Et cetera : NCCC FEMA Corps Pine 3 helps build Community Garden in Kansas City

Pine 3 members paint raised beds before they are placed in the garden plot to be planted.

Rebecca Bova, cuddles with one of many baby bunnies The Urban Farming Guys garden has adopted.

By Rebecca Bova

As spring began to fully blossom in Kansas City, Mo., AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps team Pine 3 collaborated with The Urban Farming Guys of Kansas City to organize and hold a Community Day. The team, along with a dozen community volunteers, helped build and contribute beautification efforts to a community garden in the Lykins Neighborhood of Kansas City on Saturday, May 18. The project involved stripping 30 to 40 lbs. of bamboo rods to make tomato plant stakes, painting 12 raised bed frames, adding mulch to six different beds and planting various vegetables.

“It was such an awesome experience to collaborate with an amazing and motivating group of people like the Urban Farming Guys and to come into a community and contribute to its growing urban gardening network that every community member can benefit from,” said Project Outreach Liaison and Pine 3 member Rebecca Bova. “We had a great turnout and everyone really had great time learning about the benefits of urban gardening from our project sponsor, Jason Fields.”

The Urban Farming Guys originated from a group of individuals who purposefully relocated their homes to one of the most dangerous U.S. zip codes: the Lykins Neighborhood of Kansas City. They relocated to the neighborhood in order to promote sustainable environmental and financial practices and build economic forces to transform entire communities into thriving entities that can carry on to the next generation. The group has seen their fair share of challenges within the community, but through their persistence they have been able to transform many vacant urban lots into micro business opportunities and potential ownership cooperatives for community members.

“It was great having AmeriCorps NCCC here,” said Urban Farming Guys sponsor Jason Fields. “They were a great help to what we do and we really appreciate what they have done for us and we hope to continue to work with them again in the future.”