The Youth Farm and Market Project (YFMP) was established in 1995 by David Brant and Karen Lehman to create an urban environment within which youth could flourish physically, socially, and emotionally as they mature into young adults.

In 1998, YFMP became an independent, 501(c)(3) organization. YFMP has operated since 1995 in the Lyndale neighborhood in south Minneapolis; in 2000, programs were added in the Powderhorn neighborhood in south Minneapolis and the West Side neighborhood in St. Paul.

In 1995, we worked with 10 youth in the Lyndale neighborhood to grow, harvest and sell produce at two youth-run neighborhood markets. This past year, we worked with over 500 youth in our summer and school year programs in the Lyndale, Powderhorn and West Side neighborhoods.

We have made great strides in our work in the past two decades. Over the years, we have evolved from an upstart community gardening program into a youth development organization which works for local food access, environmental stewardship, youth empowerment, and advancement of cultural expression. Building on a variety of traditions in working the land and growing and preparing food, our Youth Farmers build cross-cultural and intergenerational relationships, cultivate youth leadership, engage in micro-enterprise development, and organize neighbors to envision, realize and activate neighborhood public space. It is an organic process of nurturing individuals’ roots and sprouting new relationships.