July 1, 2008

Child’s Play

Seattle Youth Garden Works Community Project

Kids these days: Can’t get ’em out of the garden, no matter how much you holler at them to come inside.

Kids that are involved with Seattle Youth Garden Works, that is.

The nonprofit organization has a simple, Alice Waters-esque mission: to empower homeless and underserved youths by teaching them to cultivate their own success — in the garden. After school, ages 14 and up spend time at South Park community garden Marra Farm, where they grow flowers and produce, build resumes, and earn school science credits.

The kids then sell their crops at the U-District Farmers Market and share in the profits. So you can support them by buying fresh fruit and veg for dinner.

And tell them how you used to walk ten miles in the snow just to eat crappy cafeteria food.

Available Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., University District Farmers Market, corner of Northeast 50th Street and University Way Northeast. For more information, go to sygw.org.