Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Armstrong.
Hi Tim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am Tim Armstrong, founder of Eat Your Yard Jax, Inc. I have always loved plants. When I was growing up, my neighbors had a big garden across the street, and I spent much time mucking around in there. I joined FFA and vocational agriculture clubs in HS but spent my career in industrial management. I began teaching at my son’s school when I stepped out of that world. His name is Cody, and he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. I ended up helping create Berry Good Farms for the North Florida School of Special Education and ran that project for 10 years. We began hiring people from the school at our farm/Eat Your Yard Jax, and started doing school field trips at my farm. About 3 years ago, we turned it into a non-profit and created it into what it is today, Eat Your Yard Jax Inc., so we can continue that mission after I’m gone. We hope to see you out at the farm soon.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We started as a little family business raising plants and selling them at farmer’s markets with my three boys. When we created the non-profit, it had many rewards, but it has been challenging to learn how to fundraise and support a bigger mission. We are in search of dedicated and loyal supporters/donors. We always seek mission-aligned businesses and teachers to network within our organization and the community.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Eat Your Yard Jax’s mission is to educate children and adults on growing healthy food by providing demonstrations and resources to empower them to participate in urban agriculture. We operate as an edible plant nursery and education center, employing veterans and other marginalized individuals. This entity donates a portion of the plants and services to local schools to educate that population and help create edible schoolyards for nutrition, biology, and history lessons. We specialize in empowering locals to eat locally one yard at a time while providing plants and education about the myriad of edible plants that can be grown in the NF area. What sets us apart from others is most of the plants we sell can be seen growing in the nursery/farm that we use as part of our education to the public. We also have a YouTube channel for that same educational purpose. We are most proud of our loyal customers coming back year after year to share their stories of the bounty in their yards that they share with their neighbors, family, and friends. We love to see children’s faces taste a fresh mulberry or blueberry they picked fresh off the bush. Eat Your Yard Jax wants to empower you to eat local, reduce food miles, and increase food security and self-sustainability while helping families get back in touch with nature by connecting through food.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
We offer weekly volunteer opportunities for families and individuals. School group tours help expand children’s minds and teach them the importance of locally grown food. We would love to have people recommend EYYJ as a school field trip destination. We love to collaborate with local teachers and host workshops at the farm. We host two festivals a year and invite local chefs, volunteers, speakers, and vendors who are mission-aligned. We are thankful for our donors. If your business or corporation is interested in supporting local food access and knowledge, we would love for you to contact us and collaborate on how we can work together! As a non-profit, we run based on community support and could not do it without people like you. “Unless Someone Like you Cares a Whole Awful Lot, Nothing will get Better. It’s Not.” -Dr. Suess.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eatyouryardjax.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EatYourYardJax/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatYourYardJax/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCydNyOlhbMfumQFy_EEn9sw
