ST. PETERSBURG. Fla. — All year long they've been growing a feast at the St. Pete Youth Farm in preparation for Kwanzaa.

Farm coordinator Carla Bristol has been helping teens live the cultural holiday’s seven principles of self-determination, collective work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith all year long. Back in July, Spectrum News stopped by the farm to see the beginnings of their main project, raising 40 tilapia. 

“So the fish have been raised since June 1, Bristol said, “and they’ve gotten huge.” Now, the group is just days away from turning those 40 fish into the main course for the Kwanzaa feast on Dec. 26. 

“We can’t wait to sit down with a plate of rice, with the peas that we grew here at the farm, with the mustard greens, too, that are so lush right now and the collards and some fresh fish," Bristol said. "That’s gonna be a feast and that’s what Kwanzaa is all about. It’s the first fruit.”

But as they prepare to set a table for the first day of Kwanzaa, youth farmers say they've gotten so much more than just a meal on a holiday. 

“I know how to grow fresh food,” said youth farmer Kiana Chambers. “If I find seeds and stuff, I know how to plant them and grow it. Then I can take the seeds and replant them and that’s how you provide for the community.”

There’s something much more important growing at the Youth Farm than just fruits, vegetables and fish — they’re cultivating the minds of children to know that they are the seeds of the future. 

“In general, just knowing that they’re loved, cared for and appreciated," Bristol said. “That someone really, genuinely believes in them.”