A year ago, Eliah Belmar’s idea of a good summer did not involve working in a garden all day.
His mother made him fill out an application to work for a new organization sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension and the county’s Summer Youth Employment Cooperative called Roots and Wisdom.
After one summer picking weeds, harvesting herbs and vegetables and interacting with his community, Belmar, 16, a senior at Schenectady High School, is back for another year, this time with more responsibility as an education and leadership cultivator.
I tell everyone that at first I didn’t want to do this, Belmar said. `But the work is fun. You play games and go on field trips, and the people are nice. It’s like a summer camp.`
In its second year, Roots and Wisdom has grown from 14 youths to 27.
Students range in age from 14 to 18 and are split into three teams guided by college-age advisers.
According to Roots and Wisdom’s director, Debbie Forester, the program is designed to be community-service oriented. The youth involved grow organic vegetables, herbs and flowers and sell them at a local food market, but they also donate a portion of everything they grow to the Schenectady Inner City Mission.
Besides donating food, the young people are involved in a variety of service-related activities, including helping at SICM and with the summer lunch program in Mount Pleasant. They are also working to rehabilitate a neighborhood park in Mount Pleasant to be used for recreation and with their gardening efforts.
Roots and Wisdom sells its produce to local supermarkets and restaurants such as the Niskayuna Co-op, Cella Bistro and Earthly Delights and at the St. Luke’s Farmer’s Market every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The group has also started a harvest share where 15 local families paid a certain amount of money to the program at the beginning of the season. The families then visit the garden, pick whatever produce they would like and the cost is deducted from their balance.
Roots and Wisdom sponsored Be Vocal Eat Local week from July 22-28. The large community service project was supposed to raise awareness about the importance of eating locally grown food. The teens created fliers and educated residents at local supermarkets.
The group also presented Veggie Theater at the St. Luke’s Farmer’s Market, where the teens made up skits and raps about different vegetables and eating locally.
Belmar and fellow education and leadership cultivator Rachel Nevins, 17, a graduate of Niskayuna High School, organized the event.
Nevins said the group learned how eating locally grown food can stimulate the local economy because the money goes directly to the farmer and circulates back through the community.
`It’s like the movie theater downtown,` Belmar said. `Why would I see a movie anywhere else? I’d rather support my community by visiting my local theater.`
Belmar said the community was really supportive of Be Vocal Eat Local week. The city council passed a resolution naming July 22-28 Be Vocal Eat Local Week, and the county’s Chamber of Commerce became involved by asking local restaurants to buy a portion of their produce from local farmers.
Nine restaurants jumped on board, including Castelo’s, Cella Bistro, Cornell’s, Glen Sanders Mansion, Morrette’s, Parisi’s, Petta’s, Scotti’s and the Turf Tavern.
`The feedback we got from the community was really positive,` Belmar said.
Besides learning about local food, students with Roots and Wisdom learn about different vegetables including leeks, all types of peppers and eggplants and different herbs. The students give demonstrations during the farmer’s markets. They also learn how to keep the correct flowers in the garden to attract the right type of bugs, about nutrition, how to help the community.
Nevins said the group begins each day with some sort of game or activity then set to work weeding, harvesting, planning and organizing.
`There is always something to do,` she said.
Nevins plans on attending Barnard College in the fall. She said she doesn’t know what to study yet, but will always keep gardening as a hobby. Also, in her second year with Roots and Wisdom Nevin said she feels lucky to be apart of the program.
`I like working outside and being active and I like helping the community,` she said.
Belmar said he wants to go to college, but somewhere local so he can come back during the summer and be an advisor with the program.
`I like being involved in my community and it is a great way to meet new people,` he said.
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