We are oh-so-lucky to live in a place whose populace is as benevolent as it is briny. So, it’s no real surprise that this salty city is home to a whole bunch of noble not-for-profit programs. One such noble not-for-profit in particular we’d like to draw your goodly attention to is The Green Urban Lunch Box.

Their underlying goal is to “empower people to engage in local food production by using the resources available in their community,” and they do so by “connecting people to a creative network of spaces and opportunities.” Innovation abounds with these folks, and they’re whipping up programs that are equal parts generous and genius. Think: a 35-foot school bus that has been converted to a “half greenhouse, half produce cart,” a fruit share initiative (harvesting your fruit trees and donating part of the loot to those in need), and an urban farmer training program.

they’ve got a real good thing growin’.

Back Farms is yet another one of Green Lunch Box’s incredible initiatives, and it’s one that yanks on those heart strings real hard. This program helps disadvantaged senior citizens by assigning them a “garden apprentice” to help grow an organic garden on their property. Any fresh produce the homeowner does not use is split between the apprentices and local senior centers, all at no cost to the program’s beneficiaries. 

We had the pleasure of visiting one such farm—the largest in fact—late this summer, and Back Farms Coordinator Katie Nelson was kind enough to give us a tour. At 90 years old, the Joneses had owned the land since the ‘40s, and with the help of their industrious apprentices, the land has blossomed (quite literally) into one productive plot.

When we say we love where we live,
this is precisely why we say it.