Steward Spotlight: Janett Lewis
GROW Spanish Lakes - North St. Louis
Stewards are volunteers who take the lead on caring for their local orchards. They are the backbone of The Giving Grove program. Thanks to their dedication, Giving Grove little orchards continue to help feed the hungry, improve the environment, and foster friendship and community. As a thank you, we like to spotlight stewards who are doing some extraordinary things in their communities.
Janett Lewis, a steward of the GROW Spanish Lake little orchard in St. Louis, MO, genuinely understands the importance of permaculture in the fight against food insecurity. As a community organizer and urban farmer, Janett spends most of her time at her farm, Rustic Roots Sanctuary, tending to her goats, chickens, a rabbit, and four beehives.
In 2019, Janett started GROW Spanish Lake, a community garden and member of our St. Louis partner organization, Gateway Greening. The community garden is located in the St. Louis Promise Zone, which is part of a federal program intended to increase economic activity, improve educational outcomes, reduce serious and violent crimes, invest in transformative development, and improve health and wellness in communities facing high rates of poverty.* Because of the history of low economic activity and high rates of poverty, the neighborhoods around the orchard previously had little access to fresh foods.
GROW Spanish Lake provides the community with an abundance of produce, but the organization was interested in adding a perennial food source. Planted in 2020, the orchard will provide fruit year after year without the need to re-plant annually. As a side benefit, the fruit trees help the bees flourish, providing the community with local honey.
“Trees lend themselves to cleaning the air we breathe. It’s a wonderful example of the reciprocity in nature. Living in alignment with the earth as opposed to destroying it. We absolutely love the orchard!”
Beautiful orchard with a promise to feed generations to come.
Little steward-in-training helps prepare the land.
Although the orchard is young, the neighborhood has already embraced it. "Our community was willing to come out and work all day for the betterment. We were humbled by the turnout and enthusiasm of each participant," says Janett. She finds it encouraging that the orchard will be a living source of education for the neighbors who live near it. When asked what she finds most inspiring about the orchard, Janett states, "Trees lend themselves to cleaning the air we breathe. It's a wonderful example of the reciprocity in nature. Living in alignment with the earth as opposed to destroying it. We absolutely love the orchard!"
We are exceptionally proud of this orchard and look forward to watching the BIG impact it makes in North St. Louis in the years to come.
*Information provided by STLPartnership.com