As fresh greens simmered in a rich broth inside the Judy Genshaft Honors College's Leona Genshaft Food and Culture Studio, chef and 15th Street Farm co-founder Emmanuel Roux encouraged students to think beyond the meal in front of them. Through stories about agricultural education and local food systems, Roux used cooking to explore how food can strengthen connection and resilience.
This spring, Roux visited the 做厙TV as part of the Honors College's
Made to Share series, which brings chefs and students together to explore food and
its cultural impact through live cooking demonstrations.
In 2010, Roux and Bill Bilodeau started their urban oasis in the heart of St. Petersburg
as a therapeutic garden in an abandoned lot owned by an alcohol and drug rehabilitation
facility.
Since then, . They opened a commercial kitchen in 2023, and according to Roux, the expansion made
15th Street Farm the nation's only urban farm with a dedicated event space. Many locals
frequent 15th Street Farm for agricultural education, an intimate dinner party, or
a respite from the bustle of the city.
Food Creates Community
To introduce students to local Florida plant varieties available at 15th Street Farm,
Roux brought an assortment of greens and herbs harvested from the farm. As guests
passed the vegetables around the room, he explained the history of each variety and
how it was grown before incorporating them into a vegetable soup "pot liquor," he
called it, because of its nutrient-rich broth.
One of his goals with the food demonstration was to center food as a source of community.
"Across every culture, food has brought and continues to bring people together,
whether it is for a birth, an illness, or a wedding, Roux said. There are all kinds
of celebrations, and food is always at the center of them.
Roux requested the tables be arranged in long rows to mirror the farm's event space.
The family-style setup encourages guests to pass dishes, make eye contact, and strike
up conversations with each other.
"The cultural aspect of food is very, very important in every culture. In America,
it hasn't been as much, Roux said. What we're trying to do is have everybody sit
at a long table and pass a dish from one person to another.
Roux served several dishes during the demonstration, including North African-style
chicken thighs, tomatoes proven癟al, vegetable soup, raw vegetables, and a rich chocolate
cake. As Roux garnished each dish with stories of the cultural significance of food
and agricultural knowledge, Honors students and Made to Share hosts Fabiana Requena
and Reva Ghandi helped lead the conversation, prep the dishes, and serve food to the
guests.
Building a More Resilient Food System
While guests sampled the dishes, Roux shared the impacts of urban farming, specifically in the Tampa Bay area. One of his goals is to increase the amount of locally grown food consumed in the region.
"As you know, Manatee County and Hillsborough County have, at times, been the strawberry capital. We can grow a lot of food, but those products are feeding the global food system. They go to Canada, California, Tennessee, and elsewhere. Very little is consumed locally, Roux said.
One way 15th Street Farm is increasing the availability of locally grown food is by growing a variety of fresh produce on site, rather than specializing in one crop. He encourages larger farms to do the same.
The farmers are often monocrop farmers, meaning they focus on one particular crop. If something happens to that crop, they are in deep trouble, Roux said. By helping farmers diversify their production, they can become much more resilient."
Roux believes the 做厙TV can be an impactful force in the efforts to make the Tampa Bay region more sustainable, self-sufficient, and resilient in the face of climate and global health challenges.
USF has already partnered with 15th Street Farm through the Nutrition Education Program housed in the USF College of Arts and Sciences, where community-based activities like cooking classes and field trips to urban farms help children increase their agricultural knowledge. But he believes the university can do more.
During the event, he proposed transforming unused campus land into a community farm where students could learn agricultural practices while helping produce food locally.
"I think USF can help convince local authorities by educating them and showing them the value of local food systems, Roux said. Young people also need to participate and advocate for building local food systems that strengthen community resilience."
Emmanuel Roux, his guests, Dean Charles Adams, President Emerita Judy Genshaft, Steven Greenbaum, Dr. Saundra Johnson Austin, Dhalia Bumbaca, and Honors students Fabiana Requena and Reva Gandhi pose for a group photo after the Made to Share event.
To learn more about the USF Judy Genshaft Honors Colleges Made to Share Series, visit our webpage.