Our gardens are right in the middle of the neighborhoods and communities where our young people live. Their work in the gardens create community meeting spaces that are used by outside of our Youth Farm programs. This week our Lyndale Project LEAD got to meet with a community group of neighbors that use our Pillsbury Garden for meeting space and for family events. InquilinXs UnidXs por Justicia is a new organization born out of renters organizing in Lyndale for tenants rights. Their mission is to bring groups of tenants in Minneapolis’ worst housing together in order to analyze problems occurring in their living situations, and then strategize and organize around those problems to create affordable, dignified living spaces in Minneapolis.
Members of the group brought up safety concerns with the garden space, including its lack of nighttime lighting and overgrown bushes. Our Project LEAD were both excited to hear about how families use our garden space and concerned by the safety issues. The conversation created a greater context for Youth Farm’s work in the gardens during the summer and school year. We now have a partnership with two of the group members to help us maintain the space to make it more welcoming, safer, and better for food production. Mario (also a Youth Farm parent!) and Carlos have teamed up to help us improve the space already.
Thank you so much Mario, Carlos, and InquilinXs UnidXs por Justicia! Like them on Facebook too!