Big Green Memphis still growing, giving
It's amazing what can grow from a small seed.
Dedra Macklin knew in her heart that something as simple as a learning garden could make a difference in her South Memphis community. Over the summer, four families not only grew food — they also grew opportunities for their children.
Macklin has worked with the nonprofit community organization Westwood-indian Hills & Neighboring Developments (known by most as WIND, CDC) since 2007. WIND, CDC serves the communities of the 38109 ZIP code in South Memphis. This community advocate had reached out to Big Green Memphis, a nonprofit that has installed more than 130 learning gardens in schools across the city, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to start a conversation.
“I had a vision to start growing within the community,” she said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she posed the question: “If you are growing successfully with the youth at school, can we bring it home to them?”
Big Green was in the process of pivoting its learning gardens into giving gardens, as students were no longer in the schools where the gardens were planted. Looking for ways to continue its education mission, Big Green had developed an “at home” grow kit that was being distributed to schools.
“WIND, CDC'S mission as a nonprofit is to ‘resourcefully cultivate communities for resilient regenerative living' in the 38109 neighborhoods, and so the partnership between WIND, CDC and Big Green was a no-brainer,” said Big Green regional director Lisa Ellis.
In collaboration talks this summer, the team developed a Grow Club with area families, using the “Big Green at Home” grow kits as the base of the new program.
Four families, with children ranging from toddler to teenager, received a grow kit with containers, soil, and seeds or seedlings. Each week, families met digitally with Macklin, Big Green program director Jenny Tokheim and the University of Tennessee's Willis Green to learn as a community about gardening practices, harvesting produce, plant parts and healthy recipes.
“There were always a lot of smiles on the Zoom calls,” Tokheim said. “No matter what your age, people are always amazed to see how a seed you put in the ground grows into something you can put on your plate to eat.”
Over the summer, each family grew a different vegetable: potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers and a summer herb mix.
The experience sparked a further interest in learning in each of the teens involved.
“This program with Big Green allowed WIND, CDC to see how else we could help,” Macklin said.
Macklin called upon the 1890 Foundation to help students who expressed an interest in agriculture as a career get better prepared for colleges. Internships were arranged for those wanting more hands-on experiences. A 4-H Club is also now in the works for WIND, CDC'S Teens-2-opportunities (T2O) program.
The collaboration between the two nonprofits has continued to the fall growing season, with a second session now in the works.
Big Green Memphis has expanded the “Big Green at Home” grow kit project within Shelby County Schools, with more than 1,500 grow kits going out to students across the Memphis area this semester. Big Green is working directly with teachers to support classrooms growing their own mini gardens at home this fall and winter.
As the team members at Big Green pivoted to at-home learning experiences, they also knew their gardens were a valuable resource to help the Memphis community.
“As Big Green Memphis was able to move back into our learning gardens, it was obvious that we should grow food and distribute it to the surrounding communities, preferably to families of students who attend a learning garden school,” Ellis said. “With schools primed to grow fresh, healthy veggies and a community in need of them, there was an opportunity for Big Green Memphis to grow to give.”
During the summer, 1,900 pounds of fresh produce grown and harvested at Big Green school gardens was donated. Most produce was donated to the MidSouth Food Bank, although some schools donated the produce directly to school families and school staff, such as custodial workers or facilities workers who were at the schools over the summer and took the produce home.
The fall crops have been planted, and just as this summer, all produce will be donated once harvested.
“There has been growth in these families,” Macklin said. “They not only learned how to take care of themselves, but their neighbors and the community.”
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer. chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.