Bay Area volunteers grow garden to feed those in need

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - With the rising cost of pretty much everything these days it can be financially hard on a lot of families and with that comes food insecurities, but a Bay Area man is trying to make a difference through community and gardening. 

Twice a week, Ray Wunderlich and his team of volunteers meet at Allendale Methodist Church in St. Petersburg to tend to a garden. 

"The volunteers are here today because they have a general interest, curiosity and they want to help the greater St. Petersburg area," Wunderlich explained. "They love the environment, they love working and learning too. They have a genuine curiosity as well."

The volunteers grow everything from bananas to butternut squash on a strip of land donated by the church.

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They give most of their vegetables away to people who don’t have access to it or can’t afford it. 

Volunteers with Wunder Farms garden in St. Petersburg grow fruits and vegetables for people in need. 

"There are so many people that need this type of high level of nutrition that we grow here….we give about half of what we produce to organizations," Wunderlich stated. "We give away about a ton of food every year from our gardens. It helps them. It gives them better nutrition using organic, sustainable methods."

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Children also go to the garden to learn about the different processes regarding when to plant, what to plant and how to plant.

Tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables grown at Wunder Farms garden in St. Petersburg go to people in need. 

Wunderlich hopes people can learn from the garden and apply the knowledge to their own community. 

"This brings people together. This brings the community together. We need more community together," Wunderlich said. "We need more people thinking about each other, each other’s health in our particular city and cities around Florida." 

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