Missouri’s First Lady Georgeanne Nixon toured St. Patrick Center’s City Seeds Urban Farm on June 22 as part of her ”Power of Plants Tour.” The goal of the tour was to bring attention to the power of plants to beautify our world, create jobs, provide good health and nutrition, and preserve our natural resources.

The City Seeds Urban Farm was the first of five sites Mrs. Nixon visited on Tuesday. City Seeds Urban Farm in Downtown St. Louis is a Gateway Greening urban agriculture partnership providing job training and therapeutic agriculture for St. Patrick Center’s homeless and poor clients, while increasing production and distribution of locally grown foods. The program also trains St. Patrick Center’s homeless clients in green horticulture, preparing them for jobs in landscaping, nurseries, gardening retailers and other green-care jobs.

During her visit, Mrs. Nixon met with City Seeds farmers and staff responsible for maintaining the farm. She also received a basket of herbs from the City Seeds farmers as a gift to take back with her to the Governor’s Mansion.

CITY SEEDS URBAN FARM DETAILS:
City Seeds Urban Farm will soon expand to include St. Patrick Center veteran clients. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that it has awarded St. Patrick Center a grant of $146,248 to provide the agency’s veteran clients with GO! Green training.

This season, City Seeds Urban Farm farmers are selling their fresh produce at three popular farmers’ markets: Maplewood Farmers’ Market, Tower Grove Farmers’ Market and Downtown Farmers’ Market.

In June 2009, the U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded St. Patrick Center a $550,000 Green Jobs Training Initiative Grant, making way for a second City Seeds class, this one for the agency’s employment clients, preparing them for jobs in landscaping, nurseries, gardening retailers and other green-care jobs. Seventeen clients graduated from this City Seeds class June 15 and eight have been hired full-time by landscaping companies.

read more about City Seeds Urban Farm

POWER OF PLANTS DETAILS:
The Horticulture Co-op of Metro St. Louis created the “Power of Plants Tour” for Missouri’s First Lady because of her strong interest in promoting causes and initiatives relating to the natural beauty of Missouri. Each tour stop in St. Louis featured key leaders from landscape green industries. Other stops included Alberici Corp. in Overland, Kiener Plaza, Citygarden and Bowood Farms.

MISSION:
St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals achieve permanent, positive changes in their lives through affordable housing, sound mental health, employment and financial stability.

FOR MORE INFO:
Kelly Peach
Senior Director of Communications
Direct Line 314.802.0687
Cell 314.581.7126
kpeach@stpatrickcenter.org

Stephanie Rea
Writer/Producer
314-802-1968
srea@stpatrickcenter.org