Nestled in the heart of Homewood, Operation Better Block, Inc. works to organize, strategize, and mobilize residents to improve the neighborhood through several community-driven initiatives.
One of the organization’s most fruitful programs is the Junior Green Corps (JGC), a cohort of students from different Pittsburgh schools who give their time to invest in Homewood. Between beautifying vacant lots, urban gardening, installing air quality monitors, and planting trees, these youth are learning how to make a difference in their community and certainly making an impact.
GBA had the opportunity to visit a Junior Green Corps meeting and talk with the students as well as their Green Initiatives Coordinator, Hayly Hoch, about their rapidly expanding urban garden and the mission behind their work.
Image credit: Operation Better Block
Urban gardens are critical cornerstones for communities that are in food deserts. Berto, JGC’s team leader and an 11th grader at Westinghouse Academy, notes that Homewood has “a sort of drought for food.” Westinghouse Arts 9th grader Synia emphasized that “the nearest grocery store is further than a mile away. We grow food so we can sell it to people” in Homewood.
Tenth grader Eve from SciTech only joined JGC in October but was able to reiterate that “allowing locals and people in the community to have access to food when there isn’t a local grocery store around” is crucial when many residents may not have access to cars to drive to the closest grocery store. Setting up an urban garden in the 7300 block of Frankstown Avenue helps supply the community with fresh produce at a much closer distance.
Hayly went into detail about the mission of the garden: “Our urban garden is for the community, not dictated by one person. It is really community driven. When we figure out what we are growing, we take into consideration what community members are going to want to take home, what they are comfortable cooking with already, what new things they want to try, and we also want to make sure we are thinking about what is going to be cost-effective. We want to fight food apartheid.” Above just providing food for the residents of the area, the Junior Green Corps learns about the problems with food injustice and how every person can make an impact.
Image credit: Operation Better Block
A visit to the garden in early October 2022 provided an opportunity to see all the youth in action. The students produced 680 pounds of produce this year, and they answered several questions about how they organized themselves into the many roles of the garden, and the process of taking a seed and turning it into a profit.
At any given time, up to 20 JGC members are working in and around the garden. Hayly leads the operation and assigns the youth to jobs that will best amplify their strengths. “Our young people who are confident, are gregarious, I love to put them in a tour role versus young people who are very detail-oriented and just want to get into the work are great at completing really complicated tasks independently.” In conversation with some of the JGC members, GBA learned about what these different roles entail, and which tasks the students prefer more than others.
Donald, a 9th grader at Penn Hills, noted his favorite role was the reaper. “I mostly just harvest peppers, tomatoes, and sometimes when they’re in, herbs.” Dallas, a 10th grader from Westinghouse Academy and a veteran JGC member, on the other hand, enjoys “planting, taking care of the land, and mowing.” With a wonderful mix of new-hires and experienced corps members, older youth are presented with unique leadership and mentorship opportunities to help the newer members.
Image credit: Operation Better Block
As for the produce cultivated, the garden primarily grows vegetables. Many of the students mentioned lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and the infamous cucamelon (a vegetable that was available for sampling during their fall open house event). Dallas also emphasized that they “also grow herbs like cilantro, lemon balm, mint, and other flowers.” Producing nearly 700 pounds of produce (an increase from 550 in 2021 and 250 in 2020) requires a lot of different types of produce and plenty of workers to keep the garden going.
But as easy as they make it seem, there are plenty of obstacles to overcome. Donald was adamant when describing their critter problem such as with “harlequin beetles and groundhogs climbing over the fences.” However, with time, the team has been able to ward off some of these pests by taking to new crops. Further, to keep their operation sustainable, they keep the seeds from harvest and reuse them in the next growing season to cut down on costs.
After the long season of growing, the students then have several responsibilities before the produce reaches its final destination. Synia summarized the process saying, “we pick it, we clean it off, then we put it in containers, we separate it, and put it in bags so we can sell it off.” Eve helped clarify that once the produce is ready to go out, they “distribute it to different places [such as local Community Supported Agriculture pickups] and weekly Homewood Farmer’s Market that can distribute it even further.” The affair is certainly a long one, but it has shown the students some perspectives on the supply chain and the distances food travels to reach the dinner table.
