Annual Urban Farming Event Serves Up Flavorful Fun
May 7, 2017, Tampa, Fla. – The urban farming season is coming to a close and what better way to celebrate than with a year-end fundraising event. Ultimate Medical Academy and the nonprofit school’s Garden Club helped celebrate Sweetwater Community Farm’s season at the farm’s 25th annual fundraising PestoFesto event on Saturday, May 6 in Tampa.
This pesto-themed event featured activities ranging from best pesto contest and outdoor basil-themed activities to live music, silent auctions and raffle prizes. In addition, volunteers and attendees were rewarded with a farm-fresh, organic meal.
“Our 25th Annual PestoFesto Fundraising Party will be full of community spirit as we gather to support the farm’s mission,” said Christine Wallace, program director and market manager of Sweetwater Organic Community Farm. “The funds raised at this event go toward our hands-on programs, sustainable agriculture projects, educational opportunities and more. This event helps ensure that we can continue to provide the freshest possible organic vegetables and herbs for hundreds of Tampa Bay residents each year.”
Ultimate Medical Academy Garden Club members regularly pitch in at the farm throughout the season, which ends May 22, 2017. It has been a rewarding opportunity for Ultimate Medical Academy staff to learn about urban farming, to collaborate and to build relationships with Sweetwater Community Farm and the urban farming community.
“The Garden Club has been working hard all season to support Sweetwater Community Farm through weekly volunteering and a Community Supported Agriculture partnership,” said Kelsey Tressler, an Ultimate Medical Academy employee and facilitator of the Garden Club. “Our group was excited to offer even more support by sponsoring the farm’s 25th Annual PestoFesto. This event was a great opportunity for our members to celebrate after a fantastic season full of learning how to grow organic, sustainable produce.”
Ultimate Medical Academy’s support of Sweetwater Community Farm is one of the many service projects and outreach initiatives in which the institution participates each year. For more details about the school’s involvement in the community, visit /about/community-outreach/.
ABOUT SWEETWATER COMMUNITY FARM
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm is a nonprofit community-supported urban organic farm and environmental education center in Tampa. Established in 1995, the farm operates a Community Supported Agriculture membership program, educational field trips and volunteer opportunities, among other activities. The organization’s hands-on programs allow visitors of all ages to discover the wonders of nature, explore ecological interconnections, practice appropriate land stewardship and master sustainable agriculture techniques. The farm also provides fresh organic vegetables and herbs for hundreds of Tampa Bay residents each year.