the urban farm and distributing seedlings and trees for food plants.
15th Street Farm has been providing the residents of St. Petersburg with locally grown organic food right from the downtown area since 2010. Though the mission of the organization has evolved over the years, the concept remains the same: offer an urban oasis for residents to learn, be nourished, and commune in nature.
The organization continues to adapt to the needs of the community with the implementation of the CFGP project that provides prepared meals, whole produce, and basic staple items to parents with young families. 15th Street Farm engages a chef, volunteers, and multiple community organizations to pilot a food hub, connecting residents with locally produced and processed foods. Since January of this year, staff have delivered over 168 prepared meals and 536 pounds of produce to participating families. Participant feedback notes that staff have shown adaptiveness in response to programmatic requests and adjust the program to suit specific needs and wants. The program is so popular that the Farm has been able to double their monthly goal of number of meals delivered!
To learn more about 15th Street Farm, volunteer, or donate visit https://www.15thstfarm.com/
