Gardening the Community
Mission: GTC is a youth-led food justice organization engaged in urban agriculture, sustainable living, and organizing for healthy and equitable communities. We believe in the power of our communities to make change through developing and supporting home grown leaders.
GtC employs youth from around the Mason Square Neighborhood and beyond to grow fruits and vegetables on vacant and abadonned lots. Youth are paid a stipend and taught principles of urban sustainable living and urban agriculture.
The food that is grown is sold at our farmer's markets, local restaurants, and a health food store in Springfield. Youth also bring the food home to their families, and any additional produce is donated to open pantrys and food banks.
To encourage sustainable living, all produce is delivered to market and stores with use of bicycles and bicycle trailers to reduce air pollution and build healthy lifestyle choices. No pesticides or herbicides of any kind are used, and all work is done by hand.
In order to irrigate crops rain collection and water conservation methods into our growing practices to reduce our dependence on the City water supply and to practice low-input farming
The youth work a full Spring, Summer, and Fall season with GtC and assist in various community services avtivities that invlove increasing the amount of fresh available produce. This includes providing assistance to residents in starting backyard gardens to build family self-sufficiency and health and assisting other local non-profits in providing vegetables to senior centers and Springfield businesses.
Youth are also engaged through field trips to farms and other non-profits and community groups to deepen knowledge of agriculture, social change, and community service. GtC also regularly hosts groups from around the region to expose youth and adults to the role that urban agriculture can play in community transformation.
