Urban Harvest STL

Urban Harvest STL is a farming based nonprofit organization located in the city of St. Louis, MO. Our mission is to build community around inclusive and resilient local food systems.

At Urban Harvest STL, we believe in food rights – all members of our community should have equitable access to fresh, affordable produce regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or zip code. We grow food across a network of seven urban farms in the heart of St. Louis and donate the majority of our harvest to nonprofit partners working with community members that have limited or non-existent access to nutritious options.

Our flagship location, the FOOD ROOF Farm, was the first rooftop farm in St. Louis, built in 2015 atop a two-story self-storage facility downtown. This 8,500 square-foot farm is a model for urban agriculture, sustainable building, stormwater management and community building. It can capture up to 17,000 gallons of water per 2-inch rain event, and is designed to maximize food production while providing a unique community green space and education center.

Our other farms exist in partnership with local organizations committed to a healthier St. Louis. They include Sally’s Rooftop Garden & Terrace (Midtown), Flance School Garden (Carr Square), Fresh Starts Community Garden (JeffVanderLou), Armin Orchard (Carondelet) and Rung for Women (Fox Park).

We offer a variety of ways to engage with our farms. For those eager to get their hands dirty, we have volunteer days available several times a week at the FOOD ROOF, Rung, and Fresh Starts. Folks can also opt to apply for our Farming for Community internship program for a more structured learning experience that blends hands-on urban farming with virtual lessons on food justice. We also offer ticketed events throughout the season at the FOOD ROOF Farm where guests enjoy farm-inspired drinks and food prepared by local chefs using our farm-fresh produce. For those who prefer virtual learning, we offer virtual tours of the FOOD ROOF as well as a free resource library of guides on at-home growing.”

In addition to their spaces in the .ZACK and Food Roof, Urban Harvest also manages Fresh Starts garden in JeffVanderLou, Rung for Women in Fox Park, and Flance Early Learning Center.

Farm Size

10,500 sq. ft. between two rooftop gardens and five gardens in soil scattered across the City of St. Louis.

Products

• Veggies
• Herbs

Conservation Practices

• Crop rotation
• Integrated pest management
• No till
• Drip irrigation
• Pollinator enhancement areas
• Cover crops
• Compost

Additional Practices

“We integrate the practice of bio-intensity and polyculture together. We are not working with a lot of space on our rooftops and gardens, so we take advantage of certain crops and crop families that like to be planted together. We then plant those crops closer together for bio-intensity and also adjacent to nitrogen fixers like beans to enhance growth.”