If you look closely at the Morris Heights and Morrisania sections of the Bronx, you might spot a growing number of vegetable gardens. People here are getting excited about locally grown food, in particular the eager participants from the Grow More Vegetables certificate program.

The Edible Academy’s Bronx Green-Up Community Outreach Program at The New York Botanical Garden provides education, training, and technical assistance to Bronx residents who want to improve their communities through greening and urban farming projects.

On this visit, we learn about staff members and tenants at a supportive housing unit for New Yorkers, who are dealing with mental health concerns and recovering from trauma and abuse. Through Bronx Green-Up’s Grow More Vegetables program, participants are learning how to build gardens in inner-city settings. As part of the program, they complete practice/volunteer hours in community gardens and urban farms and share their newfound knowledge with others in the community.

“It’s intimidating to think about growing food,” said one participant. “[The course] gave us a foundation to connect with each other. The community piece is important; oftentimes people don’t feel part of the larger community because of mental health concerns.”

Read about our other stops on the Road Trip Blog or scroll through the map to see where we have been.