plows, plants, and pizza

plows, plants, and pizza

Using a plot of land he purchased next to his restaurant, Matt Klabacka of Townies Pizzeria wants to share the culture of planting and harvesting with the next generation.

BY JULIE SIMMONS PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOWNIES PIZZERIA

Raise your hand if you’ve driven by Townies Pizzeria on T.J.

Meet Matt Klabacka, who some of you know as the owner of Townies Pizzeria. What might be news is that he’s quickly building a local brand as Farmer Matt. “I grew up working on a farm in Wisconsin, and my mom always taught me that gardening is good for the soul.” Matt will be the first to tell you that these days he is ready to preach the same message to anyone who will listen. “The hours I spend in the garden are absolutely the most satisfying of the week,” he says.

Matt and his wife, Angie, raised three boys, who are now all in their 30s. Matt has fond memories of teaching his sons to garden and he is proud that they are carrying on the tradition with their own families. When Matt acquired the plot of land next door to his restaurant, he knew this was a unique opportunity to act on his passion of inspiring the next generation to take up gardening.

“I am a farmer who just happens to know how to make pizza,” says Matt. “What I really want to do is share the gardening experience with the community; that is what our garden is all about. Sure, we will use some of the produce in our kitchen, but we are growing this garden teach and to give back.”

Today, Farmer Matt is inspiring students from Fernandina Beach and sprouting future farmers with his new Plows, Plants, and Pizza program. “There is nothing better than seeing a kid experience the soil and cultivate their own produce for the very first time,” says Matt. “We enable this by inviting groups of students to come and learn how soil, seeds, water, and sunshine work together. We give the kids a chance to learn how it all works, and then plant their very own seeds, which we give them to take home, tend, and then harvest their first fruits or veggies.”

In addition to the hands-on gardening, participants get see a real-life plow in action, take a hayride, and of course, enjoy some pizza! So far, a few cohorts of homeschooling students have enjoyed this experience, and Matt would love to hear from any local educator who is interested in bringing your students to the garden.

In addition to teaching the kids about seeds, Farmer Matt shares his commitment to conservation with the students, too. “One thing I love about this garden is that it’s a green space in the heart of our city,” he adds. Moreover, the garden is an occasion to empower the entire community to recycle. “Today, we have a compost pile that we teach the kids about, but we are also working to open it to the public so that they can recycle waste and then take soil.”

So next time you drive by Townies and see Farmer Matt tilling his soil, roll down your window and wish him well, and if you get lucky, you can say hello to a group of future farmers, too! To learn more about Plows, Plants, & Pizza, reach out to Matt anytime at www. towniespizzeria.com/contact.