This is a collaborative article written by Myrtle Thompson-Curtis and her granddaughter, Aminah Thompson (18).
In 2009 the Manistique Community Garden was started on the west side of Detroit. After a few years, it became the Feedom Freedom Growers Garden. A large community of folks participated in its creation, carrying the messages of “feeding ourselves to free ourselves” and “growing a garden grows a community.” Today there are more than a few fresh food sources on Manistique but Feedom Freedom Growers is by far the oldest and has a consistent volunteer day every Saturday, with a youth component that has been more or less consistent since it started the Youth Enrichment Program in 2014.
The Youth Enrichment Program (Y.E.P.) assists youth and families in maintaining and improving health through being in nature, teaching basic gardening skills, providing nutrition tips, and uplifting our relationships to music and sound expression. Y.E.P. aims to develop knowledge of urban agriculture by blending experiential techniques with more formal learning curricula. Practically every day this past summer, 8 youths completed gardening workshops at the Feedom Freedom Garden through hands-on experiences. The youth participated in planting seeds, and they learned the importance of caring for tender sprouts, watering techniques, harvesting, and eating freshly grown vegetables.
The deep-rooted community aspect of the Youth Enrichment Program comes from the mission, vision, and history of Feedom Freedom Growers to provide space and opportunity for the mentorship of our future generations. This makes the Y.E.P. an impactful and vital part of our work. We practice the spiritual components of balance, mindfulness, and gratitude. The principle of Ubuntu is African in origin from the Bantu tribe. It is the theme of our summer intensive program. The Ubuntu value system emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals: “I am because we are”. There is also the teaching of the Zulu greeting of Sawubona, which means “I see you and the response is Yes”, “I see you, too”, or simply “yebo!”. It is more than politeness; it carries the importance of recognizing the worth and dignity of each person. Youth participants were introduced to three keywords: Agriculture, Interconnected, and Compost. These terms all relate to the concept of sustainable farming on a small scale. In nature, there is no waste.
Often the youth participants were put into teams to highlight the importance of working together and collaboration. They had many opportunities to exhibit leadership roles. Every day a timekeeper was chosen.This was the person who helped to keep the day’s routines on track. This gave rise to youth leadership as it encouraged them to engage in and feel a sense of ownership of our activities. Youth were inspired to take on other leadership roles as well, such as lunch distribution. These roles helped foster a sense of community, as each young person began to really learn the importance of working together and respecting one another to get a job done.
For 4 weeks, Monday through Thursday, I, Aminah, was dedicated to being at Feedom Freedom Garden as a facilitator, remembering that a few years ago I was one of the youth participants in the enrichment program. Some of the participants were new to gardening, but I was able to teach and guide them from my knowledge and experience.
The program continues to help me think about the foods I put in my body, and I watch as it is helping another set of participants do the same. The youth worked on a worm composting bin by first removing all the rich black soil and then refilling it with things worms like to eat. We planted arugula and spicy greens that looked like lettuce. We even created a song. These activities provided the participants with useful skills that make life richer.
I am a recent graduate of Cass Tech High School and will be attending Oakland University in the fall of 2024. I have been in the garden pulling weeds since I was 3 years old. At the age of 12, I was finally old enough to join the Youth Enrichment Program. After years of watching on the side, I joined the program with my own gardening experience. I was taught personal development and community development, as well as community outreach and canvassing. I also learned the importance of working in teams and communicating. Six years later I am facilitating the energizers and helping to design programming. This past summer, we were always reminding each other that “if you want to go fast go alone” but “if you want to go far go together”. This means when you are together you will make it because sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.
The Youth Enrichment Program was a success because many children got to experience things for the first time in the Feedom Freedom Growers Garden.They tried foods they’d never had before, such as stuffed grape leaves from Coriander Kitchen, vegan pizza from Village Pizza at Alkebulan Village, and delicious sandwiches from the Detroit People Food Co-Op. And on Thursdays, they picked a crop from the garden to make into a delicious dish of their own! Participants were even encouraged to use different words to describe how the food tasted. It was adventurous and fun. Guest facilitators came from as far as New York. There were teachers and professors who joined us to learn from the work that grassroots organizations are doing in Detroit, including solutionary and place-based education in neighborhoods. One of those guest facilitators was a local nutritionist who taught the importance of eating fresh food and staying hydrated.
Throughout the program, creativity was explored through music and writing. The sound and music component of the 4 weeks was fantastic. Youth engaged in songwriting, meditation, beatboxing, vocal techniques, and were exposed to musical instruments. Professional musicians joined to show participants what it’s like to perform in front of an audience. Participants performed in a final showcase, inviting their parents and caregivers. Local journalists, such as a representative from Riverwise magazine, came to capture the final day of the Y.E.P. program.
I, along with the other Feedom Freedom Growers staff, look forward to the Y.E.P. program next summer, even with the challenges of time restraints, hot weather, and securing funding for activities and facilitators. My team and I are enriched by having participated in the intensive summer program hosted by Feedom Freedom Growers. This is our work: changing ourselves to change the world as we grow gardens and ourselves. It takes months of prep to pull off the summer program and we are getting started again in January. If you are interested in helping or want to be a part of this team please email Feedomfreedomgrowers@gmail.com with your inquiry.
Myrtle Thompson-Curtis is the co-founder and gardening program director at Feedom Freedom Growers, a board member of the Boogs Center, a member of the Jefferson Chalmers Water Project, a member of the Climate Collective, and a member of GCNGL Project.
Bio: Aminah Thompson is a participant in the Feedom Freedom Growers Youth Enrichment Program.
