East New York Farms!

My recent trip to BK Farm yards on August 5th, 2015, located at 600 Kingston Avenue, was worth the experience of a summer vacation. At the site, there were mostly young educated youth farmers, and a few farm educators, two being Charlexia and Sawdayah. Their information was useful and installed a lot of value that I can apply to my present position as a crew leader at East New York Farms . I participated in several farm fun fact activities, one called the nutrition/food chain and I took the role as a distributor and played different scenarios.This really stood out to me because our main focus was on understanding where our food comes from and how it affects us as consumers. However the nutrition/food chain and the different stakeholders made us aware how complex the process is in getting the food to our plates and what procedures and measures that people take in the food and handling industry. In addition, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages that face business investors and consumers, and its impact that many residents who live in close proximity to the different industries face.

My most memorable moment of the trip was picking plums off the tree because they were delicious and there was only a limited amount that we had access to.  My second most memorable moment of the trip was also  interacting with youth from different areas but we all shared one thing in common; agriculture. For the next farm trips and program visits, I'm looking forward to more exposure to different non-profit organizations and youth-led activities. This exposure to Bk Farmyards made me focus more on making the world greener and a better place.  

Recently I attended a farm trip to BK Farmyard on August 5, 2015. BK Farmyard is located at 600 Kingston Avenue. There was a farm educator named Sawdayah who led group discussions and farm-related activities.  Youths that work there also participated in the group discussions and activities. One of the activities we participated in was called the Nutrition/Food Chain. The Nutrition/Food Chain is a step-by-step process in which food transfers from the farm that it was produced at and then to the plate on a person’s table. First, the food is produced by the farmers. Second, it is packaged and shipped to a particular processing factory. Third, the processing farm processes it and repackages it. Fourth, it is transported and distributed to local supermarkets. Lastly, purchases are made by customers and then it’s prepared and consumed. We were split into groups and basically each group had to explain their part in the nutrition chain. This was significant because I was enlightened on how the food chain actually works.

Additionally, we got a tour of the farm by a couple of the youths working within BK Farmyard.The most memorable moment of the trip was the interactive game called, “The Biggest Fan.” It allowed for participants to have fun together. Something new I took away from this site visit is the many ideas they had in terms of how they structured their farm which could be useful to East New York Farms!. For the next site/program visits, I am looking forward to more acres of land, more varieties of fruits and vegetables produced, more youth working within the sites, more organized space, and creative art within the sites. All in all, I enjoyed the trip to BK Farmyards.  

On May 30, 2015, East New York Farms!/United Community Centers hosted a  Northeast Regional Youth Food Summit and had a great experience with other youth from all over the Northeast Region. The other groups that were involved in the summit were Added Value, BK Farmyards, Community Food Advocates of NYC, The Children’s Aid Society in New York, EcoStation NY, the Rockaway Youth Task Force, Bushwick Campus Youth Food Policy Council, youth from the Groundwork of Hudson Valley & Somerville, High Line Teens, Bronx Works, and youth from Brotherhood Sister Sol. The day started with a breakfast, laughs and energizers led by interns from East New York Farms.  Youth learned West African, West Indian, Latin, and hip hop dances representing the diverse cultures of East New York.

The summit created a shared learning space for youth organizations involved in the food movement through food, environmental, and social justice work. It allowed them to connect with other youth and build strong solidarity bonds towards building a just, equitable and fair food system for all. The youth participated in youth-led workshops, field trips component to local urban farms in NYC and a cooking competition.

The East New York Farms! Project Youth led a hands-on workshop showing the other youth how to build up their own farms and gardens using a trellis system in our own farm on New Lots Ave. Also, the youth from Groundwork Hudson Valley taught about alternative and creative ways to grow food in a big city using hydroponics, a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water without soil. Furthermore, the youth learned about Lunch4Learning’s and EcoStation NY’s fight for universal free school lunch, explored the advocacy process as an extension of food justice, and participated in their selfie campaign and petitions.

 Additionally, the afternoon was quite eventful as the youth helped to make a delicious lunch for everyone. After lunch, the youth visited three farms in the afternoon. The hosts were the Bed-stuy Campaign Against Hunger farm, also known as the Saratoga Urban Agro-Ecological Center. The two other farms that the youth visited were ISO Student Farm in Brownsville and EcoStation NY Bushwick campus Farm. Furthermore, the youth returned to a cooking competition between four groups of youth that were judged by other youth on taste, presentation and creativity. The youth ended the day with a “sprout-out”, in which they were able to give shoutouts to anyone and anything they wanted to about the day.

All in all, it was rewarding that the youth all got to learn about how other youth around the Northeast region address food justice in their communities as a part of a larger movement to build a stronger network of youth food leaders dedicated to establishing a just food system for all! Hence, we are looking forward to our follow-up summit on advocacy this summer and our Fall exchange between the groups. Our goal is not to end the network after this summit but to continue to forge relationships and transform this network into a powerful network of Northeast Regional Youth Food leaders making strides in food justice.