GARDEN CULTIVATES KIDS’ PASSIONS FOR GROWING FOOD
By Harrison J. Bahe
On the cool morning of April 30, 2025, I was invited to tour the flourishing garden at the H’man Shawa Early Childhood Development Center. Located along the entire west side of the building, the garden is a vibrant, living classroom — a space where nature, learning, and community come together. Raised beds, patches of rich compost, small sprouting greens, towering trees, and an impressive variety of vegetables and herbs grow on either side of a central pathway.
Every Wednesday morning, dedicated volunteers — Terrance Williams, Cay Loria, Michele McGuinness, and Novita Joy — arrive to help the children learn how to grow and care for their own food. “Most of the kids, they just go to grocery stores and things like that,” Williams explains. “So we try to get them out of that concept and let them know that you can grow your own food.”
The garden is an abundant patchwork of artichokes, kale, beets, tomatoes, strawberries, chard, rosemary, watermelons, green beans, snap peas, mint, cabbage, carrots, squash, cucumbers, cilantro, basil, and even pomegranates — all nurtured by a drip irrigation system funded by grants. Master gardeners Cay Loria and Michele McGuinness have been helping guide the project for four years now. “This is just a magical place,” Loria says. “It’s so much fun to be here with the kids, and I love watching them learn about the vegetables — and enjoy them, too.”
Shortly after the tour began, the real stars of the show arrived: the children. It was immediately obvious how much they loved the garden. Laughing and wide-eyed with excitement, they eagerly ran toward the beds to forage for fresh fruits and vegetables. Strawberries were a crowd favorite — many kids picked and rinsed them off before devouring them with joy.
The garden isn’t just a place to observe plants; it’s a space for exploration, learning, and pride. Several children proudly shared their favorite recipes — including crispy kale chips made in an air fryer with olive oil — and excitedly asked if I’d ever tasted certain fruits or vegetables. When I said no, they rushed off to pick one just for me. This early connection to the food they grow themselves is already having a deep impact.
“We send them home with a lot of the fresh produce,” Williams says. “We produce a lot of vegetables and fruits, and all of that goes back to the community and the elderly center, too.”
Currently, the garden supports both the students and a local senior center, but Williams hopes to grow its reach further. He envisions a future where the garden also provides healthy options for children at the Recreation Center. “I want the kids to have good, healthy meals and help them get off of the vending machines,” he says.
For those with green thumbs — or just a big heart — Williams and his fellow volunteers welcome helping hands each Wednesday around 8 a.m. at the H’man Shawa garden.
