The Green Garden Bakery business and youth leadership program is currently supported by the not for profit organization Urban Strategies Inc. Green Garden Bakery's goal is to support the leadership development, community engagement, and economic mobility of youth in Heritage Park. Since 2010, Urban Strategies has been providing cooking, garden, and nutrition classes for youth in Heritage Park. After participating for a few years, a few of these youth approached the staff with an innovative idea. These siblings, neighbors, and friends since kindergarten decided they wanted to take the cooking and gardening skills they developed and create a business. The youth piloted their business in 2014 with the selling of green tomato cakes using recycled packaging and spreading environmental awareness. The youth grew the tomatoes in their own youth garden, harvested the tomatoes, perfected their recipe, developed their brand and business, and worked hard throughout Minneapolis to make sales. There first sale was in Fall 2014 at the Global Market Green Fair and they made over $1000 in profits.
We are a group of young entrepreneurs from Heritage Park - North Minneapolis who are driven by a passion to change the world one healthy and delicious baked good at a time. Green Garden Bakery grows vegetables in our community garden, bakes them into healthy vegetable-based desserts for every diet (vegan, gluten free, sugar free), and markets them using sustainable practices. We sell the desserts for “pay-what-you-want” and donate our proceeds back into our community. As of 2017, we have launched weekly sales of 5 vegetable based desserts. We are constantly expanding our menu and launching new merchandise. At our sales our desserts are sold in compostable boxes with two servings.
Typically, teens in North Minneapolis and youth of color in general have limited opportunities to be exposed to corporate experiences. Without Green Garden Bakery, myself and my team would not have the opportunity to have a resume filled with business and specialized skills. Green Garden Bakery continues to give back to our community making donations such as purchasing security systems for families in need, sponsoring adult exercises classes, and providing meals for families in need. Additionally Green Garden Bakery promotes healthy food habits in creative ways and allows customers to consume a product that has much more value. As a business that cares about the environment, we have an obligation to spread environmental awareness to help save our planet. Don’t forget you can plant our business cards when you are done with them and grow your own tomatoes. Green Garden Bakery is more than just a business, it is an act of social change.
We are a group of young entrepreneurs from Heritage Park - North Minneapolis who are driven by a passion to change the world one healthy and delicious baked good at a time. Green Garden Bakery grows vegetables in our community garden, bakes them into healthy vegetable-based desserts for every diet (vegan, gluten free, sugar free), and markets them using sustainable practices. We sell the desserts for “pay-what-you-want” and donate our proceeds back into our community. As of 2017, we have launched weekly sales of 5 vegetable based desserts. We are constantly expanding our menu and launching new merchandise. At our sales our desserts are sold in compostable boxes with two servings.
Typically, teens in North Minneapolis and youth of color in general have limited opportunities to be exposed to corporate experiences. Without Green Garden Bakery, myself and my team would not have the opportunity to have a resume filled with business and specialized skills. Green Garden Bakery continues to give back to our community making donations such as purchasing security systems for families in need, sponsoring adult exercises classes, and providing meals for families in need. Additionally Green Garden Bakery promotes healthy food habits in creative ways and allows customers to consume a product that has much more value. As a business that cares about the environment, we have an obligation to spread environmental awareness to help save our planet. Don’t forget you can plant our business cards when you are done with them and grow your own tomatoes. Green Garden Bakery is more than just a business, it is an act of social change.