Sneaky Squirrel Garden
Shannon Francis, of Spirit of the Sun, led a HFDK workshop for community members and their children at Sinom Farm. Sinom Farm is a space for Denver's Native American community to learn and practice Indigenous farming and food traditions.
Urban gardens led by youths can have a number of benefits. Some benefits include:
Providing an opportunity for young people to learn about and engage with their local food system, including where their food comes from and how it is produced
Teaching skills such as plant care, harvesting, and composting
Promoting physical activity and outdoor time for young people
Encouraging a sense of community and responsibility for the garden and its produce
Providing a source of fresh, nutritious produce for the community
Creating a sense of pride and ownership for the young people who are involved in the garden's management and maintenance.
Kaizen’s Sneaky Squirrel Garden is located in Athmar Park of Denver. Thousands of pounds of produce, as well as plant starts and seeds are donated to low income community members to impart greater food security and hunger relief in our community. We use the "take what you need and leave the rest for the community" concept. The garden was established with the help of various organizations and individual community members who donated seeds, seedlings, and compost. Youth volunteers, with the guidance of FrontLine Farming and Spirit of the Sun, help maintain the garden, and surplus produce is donated to our food share program. In 2021 and 2022, Kaizen received a generous grant to facilitate educational workshops with local Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers and hire a youth team to cultivate the garden. Kaizen plans to continue and expand these workshops in the 2023 grow season!