Image credit: Operation Better Block
In addition to sharing details of the tremendous effort they put into their community garden, the youth also shared their experiences, memories, and favorite aspects of working in this urban green space. Khalil, an 11th grader at Obama, mentioned the pride that comes with making an impact on the community and said that he loved “giving interviews about the garden.” Marcell, an 11th grader at Oliver, explained that JGC and the garden have allowed him to “meet new people and help people that come to see the garden.” He remarked about some times when he tossed a few cucamelons to folks walking by, making their day in the process.
While some of the JGC members such as Berto and Dallas have been a part of the program for over a year and have gained a lot of knowledge about garden operations, everybody can learn something from the garden. Khalil expressed that he has “learned how to plant and grow,” a necessary skill as our world turns to more sustainable solutions for food production. Even one of the corps’ newest members Sa’vontae, a 9th grader at Oliver, explained that in just a few weeks, he has come to appreciate the service because it has taught him about “communicating more and working with different people.”
Having such a far reach of students from a number of schools, JGC truly shows the diverse nature of Pittsburgh and specifically the Homewood area. Marcell noted that working in the garden for six months has showed him “the secrets of life” and he loves applying the knowledge outside of the garden: “before I joined Operation Better Block, I didn’t know what type of trees I was walking past or what was growing right beside me. And now I know.” Berto reiterated how many of the skills from the garden can be taken to everyday life, such as being pristine, organized, and analytical when it comes to tackling new challenges.
Eve further noted how he has adopted the sustainable lifestyle into his own life away from the garden: “I learned a lot about different ways to help out, not just here, but outside. I learned how to recycle better; I like to split up my trash.” Above all, Synia emphasized that the garden offers more than just food, but it opens an entirely new world of information and interaction for the community: “I learned that there’s more than just a garden. When people drive by, they say it’s just a garden with flowers and plants, but they don’t know that some plants help with your skin and your health, and they can give you strength. There are herbs and food. They don’t know what’s in the garden until they go in the garden, observe, and ask about it.”
Image credit: Operation Better Block
Corps members also shared their newfound perspectives from the urban garden. As the garden expands, many of the youth want to try fruit production, from watermelon to peaches. Synia mentioned growing night flowers would be a unique feature to include. Marcell took a creative approach to the question about what to add to the garden, saying that he would like to see solar panels. Since these interviews were completed in November, Junior Green Corps has partnered with Zero Fossil to add solar panels to the garden shed at the end of 2022.
The dedication, initiative, and pride demonstrated by the JGC members is inspiring. When asked what advice they wish they could share with others interested in helping their community, they answered as follows:
“ If they really want to, I think they should just do it. It’s a great opportunity to meet friends, better communication skills, learn new things, work it out, make the community that they live in [and] that other people live in better. ”
“ Try to influence others on how to do stuff differently in their life that may also benefit themselves, their household, and their neighbors. ”
“ If you want to help the community then help the community. There’s nobody stopping you. It doesn’t matter what other people say. If you want to do it, then just do it. ”
“ Start where you live and letting your work be guided by folks who work, live and play in the community. Progress in Homewood should be driven for and by Homewood residents. ”
The garden is closed until the spring. However, Hayly is committed to ensuring that the work is continued. Even if the youth cannot be outside working in the garden, they will be actively engaging with sustainability curriculum and professional development indoors. “We will be learning about sustainability concepts: water, air, soil, and how they relate to environmental justice and environmental racism in Homewood. We will talk about seed care, starting seeds inside, pest management, we’ll make a garden map together, crop rotation, soil health, companion planting, beneficial insects, really looking at our garden as an ecosystem.” Once March rolls around, JGC will be prepared to tackle an entirely new growing season, with big goals and a better understanding of how to grow a fruitful urban garden.
Up next for JGC and Operation Better Block will be their seedling sale in the Spring. Hayly mentioned that they will begin planting the seeds in February, with plenty of time for preparation before they are ready to be sold or replanted in Homewood.
If you are looking for ways to serve your community or are a young person in Homewood searching for an amazing way to help others and meet like-minded students, Sa’vontae, Khalil, Marcell, and Berto all had the same advice:
