Black Farmers Collective creates community space for youth in Seattle urban farming program

A 1.5-acre farm, set in land once occupied by Washington State’s first racially integrated housing estate, produces food, flowers, and opportunities for teenagers of color to immerse themselves in history and the soil.

For a third year, the Black Farmers Collective has partnered with iUrban Teen to create an urban farming experience for teens at Yes Farm, which grows crops and hosts community building events and educational programs.

The farm is located on I-5 and is bursting with flowers, beehives, vegetables and a medicinal herb garden. When the teenagers are on site, the air fills with laughter, wheelbarrow races, and jokes between farm chores and workshops. Each participating student receives a $ 100 scholarship.

Operations manager Hannah Wilson, 24, who has been with Yes Farm for a year, is passionate about educating young people.

“In the past, blacks didn’t have equal access to green space or land, so I’m really trying to ground the youth in the fact that we’re on indigenous land,” said Wilson. “And I want you to know that black farmers used to have that large stake in America and that less than 2% of the farmland is now owned by black farmers.”

The Yes farmland once contained Yesler Terrace, the first racially integrated public housing development in the United States. The houses were completed in 1941 and had large gardens and spacious courtyards. But the area has changed with the construction of I-5, gentrification and new housing developments and has been redeveloped since then.

“When people had to leave these rooms, we saw that there was a great need for people who had been gardening for decades,” said Wilson. “Many are immigrants with a rural background. So it was a really nice experience to give them the opportunity to take over the property. ”

The farm’s goal is to “make this place a space that’s not just for them, but one that’s built for black and tan youth and any other marginalized background they may come from.”

Terrell Engmann and Jordan Jackson, both 22, co-founders of Basilica Bio, a mobile educational organization focused on creating change in color communities through science, discussed the history of environmental justice and restoration with high school students in early August.

“The point is that we want to learn and share this knowledge,” said Engmann. “We focus on how we can empower our community and how the environment plays a role in equity in healthcare.”

Mahogany Wade, 15, who previously helped an aunt maintain a home garden, says she likes to be surrounded by black and brown students, farm specialists, and guest speakers, and values ​​efforts to protect the environment for future generations. “My mom always raised me to think of others and not be selfish,” said Wade.

“We’re a community of blacks who work together for our environment, and that will show people that we really stand up for what we believe in,” said Wade. She looks forward to returning to the farm to see the results of her hard work in the products, plants and flowers.

Bees hummed around the glowing sunflowers while teenagers watered the plants, tasted edible flowers, and shoveled fresh compost into the soil. The youngsters also harvested vegetables and learned about plant parts and food cycles during the three-day program.

“I want these youngsters to have a place in the environment, connect with the land wherever they go, and be leaders and educators after that program and be able to bring other people to it,” said Wilson.

Volunteers are welcome on open court days, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until December.