Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is non-profit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri that works to educate and empower the community through gardening and urban agriculture.

[1] Reed and Hoblitzelle were inspired to transform the vacant lots they saw into community gardens – a way to bring neighbors together in a shared space, building relationships and growing fresh produce.

[2][3][4] Since 1983, Gateway Greening has grown into an active non-profit with a full-time staff of 12, with an expanding network of over 200[5] school and community gardens across St. Louis City and County[6] and a 2.5 acre urban farm in the heart of downtown St.

Slowly it began to grow, hiring its first Executive Director Michael Adrio and program staffer in the early 1990s to meet the increasing demand for services.

In the intervening years, the full-time staff has been supported by 3-4 part-time seasonal staffers, often augmented by AmeriCorps VISTAs,[12] Interns, and a large and enthusiastic volunteer base.

With their combined efforts, Gateway Greening has built a number of programs and partnerships that have been successfully making a positive impact in St. Louis for over 30 years.

Youth gardens create unique outdoor classrooms that are naturally equipped for students to explore diverse subjects like science, math, and health while tying into existing lessons in history, reading and writing.

[26][30][31] Formerly known as City Seeds, the Gateway Greening Urban Farm is a 2.5 acre property located in downtown St. Louis, on land owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation.

[35] Today, the farm includes 48 raised vegetable beds, drip irrigation, native plantings, a rain garden, a dwarf fruit tree orchard, ornamental shrub borders, a rainwater catch cistern, a sheltered outdoor classroom, harvest station, composting bins, beehives and more.

Beyond the day-to-day operations, the Gateway Greening Urban Farm provides a valuable resource for individuals, companies and organizations throughout St. Louis who are seeking volunteer activities in their community.

Each year, Gateway Greening staff and volunteers came together with St. Louis Master Gardeners to brighten the downtown landscape with beautiful summer flowers at Kiener Plaza.