From Vacant Lot to Edible Garden: Growing Community in Hartford

from Connecticut Food & Farm Magazine, Spring 2020, Volume 20

by Connecticut Food and Farm

My Armenian Table

from vacant lot

to edible

gar

106CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

den

Growing Community in Hartford

BY MALLORY O’CONNOR

LISA NICHOLS PHOTOS

CT FOODANDFARM.COM 107

108CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

SINCE 1972, THE KNOX FOUNDATION HAS TRANSFORMED

ACRES OF VACANT HARTFORD LOTS INTO EDIBLE,

productive gardens to combat food insecurity in Hartford. KNOX currently oversees 23 community gardens that serve more than 400 local families, but these are more than just green spaces in which to grow healthy produce.

“The ‘community’ part of the gardening experience is not something to be glossed over… this is key to the value of what happens here for our culturally diverse family of gardeners,” says Kyle Borbas, who works with KNOX.

In the community garden on Battle Street, many of the gardeners hail from Mexico and South America. Farmers grow heirloom squashes, melons and a wide variety of peppers that may be uncommon in America, but to immigrant farmers they are the taste of home.

CT FOODANDFARM.COM 109

110CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

.reen spaces in which to grow healthy produce

gthese community gardens are more than just

CT FOODANDFARM.COM 111

112 CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

The Watkinson Garden is one of the larger gardens in the program. The expansiveness of the growing space means gardeners aren’t working elbow-to-elbow. However, “the nightclub” - an open air shed - is a place for them to get together at the end of a long day. Gardeners can decompress together, sharing stories, recipes, and produce.

Many of the gardeners in Watkinson were brought up around farms in Myanmar and other areas of Southeast Asia, as well as Jamaica. Bitter melon climbs the handmade trellis built from sticks along the fence-line; here, farmers focus on using the whole space. “The cool thing about traditional farming is that it’s uniform in its approach in every single society,” Courtney Morrison, former garden director at KNOX explains. “It’s really just using the earth to provide, then giving back as much as possible to her.”

KNOX is certainly giving back to the earth. In a recent study, UCONN researchers set out to see how many beneficial insects the gardens brought into the area. They found approximately one thousand different species coming in and out of the gardens in just an hour. KNOX also is home to a beekeeper,

Gardeners can ask advice of knowledgeable staff, and are provided with a resource library, free seeds, and water

with hives at most of the gardens. Gardeners are offered classes on beekeeping and honey production, the latter of which is sold at the annual KNOX Harvest Market in November.

Garden Coordinators work as liaisons between the gardens and the KNOX Foundation, established in the 1960’s by Betty Knox as a trust fund to help improve the city. Coordinators report back on what’s needed at the gardens, and help to direct activities such as cleanups and repairs. When the coordinator at one garden recently passed away, the community actively worked together while a replacement was being found, keeping the garden going, revitalizing it, and making essential repairs.

It’s not only residents of the neighborhood that get involved. At the garden on Earl Street, parishioners at the adjacent church joined

CT FOODANDFARM.COM113

114CT FOOD & FARM / SPRING 2020

Farmers grow heirloom squashes, melons and a wide variety of peppers that may be uncommon in America, but to immigrant farmers they are the taste of home.

CT FOODANDFARM.COM 115

gardeners to construct cob ovens, crafted from natural materials. Members brought supplies and, with the help of an expert, built the ovens. Cobb ovens also stand at the KNOX gardens headquarters on Lowell Street in Hartford. “There was a bit of a learning curve,” Kyle notes, “but members are now able to cook pizzas and other recipes using their fresh produce.”

KNOX sets members up for success. Gardeners can ask advice of knowledgeable staff, and are provided with a resource library, free seeds, and water. Member classes in 2019 included gardening 101, pruning, using organic methods, how to identify and manage pests and diseases, a mushroom and truffle workshop, salsa-making and canning classes. These sessions encourage growers to try new crops and gardening techniques. They also serve as an opportunity to meet members of other community garden locations.

KNOX offers a sliding fee scale for garden plots which range from 300 square feet to 625 square feet. The availability of resources - such as water in close proximity, compost, and maintenance - also affects the price of the plot. Members pitch in with seasonal work, cleanup, and preparation. Additional upkeep of garden spaces or the greenhouse may be contributed in lieu of a portion of the fee in the case of financial hardship.

Gardeners can reserve their plots by contacting Kimberly Beal, Community Engagement Manager at KNOX, at 860-951-7694 - or visit online at knoxhartford.org.