TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A packet of seeds can stretch a grocery budget further than a bag of store-bought vegetables, and Florida A&M University spent Saturday making that case to families in south Tallahassee at its fifth Harvest Fest.
The free festival, put on by FAMU’s Lola Hampton-Frank Pinder Center for Agroecology on West Orange Avenue, opened with morning farm tours and then ran from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors watched farm-to-table cooking demonstrations, joined gardening activities and workshops, and picked up tips on preserving a harvest so it keeps longer. The day also had drumming and dance classes, a kids corner and chef-prepared food.
Organizers said home gardens can save money, lead to healthier meals and connect neighbors. They also pointed to a bigger issue on the south side, where some residents live a long way from the nearest full grocery store, which makes fresh produce harder to get. Growing even a small plot at home is one way to close that gap, they said.
For people without a yard, the university’s community garden is an option. The FAMU Community Garden, at 2001 W. Orange Ave. on the south end of campus, was founded nearly 50 years ago and ranks as the city’s oldest. It covers about three acres split into roughly 71 plots, each 40 feet by 40 feet, and has long fed families across the city and the Big Bend.
Over the years the garden has turned out more than 14 tons of food for hundreds of households, a track record organizers held up as proof that small plots can make a real dent in a family grocery bill. Residents who want a plot or more information can call FAMU Cooperative Extension at 850-599-3546.
Filed under: Tallahassee FL Home & Garden News