GROWING FOOD IN A COMMUNITY GARDEN
Farmer and activist
Do you know where your food comes from? This is a question that everyone should be asking themselves and their family members. Did you also know that during the early 1900s, 40 percent of our population lived on farms? We had over 50 million farmers and over 500 million farms. Today, those numbers have drastically decreased to around 3.2 million farmers and 2 million farms. And yet, the actual farm size and production has increased due to industrialization and agribusiness. At the same time, our once plant-based diet has become increasingly more animal-based; as a result, our average caloric intake has gone from 2,000 calories to 3,800 calories per person. Is it any surprise that a food system that encourages such overabundance has resulted in a population of unhealthy and obese people?
I live in a low-income neighborhood in the Bronx section of New York City. I have seen firsthand the differences in the quality of food here. We are surrounded by fast-food chains and junk food. Politicians might call our neighborhood a food desert, but the real problem is hunger and poverty. We have plenty of food—what is lacking are nutritious food choices.
There are, however, people in cities across the country who are working to combat food inequality by growing their own. Here in New York, we have over 600 community gardens; in my borough alone there are close to 120. I started my garden, the Garden of Happiness, back in 1988. It was one of 15,000 vacant lots in New York at the time. Over the past few decades, community gardens of all shapes and sizes have become the lungs of the city. Each year people throughout New York’s five boroughs grow tons of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The majority of this bounty is grown in individual plots owned and maintained by a garden member.
When I first started the Garden of Happiness, I had no gardening experience. But I learned quickly by reading books and through word of mouth. I started by growing tomatoes, green peppers, and eggplant—and of course collard greens. As an African American, collards are part of my family’s culture and tradition. Yet it was my first tomato that would change my attitude toward vegetables. The taste was incredible. It gave me the incentive to plant, grow, and eat all types of vegetables.
One advantage of growing food in a community garden is that you can grow your favorite vegetables. You plant a seed in the soil, water and nurture that seedling, and watch it thrive. Before you know it, it’s time to collect your harvest. Often, the garden allows us an opportunity to plant vegetables not available in local supermarkets or bodegas. In fact, one of the best ways to try new and potentially unfamiliar kinds of vegetables and herbs is by trading with your neighbors. For instance, I have bartered for tastes of callaloo, tomatillos, cilantro, and Asian pears from my fellow gardeners. People often ask: What do we do with the excess produce? Most give it away or donate it to a local food pantry or soup kitchen. In my neighborhood’s case, we run a farmer’s market that generates income for the garden.
My community garden allows me to share good food and good culture with my neighbors. Controlling what you eat and growing your own food gives you power. So, if you ever have the opportunity to visit a community garden, stop by; you just might be surprised by what is growing inside.