Help Teens Promote Healthy Food Access in NYC

 A New Farm Takes Root!

Teens for Food Justice is happy to announce the successful launch of our new after-school program at Urban Assembly Unison School in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn!

From the welcoming atmosphere and eagerness of school’s staff and student body, to the ninety five percent of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, we could think of no better place to build a school farm and encourage youth to advocate for healthy, affordable food in their community.

This new chapter of our program is enriched by close partnerships with Citizen Schools, a national organization enabling extended learning days to schools in low-income communities, and Wellness in the Schools, which brings a healthy alternative lunch menu and nutrition education to schools in New York City and beyond.

Planting the First Seeds

Since the first day of our thrice-weekly program on January 4^th, our new team of 14 middle school students has already progressed by leaps and bounds in their knowledge of hydroponics and urban farming.

They began their journey to expertise by planting the seeds of their first crops. Choosing from a wide variety of seed packets, each student seeded 10 herbs, which they will cultivate in hand-built window farms throughout the year.

Sharp, eager and ready to get to work, they hit the ground running, keeping our mentor team on their toes with question after question about the farm. All were excited to talk about herbs they had never even heard of before, and speculated what foods they could learn to make with them.

Some students literally couldn’t contain their curiosity, getting up to inspect the big NFT system (a hydroponic growing method for growing leafy greens) our mentor team built as a demo back in December.

Another put it simply and spot-on:

“It’s crazy how nature can combine with technology.”  

Budding Scientists, Engineers, Farmers

Over the next few sessions, the student team learned about the engineering and mechanics of three different types of hydroponic growing systems by assembling scaled down models of the larger structures they will soon build in the room.

The final step of their hydroponics engineering training was learning how to prepare nutrient solution, which feeds the plants. Armed with gloves and graduated cylinders, they carefully measured and stirred nutrients, and measured and adjusted the solution’s pH balance and eletroconductivity.

In the News

A high note of the week for the students was the chance to show their progress to reporter from DNAinfo, a local news source. The students completed the final steps of their modeling project with their trademark speed, while eagerly recounting what they’d learned; Abdur, a sixth grader, volunteered to tell Leon all about the growing medium, rock wool, that the plants grow in.

The resulting article (click to read) highlighs how much all of the students have already gained from their experience:

“I like that we actually get to plant the seeds by ourselves” -- Tamia, 7^th Grade

 “They treat us like their family” -- Abdurraheem., 6^th Grade

 “It’s rare at middle schools that you can build something real.” -- Amy Piller, UA Unison Assistant Principal

Now that the new team has mastered the basics of hydroponics, it’s time for them to build the real thing!

Soon, these students will begin harvesting hundreds of lettuces, herbs and other leafy greens plus tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to share with 150 other Unison students and their families along with their newfound knowledge of hydroponics, nutrition, and health. Ultimately, all students of UA Unison will be engaged in STEM curriculum through the farm.

Thank you all so much for making Teens for Food Justice possible. Your support is already contributing to bigger and brighter futures for the students and families we serve.