Kadi Barry is a high-school senior at Harlem Village Academy and a counselor-in-training at Harlem Grown, a nonprofit that introduces young people to urban farming at its 14 soil-based and hydroponic farms in Harlem. Participants also help distribute the harvest to Harlem residents and food programs, at no cost.
Approximately one in four adults in New York do not have consistent access to affordable, healthy food, but urban agriculture is helping to change this.
With funding from The Trust, Harlem Grown offers young people paid internship opportunities, like its counselor-in-training program, and afterschool and summer programs that combine academics and farming.
“I was excited to be a counselor-in-training with Harlem Grown because of the opportunity to work with and educate kids. I want to go to medical school and become a doctor, and I think it’s important to learn how to connect with kids before beginning my studies.
Making kids feel comfortable and heard is so important for a doctor. I gained a lot of practical experience working with children. One of the biggest lessons I’ll take to college from the internship is that if you don’t show respect to someone, whether it’s an adult or child, they won’t show respect to you.
Through the program I also took financial literacy workshops, where I learned about budgeting and using credit cards, and took résumé workshops, which were so helpful for applying to college.
I also think it’s crucial for kids to learn about healthy eating habits and nutrition and have access to fresh produce from a young age. But that’s not always seen as important in our community, so it felt really good to be part of that change.
I was so surprised when I found out there were farms in Harlem, and it was really interesting to learn more and think more about where our food comes from. Once a week we operated a farmstand and gave out free produce and lunches to the community. The families and individuals who visited our farm stand were so surprised and appreciative that the produce was all free.
Lots of families also signed up for the free Saturday Farm Sessions, where they can learn more about community agriculture and cooking with our produce. I think that’s really special. It made me so happy to give back to my community and encourage others to learn about the benefits of urban agriculture and healthy eating.”
