(KSDK) New food nutrition and agriculture center to come in East St. Louis

The Danforth Center is partnering with the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Illinois Extension to launch the newly created Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN). The mission of the JJK FAN Center is to provide quality youth and community programs in STEAM+Ag, food production, nutrition, and physical activity in East St. Louis and beyond.

“East St. Louis is considered to be a food desert and we're actually addressing that issue through plant science," said Darius Pikes, Urban Ag and STEM Educator at the Danforth Center.