Set of seed packets for a crop.

The students love the opportunity to explore a world outside of the day to day lives. Thier enthusiasm for the experience helps to foster a community experience and a deeper love of learning.

Youth are hungry after a long day at school. Each week we supplement the food we are able to grow with additional ingredients that round out a healthy snack or a light meal to offer to all children. Students are engaged in harvesting, chopping, cooking, and eating. This portion of the program helps to broaden their understanding of nutrition and food safety.

All persons who volunteer or are employed by OSU Urban GEMS must complete a background check every 3 years. We currently do not have a funding source to pay for these expenses.

Part of teaching youth to grow their own food in a sustainable way includes teaching them to grow food in three ways: indoor aeroponic vertical grow towers, outdoor soil-based vertical grow towers, and outdoor square foot gardening in raised-beds.

In our indoor growing spaces we are lighting our systems with a Lighting Kit that mounts on the frame of the Tower Garden. http://www.towergarden.com/shop Each kit costs $219.00 plus $40 in shipping.

In our Parsons Avenue farm space, we hope to have 3-5 computer workstations for youth to work on their communication and employability skills. Youth and staff members will also use computers and tablets to record and analyze productivity data.

Creating opportunities for inner city youth to learn to grow their own food and learn to eat fresh nutritious vegetables and fruit depends on having Tower Garden Systems. Each complete system costs $725 plus shipping.