Teen Growers Begins Its Second Year!

June 15 our Seed to Feed program kicked off its second year of the Teen Growers Internship. The six-week internship allows 6 Elkhart teens the opportunity to practice gardening and job skills like leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and communication in a safe outdoor learning environment. The program is made possible in part with funding from Monogram Loves Kids Foundation, Beacon Health Systems, Renee and Brian Campbell and Steven and Kathryn Shantz.

Teens are learning about gardening and topics like food justice, food waste, food traditions, climate change and opportunities in agriculture. "We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity again this year, though COVID-19 has forced us to make modifications to the program," Chelsea Risser, Seed to Feed Coordinator said. Changes include reducing the number of participants to ensure social distancing is possible, daily temperature taking and masks. Instead of traveling to local gardens and farms together for weekly field trips as previously planned, several speakers will visit Church Community Services and speak to the teens outdoors. As part of the internship, teens are planning, planting and tending to their own garden plot. They are also helping take care of the community garden and greenhouse on site, which provides fresh produce to those who visit the CCS food pantry and other pantries in Elkhart County.

"Our hope is that this internship will empower future generations of our community to create healthy lives for themselves and their families, as well as help youth see agriculture and gardening as a potential career pathway," Risser said.