Chicago youth learning to grow food and give back through urban farming

CHICAGO - An organization on Chicago’s West Side is looking to bring farm life to the city. Their goal is to teach young people all about growing their own food, as well as some life skills along the way.

In a Fox 32 special report, Kasey Chronis digs in to find out how it works.

You can find all kinds of tasty produce in the garden behind the BUILD youth services agency in the Austin neighborhood.

"We grow a number of things," said Kenyana Walker, youth program coordinator at BUILD Chicago’s Farm and Peace Garden. "We grow corn, we have tomatoes, we do zucchini, we have squash."

Walker helps run the Austin Grown program at BUILD, with the goal of making farm-to-table a reality for inner-city kids.

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"The starting point for Austin Grown, I think, was to make sure the youth knew their options. That they could see something like this. Be a career path for them and also to understand and learn how to be able to sustain themselves."

Austin Grown has been around for about 10 years, but this is only their second growing season in their new space. Organizers said the program lets the young people involved see every step of the growing process.

"From start to finish, they have a hand in all that. We start with the soil. We start with the seed starting mix. We mix it up ourselves," Walker said.

"The goal of this program is to teach a life skill. To show the youth that there’s something out here for everybody. And here’s something, try it. If you like it, you like it. If not, you can still take a little bit with you," she added.

"I had actually managed to find a lot of enjoyment being out here and actually doing things. Doing things related to gardening. Produce, farming, how to manage things," said Josiah Sutton, a youth apprentice at BUILD Chicago’s Farm and Peace Garden.

Sutton is just one of many who has found a love of growing through this work.

"But it’s actually been a lot of fun along the way. Growing myself, making sure I learn adequate gardening techniques. Lessons being taught to me by Ms. Kay and many others who are above me," Sutton said.

He said working in the garden has inspired him to pursue a career path in urban agriculture and to grow food for his own family.

"I can transport all the experience that I’ve earned here, from what I’m actually planting here, and apply it all to at home. So my family has more food to eat so we don’t have to go out and buy food ourselves," Sutton said.

"They realize that this is something they can use in their lives. It’s a life skill, so they can take it with them," Walker said.

Walker said the garden is also a way to teach some bigger life lessons to the young people who get involved.

"I also share with them social justice, like issues that we all suffer from. Even in the neighborhood we’re in right now, which is Austin, we are a food desert. So I let our youth know what part we play in combatting that," Walker said.

"I show them how in our past, our predecessors and ancestors used urban agriculture and farming in general as a tool of liberation. And to show that we’re strong enough to do things on our own," she added.

Everything grown in the garden ends up in the community, either donated to partner organizations or given away at a market run by the young people involved with the garden.

"It will show people that our youth are doing something positive. And give them a reason to want to come and be involved," Walker said.

"I hope it expands. I hope we’re able to go to different neighborhoods and show our youths in other areas that this is possible and look what we can do with our hands," she said.

The program is open to all high school students who are Chicago residents. You can learn more about how to get involved at BuildChicago.org.