Teens Grow & Earn Some Green in the Garden During Summer Program

Teens Grow & Earn Some Green in the Garden During Summer Program

Before participating in City Beets, Brooke Foster didn't realize how sweet snap peas taste or that you can eat cucumbers raw. Now, she has a healthier diet and has talked to others about doing the same.

"I found out where our food comes from," said Foster, who attends Trotwood-Madison High School. "I learned you always want to make your own food because you know exactly where it comes from, and it tastes better and fresher. A lot of kids are on their phones all the time and eat fast food. Some are scared to eat raw foods. I want to help them try something new and learn something new."

Five Rivers MetroParks' summer program City Beets is open to youth ages 12 to 15, who can submit applications to participate through Monday, March 16. During this eight-week summer program, youth will grow vegetables at the community garden at Possum Creek MetroPark, sell food on Saturdays at the 2nd Street Market, take field trips, learn about food systems, and gain leadership and job skills.

"Often, the kids who participate in City Beets know very little about where food comes from and how food systems impact the environment," said Luci Beachdell, community gardening supervisor for Five Rivers MetroParks and program supervisor.

"Some kids are cooking meals for the family or making decisions about what the family will eat, and this program helps them make better choices and share information with their family," she added. "We see kids gain an awareness of where food comes from and why it makes a difference for us to produce our own food."

The kids' new awareness impacts their families and future: "One student and her mom and grandma decided they'd see how much of their own food they could grow, and they ended up losing weight and had a huge garden," Beachdell said. "Another boy decided he wanted to be a chef after his first year in the program, and he planted fruit trees in pots on the patio at home because he was so excited about cooking."

Kieran Dobbs, who attends Life Skills High School, would agree City Beets can make a difference in the lives of kids and their families. He and his brother, Trevor Dobbs, also a student Summit Academy, participated in City Beets. Kieran was a youth manager in 2013, helping teach other City Beets kids how to farm the vegetables.

"The learning experience and leadership have been the most valuable parts," Kieran said. "You learn valuable things about gardening, like planning procedures, where to plant and all about soil. You learn how to work with other people and about cooperation and how important it is to be responsible in a job.

"I've actually told a lot of the information I learned to my mom so we could garden together," Kieran added. "We were never really interested in growing food until City Beets; we were more flower people. Before, when we tried to grow food, we didn't know what to do. We live in an old house and the paint gets in the soil, so now we know to prepare the ground with fresh soil."

Photos: Teens Grow & Earn Some Green in the Garden During Summer Program

Five Rivers MetroParks’ summer program City Beets
Brooke Foster, 14, at the table where City Beets participants and their families will dine on items from the gardens.

Five Rivers MetroParks’ summer program City Beets
City Beets youth participants tend to the gardens, which will be at Possum Creek MetroPark this year.

Five Rivers MetroParks’ summer program City Beets
Kieran Dobbs (far right) and his brother, Trevor Dobbs (middle), at the City Beets gardens with their mother.

Links & Tags