Seeding Healthy Futures

Recognizing increasing food insecurity challenges in areas of metro Atlanta, YINN invites young people to address the problem in their own communities. Working on Saturdays with professional urban farmers, this paid internship teaches teens to plant, grow, maintain and harvest fresh food using natural practices. The food they grow is then shared, with the teens distributing their fresh produce to neighborhood co-ops, pay-what-you-can farmers markets and other nonprofits. Each summer for the past 3 years, over 100 teens have applied for this program, their application essays reflecting a sincere and inspired desire to "do something meaningful" as well as learn to grow food. While we only had funds in the past to hire 12 students per farm (we also pay the farmer!) an exciting number of program "alumni" volunteered to return and assist their farmer mentors with teaching peers in the program what they had previously learned!

Because we pay both the farmer and the interns a fair wage for their hard work and time plus supplies, each cohort costs $6000. The program was originally funded by a USDA grant; however, that grant has ended and we are hoping to raise funds that support ongoing programming beginning in March of 2026.