Recipient Organization
ORLANDO, CITY OF
400 S ORANGE AVE
ORLANDO,FL 32801
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Project SummaryThe City of Orlando's Office of Sustainability & Resilience (OSR), along with its public food program partner--the City of Orlando's Families, Parks and Recreation Department (FPR)--seeks to create a self-sustaining, community-driven food enterprise (provisionally named "CitySprouts") that will provide young people with employment and will supply area restaurants and food outlets with fresh, locally grown, nutrient-dense produce. This one-time federal investment will also fund the acquisition of a vehicle to enhance produce distribution and gleaning efforts to reduce food insecurity in Orlando. The equipment will also support the city's local food goals by providing the means to distribute finished compost from the city's South Street Farm to area community gardens, thereby enriching the soil. The project will increase yields at South Street Farm through volunteer recruitment, teaching neighborhood residents valuable farming techniques.The City of Orlando's Community Food Project builds on investments that the city has made in our local food system including two farms on city land (South Street and McQuigg), the employment of five Local Food / Livability staff in the Office of Sustainability & Resilience, participation in public food programs including afterschool nutrition and summer food programs, and the acquisition of a hydroponic growing facility. The grant will allow the city to create and enhance linkages between different sectors of the local food system, including small farmers, commercial farming operations, nonprofits, a public food program, food vendors, a social enterprise, and consumers, including those who are food insecure. The one-time federal investment of $400,000 over the 48-month performance period will create a self-sustaining operation through program income, equipment purchase and volunteer engagement.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
Goals and Objectives and Alignment with CFPCGPThe City of Orlando's Office of Sustainability & Resilience (OSR) will create a self-sustaining, community-driven food enterprise (provisionally named "CitySprouts") to provide youth employment andsupply area restaurants and food outlets with fresh, locally grown, nutrient-dense produce. CitySprouts is a collaboration between OSR and the city's Families, Parks & Recreation department (FPR), which leverages FPR's Youth Employment Program (YEP) to involve teens in farming and business development.This one-time federal investment will fund a vehicle to enhance produce distribution and gleaning efforts. In 2024, the City gleaned32,000+ pounds of produce from farms through a partnership with Society of Saint Andrew (SOSA). A vehicle will help increase gleaning efforts to 40,000 lbs/yr, distributing the produce through recreational facilities and nonprofit partners. The equipment will support our local food goals by providing the means to distribute finished compost from the city's South Street Farm to area gardens. The project will increase yields at South Street Farm through volunteer recruitment, teaching neighborhood residents valuable farming techniques.The Community Food Project builds on investments that the city has made in our local food system. OSR currently employs five staff working on local foods projects. The City has purchased and installed a 40-foot shipping container outfitted as a hydroponic gardening facility which can produce up to 3,168 plants per month.The Community Food Project will help Orlando meet our two local food goals, developed by a task force that engaged 1800 residents: By 2040, healthy food options will be available within a half mile of every resident, andlocal food assets will be increased tenfold. The City has 12,246 acres of food-producing land and 21,900 sq ft of community garden space. 52% of residents live within a half mile of a grocery store, farmers market or community garden.Short Term Goal 1: Distribution of Food to Food-Insecure HouseholdsIn partnership with SOSA, OSR will distribute 40,000 lbs/yr of produceto households through the city's 17 neighborhood centers and nonprofit organizations. In 2023, OSR worked with SOSA to recover 124,000 pounds of produce that would have been left on agricultural fields.Activities:Participate in 40 gleaning events annually;Distribute 40,000 pounds of produce through FPR's17 neighborhood centers with afterschool programming and through nonprofit partners.Outcome Measure:Food-insecure residents receive 40,000 pounds of fresh produce.Short Term Goal 2: Improve Access to Nutrient-Dense Food for Participants in Existing Food ProgramsFPR serves as a public food program service provider, participating in the USDA-funded Summer Food Service Program and the Afterschool Nutrition Program, feeding approximately 500 children / month. OSRwill distribute locally-grown produce to families at neighborhood centers and will engage interested students in gardening activities through The Garden program. Locally-grown produce is estimated to contain significantly higher nutrient value because it is harvested while ripe and consumed shortly after harvesting, in contrast to food produced elsewhere and shipped in to Florida.Activities: Distribute 10,000+ lbls/yrof fresh produce through gleaning and farming to neighborhood centers that serve as established public food program sites.Maintain educational gardens at 10 neighborhood centers.Provide 36 weekly gardening lessons to70 students/yrthrough The Garden program at 10 neighborhood centers.Outcome Measures:10 educational gardens will be maintained through the 2-year grant;85% of students surveyed will demonstrate an increase in understanding of basic nutritional concepts as evidenced by a pre and post test;85% of students surveyed will agree that they are more willing to try new fruits or vegetables after participating in The Garden program.Long Term Goal 1: Develop a New Food EnterpriseThe project will develop CitySprouts as a social enterprise that employs teenagers and builds their skills in agriculture, marketing, business development and product development. The project links a nonprofit agricultural social enterprise operated by youth with for-profit restaurants and hospitality companies. Building upon the success of Black Bee Honey (blackbeehoneyhq.com), OSR will partner with YEP to employ four youth (ages 15-24) per year in CitySprouts. Youthwill be provided with uniforms, food, transportation and wages. They will receive pre-employment training, for which they will be compensated, to prepare them for the expectations of a job. Participants will work 15 hours/week for 12-15 weeks, earning at least $14/hour. Youth will be involved in all aspects of development of the enterprise, from naming and branding their company, to growing and processing food, and marketing and distributing their product. Income generated from the project will be reinvested into the program