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The next phase of work in the garden will create seating and a shed\/outdoor classroom space. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\nAfter a multi-year effort, elected officials broke ground on the city\u2019s first public school \u201cfood forest\u201d at the Adlai Stevenson Educational Campus on July 15.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One year of work has already been completed to transform the former garden and apple orchard behind the Soundview campus into a 46,000-square-foot forest ecosystem where students will engage in hands-on learning about food systems, climate, sustainability, nutrition and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Next, work proceeds to the capital phase to build out the infrastructure and refine its design, and elected officials pledged further funding at the groundbreaking. The entire project is expected to be completed by June 2027.<\/p>\n
For the ceremony, dozens gathered in the garden on a sweltering summer day, amid rows of trees and beds growing corn, kale, zucchini, native plants and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next phase of work in the garden will create seating and a shed\/outdoor classroom space. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n
Joel Heckethorn, principal of Bronx Community High School, said that a former teacher established the garden years ago, but it fell into \u201ca downward disarray\u201d after he retired.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Heckethorn was among the first school leaders to lend support to expand the garden into a forest, and he said much progress has been made in just one year.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Soon, it will be revitalized into an active, multidisciplinary learning space, Heckethorn thanked the elected officials for their investments and enthusiastic support. <\/p>\n
\u201cToday is not just about a groundbreaking, but it\u2019s about planning opportunity for our students and our community moving forward,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Qiana Mickie, executive director of the Mayor\u2019s Office of Urban Agriculture, said when she first walked through the space, it was \u201cin a little bit of a wild state,\u201d but she and others saw its promise.<\/p>\n
Far more than just garden beds, the forest will become a workforce center that feeds the community and teaches \u201cfood sovereignty infrastructure\u201d in a borough known for food insecurity, poor public health outcomes and a lack of shade from tree canopy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work of truly addressing affordability and food insecurity in our city has never been more critical than now,\u201d Mickie said. As students and their families face many social and environmental stressors, \u201cYou deserve a place for respite and healing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The food forest is expected to be completed in June 2027. Photo by Emily Swanson <\/p>\n
Council Member Amanda Far\u00edas, an early champion of the project, had already secured $125,000 in seed funding for the first phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Far\u00edas said she grew up around the corner from the campus, and her mother attended the former Stevenson High School. Over the years, she remained committed to keeping the garden going and now to expanding it in a way that benefits residents for generations to come.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYears from now, I hope today\u2019s students return to this campus as alumni and remember that they helped build something long-lasting here,\u201d Far\u00edas said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said she was surprised to learn years ago from Far\u00edas that an apple orchard existed in Soundview and pledged $250,000 for the food forest\u2019s next phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fernandez said the project was especially important amid current concerns over food parasites that are causing outbreaks of cyclosporiasis<\/a>, a foodborne illness that, while usually not fatal, has caused severe diarrhea and hospitalization in infected persons. More than 400 people in New York have already been infected with the illness linked back to fresh produce, such as fruits, leafy greens and herbs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs the news is talking about how we can\u2019t even trust the lettuce in our stores, we need to teach our young people about how they can be growers, how they can be providers,\u201d Fernandez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michelle Luna, a representative of Congress Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said her office would invest $850,000 in the project\u2019s next phase. Though Ocasio-Cortez was away in D.C., Luna said the Congress member was \u201cthrilled\u201d about the opportunity to create a new green space that is \u201cthoughtfully designed\u201d to capture rainwater and benefit the whole neighborhood\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n The total investment required for the project is likely around $3 million, Borough President Vanessa Gibson told the attendees, and she committed capital dollars to at least match what other elected officials have pledged.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we put resources together, we make magic happen, and that is what our children deserve.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n