Youth Grow Indy Guide

Created with SARE support
Danielle Guerin and Mary Bradley | 2023 | 18 pages

The Soul Food Project has developed a new guide for farmers who want to host a workforce development program for youth.

Topics covered in the guide include the benefits of youth employment programs, legal considerations, recruitment strategies, program management, and more.

Soul Food Project and Farm has been operating since 2017 on the Northeast side of Indianapolis, Indiana. The farm uses sustainable practices such as no-till, cover crops, and crop rotation. They grow a variety of crops, including tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, kale, and Swiss chard, to distribute within the community. Danielle Guerin (pictured right) is the Founder, CEO, and Executive Director of Soul Food Project. 

Guerin received a $4,237 NCR-SARE Youth Educator grant to support Soul Food Project’s Youth Grow Indy program, an urban farming experience for youth aged 9-18. Students are exposed to agriculture careers and the local food system while exploring agriculture.

"Youth Grow Indy's approach to youth development combines agriculture, business, and service to create a demanding, real-world, and integrated experience," said Guerin. "We designed this guide to assist you in starting your own youth employment program on your farm. Our goal is to provide you with detailed information and step-by-step instructions to help you establish a successful program."

Want more information? See the related SARE grant:

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.