MOUNT STERLING, Ky. — A community center in Mount Sterling is teaching kids of all ages the importance of growing their own fresh food.
The DuBois Community Center aims to enrich the lives of Mt Sterling youth—one way it does is through their community garden.
Kyera Wright, a high school senior, has been helping grow the produce at the DuBois Community Garden since she was 6 years old.
“When I was 6, normally, it was just watering with the water hose,” Wright said. “Now I help with the planting and selling items at the farmer’s market.”
Wright is one of a handful of kids of all ages, planting, harvesting and selling the produce they grow. But they also give the food to those in need of fresh produce.
“Just a couple of weeks ago we went to the local senior citizens’ home, and they were waiting outside just to get produce because they don’t normally get it and that made me feel so good,” Wright said.
It’s nearing the end of the summer growing season. Some of these students are going off to college, while others are starting their first year of middle school.
Eliyah Strode said her involvement in the market is teaching her skills she can use throughout her development.
“You can learn how to use things you’ve never used. You can learn how to communicate and learn how to be a good person with kindness and someone that loves helping the community, loves planting and loves helping the earth,” Strode said.
During summer, they’ll grow corn, cucumbers, greens and tomatoes. Everything is grown with no chemicals, she said.
“When you do the farmer’s market, you have to bring out your social skills and you have to help people in the way they want to be helped,” Strode said.
Glen Scott tills the land and teaches the kids about the growing process. He learned it from his grandparents and wanted to spread the knowledge to the younger generations.
“I think it’s a good thing to know where these fruits and vegetables come from. A lot of them, we get them out here and we dig up the potatoes and they think it came from Kroger,” Scott said.
Providing for the community, educating the community and planting seeds of knowledge future generations can use throughout their lifetime are goals of the center.
“Yes, I think I’ll have a garden in my backyard when I’m older,” Wright said.
Soon, Scott will till the ground and begin planting for the fall.
Many of the students involved with the garden receive scholarships to college and others have served in the armed forces.
The DuBois Community Center is in the auditorium of a former African American school during segregation. Mount Sterling DuBois School was burnt down by an arsonist in 1964.