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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — City farming — that’s what a group of teens in Syracuse are doing this summer.
For more than two decades in Syracuse, teens have been finding new experiences thanks to the Urban Delights program.
The teenagers bring the vegetables they grew themselves to customers at the Syracuse Downtown Farmer’s Market every Tuesday.
“A lot of people have come out of this running their own business,” said Lanygah Jackson, the supervisor of Urban Delights.
Urban Delights has grown my confidence in just talking to people and also trying to imagine new ways to give back to the community.
To supply the farm stand, members learn how to grow and harvest their own vegetables via a community garden, but the second half of the cycle is seeing their crops turn into profits.
“I had never kept a plant alive before, so it was fun to see that grow, and now we are selling it here, so it is just a fun experience to see full circle,” youth member Precious Dixie said.
That “full circle” vision gives people like Dixie a sense of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, “It’s teaching us money, financial security, just a lot of instilled values you’re going to want for your future.”
To support the program, you can find Urban Delights at the Downtown Farmers Market every Tuesday or at the Regional Market on Thursdays.