TALLAHASSEE, FL – Tallahassee Mayor John Marks accepted a $40,000 grant today for Tallahassee, from the US Conference of Mayors.
In its 82nd annual meeting the group presented the GRO1000 Gardens and Green Spaces grant. The funding promotes and recognizes mayoral leadership in the development of greenscapes across the country. The City of Tallahassee and the Tallahassee Food Network was singled out of the expansion of the iGrow – “Whatever You Like” Youth Farm on Dunn Street in Frenchtown.
In total, five cities were awarded the maximum level of funding:
- Tallahassee, Fla.
- Mesa, Ariz.
- Houston, Texas
- Miramar, Fla.
- Minneapolis, Minn.
“We highly commend the mayors in all five of these winning cities for their actions to improve the quality of life for all their citizens,” said Tom Cochran, CEO & Executive Director of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Thanks to the outstanding work by these mayors, their citizens have access to healthy, natural food while uniting people of all ages and creating a sense of community.”
The money and in-kind products from Scott's Miracle-Gro will go directly to the Tallahassee Food Network.
“Located in the heart of Tallahassee’s historic Frenchtown district, the iGrow – ‘Whatever You Like’ Youth Farm represents the culmination of our community’s efforts to enhance access to healthy foods, education and overall wellness for our city’s youths,” Mayor Marks said.
“This project will serve as a model of what can be done when government and businesses work together with citizens to create something truly extraordinary.”
The iGrow – “Whatever You Like” Youth Farm began operating in 2011 and to date has produced well over 2,000 lbs. of food for local residents. With the additional resources, the Tallahassee Food Network plans to expand food production and provide additional educational opportunities focused on healthy living and the importance of community-based food systems.
