Gardening program helps young people grow

Trayvon Wright arrived at one of the community gardens tended by Youth Farm and spotted a scattering of trash on the grass: a cup, a Styrofoam container, a napkin — leftovers, apparently, from some careless person's lunch.

Without prompting or hesitation, 11-year-old Trayvon stooped to pick up the litter and carried it to a garbage can.

So it's easy to see how Trayvon won eight stewardship stars — an honor that goes to kids who go the extra mile to help out — for his work with Youth Farm last summer.

"I picked carrots, I weeded, I harvested, I picked jalapeños, I picked tomatoes, I seeded stuff," he said of his summer's experiences.

Trayvon got involved with Youth Farm about a year ago after his older brother joined the program, having read about it in the newspaper. In addition to raising a wide variety of vegetables, he and other Youth Farm participants distribute produce to their families and others in the community, prepare big meals that they serve to community members.

The program continues during the school year, with lessons on gardening and cooking mixed with other activities.

"We do multiple types of things," Trayvon explained. "We garden, we play games, we learn how to contribute to each other, we cook, we bake, we learn to be a good citizen."

"The leadership," he said. "You know you're a leader and people can trust in what you do."

Youth Farm isn't the only way Trayvon serves his community. He and his brother like to help others the way some kids like to play video games. They'll rake leaves or shovel snow, for instance, for neighbors who might need assistance, charging at most a nominal fee.

"If it's a big job we'll do it for like, $2, but if it's a regular house, we'll do it for free," Trayvon said. "It feels good, because I know somebody's going to be thankful."

One big benefit of learning to maintain a garden has been the change in his eating habits, he said. "I used to not like to eat vegetables, I just liked to eat McDonald's. Now we eat a lot of veggies."

The vegetables became more appealing because he felt the pride in helping to grow them, and knew nothing artificial had been added to the food. He has learned to cook and enjoy dishes like bean soup with kale and carrots.

But when told they could be prepared in a delicious way — pan roasted with butter, for example — Trayvon said he was willing to give them a try.