Summer Campers Become Fresh From Florida Farmers With IGrow Buckets
Florida Citrus Sports and its recentpartnership with Fresh From Florida has shown to be very beneficial to the campers attending the annual FCSports Summer Camp. The summer camp is entering its 19th year, allowing Central Florida’s underprivileged youth a place filled with fun and learning in a safe environment. Thanks to Fresh From Florida, this year the campers have been learning something new — how to grow their own food.
Fresh From Florida is providing all campers with IGrow buckets to work with while at camp and to take home with them when camp is through, along with packs of seeds including things like carrots, cucumbers, string beans, bell peppers, corn, mangos, squash and zucchini. IGrow buckets are an ingenious “self-watering mini-garden” built using two five-gallon buckets. It has a water-reservoir at the base of the bucket that allows for the roots to grow down and receive perfect moisture. If not for the self-watering system, the seeds would be unable toreceive the correct amount of water leaving them unable to grow healthy and strong. The buckets are also filled with a rich compost mix that ensures high nutrients.
Fresh From Florida’s purpose for theIGrow buckets is simple. To grow healthy food for communities, to provide meaningful employment to youth and to grow youth leaders; leaders who are capable of teaching peers and the broader community the basics of producing food. The IGrow buckets come with full instructions and are easy to use for anyage. Along with our campers, a few members of Florida Citrus Sports staff have joined in on the fun and are growing their own vegetables right here at the office.
Reactions towards the IGrow buckets from both campers and staff have been nothing but positive.
“It gives the kids a sense of ownership,” says Malcom Lewis, activities director of FCSports Summer Camp. “It is something they can look forward to taking care of every day.”
He also went on to confirm that in speaking with the kids he has heard nothing but positive feedback on the experience. Fresh From Florida also provided campers from the first camp session, which began on June 25th,a reusable bag of fresh produce to take home, showing them what they have tolook forward to if they continue to use their buckets.
This is all a great example of a partnership coming together to aid in Florida Citrus Sports’ mission to help underprivileged youth. Fresh From Florida strives to instill healthy habits in children and teens that can be passed on through their households, spreading to friends and hopefully throughout the overall community. IGrow buckets can be purchased online and all proceeds from bucket sales go to support IGrow’s work. Everyone can make a difference and with the attributes of Fresh From Florida, the possibilities continue growing.