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In 2006 East New York Farms!,with support from Green Thumb and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), was provided land to start a community garden and increase green space and local food production in the neighborhood. We joined with community residents to establish a new urban farm on this abandoned lot and founded “Hands and Heart Garden” with the mission to "enrich the community through education and urban farming". Now, over 28 gardeners are committed to growing food there for market and building relationships with each other and their neighbors. Through volunteer energy it was turned into a vibrant garden where are growing food -like they did growing up in the Caribbean, West Africa, Bangladesh and the South-, and bringing our community together.
In the past 3 seasons gardeners have more than doubled the size of their growing space and membership, relaxed under their new shade structure, built compost piles and a water collection system, kept bees, held educational workshops, hosted hundreds of volunteers and visits from the East New York Farms! youth program, sold fresh vegetables at the weekly market stand in front of the garden, planned a children’s garden and enjoyed their unique and ever changing neighborhood space. The gardeners believe that at Hands and Heart the “air is fresher, the sun shines differently, and that it can transport you to a world that is often not available for anyone in our urban neighborhood.” |
