Profiles In Prevention -- Frogtown Park and Farm
Take one part ingenuity, one part perseverance, one part community engagement, one part neighborhood dedication, and mix generously over a period of multiple years. The result? Frogtown Park and Farm.
St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood has been working to become the most sustainable and eco-friendly neighborhood in the city. Frogtown Park and Farm is a large part of this effort. From sustainable urban farming initiatives to creating a gathering space for volunteers and community members, Frogtown Farm is working hard to change the conversation about food.
The effort to create Frogtown Park and Farm was led by four neighborhood residents: Soyini Guyton, Seitu Jones, Patricia Ohmans, and Anthony Schmitz beginning in 2010 in an effort to combat against the old, gritty reputation that Frogtown had along with the food desert that existed in the area. They currently have 5.5 acres of organic urban farming, growing over three tons of fresh produce in 2021, with a plan to grow.
"It's truly a blessing anytime folks come together over food, and to share food.” Said Seitu at a recent community kitchen event where Frogtown Park and Farms taught 17 people how to make seven recipes using ingredients that were produced on-site.
Frogtown Park and Farm’s goal: secure 13 acres of green space in Frogtown while making sure to have a sustainable and self-sufficient approach, creating regenerative systems that build up nutrients rather than degrading the soil. They were even awarded the Water Quality Farm Certification from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. But how can urban farming be sustainable?
