By Laura Bettenhausen
Troy Kids’ Garden
As the end of the growing season rolls around, I am met with just how quickly every season seems to pass by, and summer goes by more quickly than most. My work at both the Troy Kids’ Garden and Madison School Farm means I interact with over 500 kids in a month, which can be quite overwhelming, but also means I’ve gotten to share my love for growing and cooking food with a multitude of young people.
This summer at Troy Kids’ Garden we did seed art, made gourd monsters, and wrote thank you cards to the men at Oakhill Correctional Institution, who donated hundreds of plants to us. A highlight was visiting Troy Farm, which donates produce to Northside community centers as part of the Purpose Grown Project.
Youth from those community centers had the opportunity to see where all that food is grown, help harvest, and even taste veggies fresh from the farm. Of course, we still found plenty of time to plant, weed, water and harvest in the garden, cook things like okra creole (with the farm’s 3-pound tomato), feed the chickens, and pick bouquets (sometimes in the rain).
It feels like a whirlwind, but within that rush come slower moments, full of wonder and joy. It is moments like these — from watching kids notice how bright and delightfully fluffy our marigolds are, to seeing them excitedly holding a chicken for the first time — that remind me why I do what I do. I take every instance I can to show kids why being outside is fun and how tasty vegetables can be, but also to foster a sense of belonging and pride in them. The garden is a place they can feel at home — from seeing the garden bed signs they painted themselves, to cooking new recipes while getting messy and making mistakes — in a safe, kind environment.
When surrounded by trying times in our community and in the world, sometimes being compelled to pay attention to the simple pleasures around us is important. More than that, spending time with our youth is a daily reminder that they are who we are fighting for. Every child deserves the opportunity to seek these moments out and find solace in their own communities.
