Existing comment:
Community = Collective Power
Rebecca Lemos-Otero, Co-founder, City Blossoms
QUOTE:
"Every young person should be able to walk within their neighborhood to a safe green space that they feel comfortable in and that can be their own. A space they can take care of, where they can be the leaders."
-- Rebecca Lemos-Otero, Co-Founder, City Blossoms
QUOTE:
"Selling our product felt really empowering. We grew the herbs. We came up with the names. We made the logo labels, and we were in charge of what happened. We put our heart into this."
-- Sae Garrett, City Blossoms and Mighty Greens alumna
STORY:
DC native Rebecca Lemos-Otero co-founded City Blossoms to help her neighbors in Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights take control of their outdoor community spaces. Today, City Blossoms coordinates youth-run community gardens throughout the District. This includes the Mighty Greens program which supports teenagers who want to grow herbs, develop products, and sell the results at local farmers' markets.
CONTEXT:
In recent years, Washington, DC has been one of the most rapidly gentrifying cities in the nation. The accompanying population growth and real estate development have meant that land and green space are at a premium and will continue to be even more crucial to the health and well-being of the city's residents in the future.
TAKE ACTION:
There are dozens of public and non-profit community gardens throughout the Washington region. These are not only spaces to grow food, but to build positive relationships with neighbors and the land. You can see if a community garden near you has a plot available. Advocate for local policies that support urban agriculture. |