to help it become self-sustaining.Activities:Recruit 4 youth per year and provide 4 weeks of pre-employment training;Employ 4 youth per year for 12-15 weeks with CitySprouts enterprise.Year 1: Conduct market research, develop business plan, name and brand business, learn hydroponic farming techniques.Year 2: Develop marketing plan, launch product, begin producing revenue.Year 3: Supply product to at least 2 additional vendors;Year 4: Supply product to at least 2 additional vendors.Outcome Measures:4 youth per year will earn at least $3,000 to develop CitySprouts as an enterprise;CitySprouts will supply at least 5 for-profit businesses with their product.Long Term Goal 2: Providing a Comprehensive Response to Local Food AccessThrough investment in local farming assets, educational activities and pop-up food distribution events, the project meets ourlong-term goal of improving access to affordable, healthy food options within a half a mile of every resident. Staff will recruit volunteers to tend South Street Farm and will develop composting facilities to enrich the soil and serve the nearby McQuigg Farm. Through operation of these farms, the City will progress towards its goal of increasing food assets tenfold. Progress towards these goals represents a comprehensive response to food access, farm and nutrition issues.Activities: Recruit 10 volunteers/yrto garden at South Street Farm;Provide 4 educational workshops/yron gardening toresidents to encourage household gardens and tending of community garden plots;Develop composting facility at South Street Farm and distribute finished compost at South Street and McQuigg farms.Track pounds of finished compost to be applied to gardening operations.Outcomes Measures:1,000 volunteer hours will be contributed to South Street Farm;At least 80 participants/yrwill increase knowledge of gardening techniques;Finished compost will be applied to enrich soils in the surrounding neighborhood.Long Term Goal 3: Meeting Equipment Needs for a Community Food ProjectBy purchasing a truck, OSRwill meet equipment needs necessary for the efficient operation of a CFPCGP project. The truck will allow the city to increase its capacity for distributing food from gleaning events, will allow CitySprouts to distribute produce easily and will allow for compost distribution to improve soils. Currently, the program is required to "rent" from the city's fleet operations at a cost of nearly $20,000/yr. This one-time investment in the CFPCGP will provide long-term return on investment, as distribution of fresh produce to food-insecure households can increase by 10,000 lbs/yr, while providing needed distribution mechanism for CitySprouts.Activity:Purchase Truck in compliance with 2 CFR 200 guidelines.Outcome Measure: OSR possesses equipment to further local food goals.
Project Methods
Developing Linkages Between Two or More Sectors of the Food SystemOrlando's Community Food Project will link the following elements of the food system: small nonprofit and community growers; larger, commercial agricultural operations; nonprofit organizations including a statewide gleaning network, homeless services organization and food bank; a public food program service provider; food vendors like restaurants, caterers and hotels; and consumers (food insecure communities as well as restaurant patrons).Supporting the Development of Entrepreneurial projectsThe project supports the development of a social enterprise, provisionally named UrbanSprouts, that will be operated by youth from Youth Employment Program (YEP). Young people will receive pre-employment training prior to being assigned to the project. After an inventory of skills and interests, teenagers have the option of selecting to work with UrbanSprouts. They will gain experience growing produce using hydroponic growing methods; processing food for consumption; food safety; branding their enterprise and products; marketing to local restaurants, caterers and hotels; and distributing food.Developing Innovative Linkages between For-Profit and Nonprofit Food SectorsAs a nonprofit social enterprise with a mission of providing employment and agricultural skills to youth, UrbanSprouts will supply produce to for-profit food vendors. Restaurants, hotels and caterers are able to highlight their commitment to local food, clean energy and equity by purchasing from UrbanSprouts. Food will be produced in part with clean energy through solar power and battery storage, and then transported via electric vehicle to the vendor. The Youth Employment Program (YEP) is open to all youth ages 15-24 residing in the four neighborhoods identified by the City of Orlando as being historically disadvantaged. Parramore, Holden Heights, Mercy Drive and Engelwood comprise the Orlando Kidz Zones, a place-based cradle to career program meant to level the playing field for youth from disadvantaged communities.This model replicates the successful social enterprise operated by youth from the Parramore Kidz Zone called Black Bee Honey (www.blackbeehoneyhq.com). Founded in 2017, Black Bee Honey sells four varieties of honey to local restaurants, including the Grand Bohemian, Artisans Table and Ivanhoe Brewery. Black Bee Honey was featured on the Steve Harvey Show and has been recognized with the MAN UP Mentoring Award and the Eagle Award for Outstanding Community Achievement.Developing Resources and Strategies to Reduce Food and Nutrition InsecurityThe proposal develops new resources to reduce food insecurity by increasing gleaning efforts in Orlando and building the city's capacity to distribute additional food through ownership of an electric truck designated for project use. Food is distributed through nonprofit organizations as well as at neighborhood centers operated by the City of Orlando's Families, Parks and Recreation department. FPR operates free afterschool programs and summer camps for low-income households. As such, it is the ideal place to distribute free produce and to provide nutrition education to youth.Integrating Activities that Reduce Food Loss and Food WasteFinally, the plan reduces food waste through gleaning local farms and recovering produce that would have been left on the fields. Gleaning promotes the highest use of food waste by ensuring that produce that may not be marketable through grocery stores due to its size or imperfections is still consumed. Gleaned food can be donated to reduce food insecurity.By distributing gleaned food through the City of Orlando's neighborhood centers we will target low-to-moderate income households and communities of color. Food has also been distributed through the City of Orlando's Hispanic Office of Local Assistance (HOLA) which serves residents whose primary language is Spanish. Local nonprofit partners also accept food donations, including Serenity's Grace, a food bank, and Christian Service Center, a homeless services agency that provides emergency services to approximately 8,000 people per year and has served over 5 million meals since its founding in 1975.