Little Growers, Inc. (LGI) in Melbourne, FL equips young people with the skills and confidence to shape their own future through hands-on experience in community food security, sustainability, and leadership. Started in 2017 as one family’s front yard garden in a USDA-designated food desert, LGI has grown into a vibrant organization focused on sustainable, healthy living in underserved communities subjected to environmental and public health concerns. Within a mile of LGI’s first community garden, a chemical plant has exploded twice, garbage trucks spew diesel fumes on the way to the transfer station, and low-income housing is being built on toxic soil. Stronger hurricanes and inadequate stormwater systems send contaminated flood waters throughout communities. Undeterred, LGI seeks solutions. Through youth education, community garden programs, citizen science projects, and community forums, LGI helps residents understand their environmental issues and identify ways to address them on a local level – all in service of a sustainable future.
Students in LGI’s Summer Earn and Learn Estuary Echo Camp enjoy immersive experiences in the Indian River Lagoon Estuary, exploring environmental stewardship, civic leadership, and hands-on science activities. Here they learn how seagrasses protect habitats, both on and off-shore.
With strong community ties across the Indian River Lagoon region, LGI has built an impressive coastal resilience network. The nonprofit’s BIPOC-led, three-person staff and 10-person board guide LGI’s work. Recipient of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s 2024 National Coastal Resilience Fund and their 2020 Resilient Communities grant, LGI has created extensive partnerships which promote coastal resilience and environmental justice, increasing awareness of climate changes and the benefits of flood mitigation, bioremediation, and stormwater management techniques. Their work includes bioswales for underserved flood-prone neighborhoods; storymaps to identify pollutants, sites of concern, and mitigation strategies; the Summer Earn and Learn program for area youth focusing on coastal resilience, just transition to clean energy, and community revitalization to educate young residents on creating their sustainable future; and a food entrepreneurship program to strengthen community resilience, create jobs, and ensure food security in the face of extreme weather.
Kerri & Camille.HEIC