WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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[birds chirping]

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THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN
ACTIVE WITH COMMUNITY GARDENING.

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WHEN THE CHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY BEGAN
IN 1890, HORTICULTURE WAS JUST A MUCH STRONGER

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PART OF THE NORMAL LIFE OF THE EVERYDAY CITIZEN.

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THE GREEN YOUTH FARM IS AN ATTEMPT TO RECONNECT
PEOPLE WITH THAT LEGACY, WITH THOSE ORIGINS.

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OUR FIRST GREEN YOUTH FARM WAS ESTABLISHED
IN 2003.

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THAT PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL, EVEN IN THE FIRST
TWO YEARS OF OPERATION.

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AND IT CONVINCED US THAT WE SHOULD ATTEMPT
TO ESTABLISH A VERSION OF THE PROGRAM IN THE

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CITY OF CHICAGO.

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NORTH LAWNDALE IS A COMMUNITY THAT'S GONE
THROUGH A LOT OF TRANSITION IN CHICAGO'S HISTORY.

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WE HAD DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE COMMUNITY,
SO WE WERE FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE ISSUES

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OF COMMUNITY: DISINVESTMENT, STRUGGLING SCHOOLS,
KIDS NOT HAVING A LOT OF THINGS TO POSITIVELY

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ENGAGE THEM AFTER SCHOOL AND DURING THE SUMMER.

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IT WAS AN AREA THAT WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF
NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY.

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AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD BEEN WORKING
FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING

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SERVICES ON THEIR NEIGHBORWORKS DAY, WHERE
THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, BUSILY FULFILLING A LOT

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OF THAT NEED BY BRINGING UP THE HOUSING STOCK,
HELPING OUT WITH COMMUNITY GARDENS.

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SO WE WERE VOLUNTEERING AND PROVIDING PLANTS
AND MATERIALS FOR THOSE DAYS.

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SO IT WAS--WE ALREADY KIND OF HAD THIS RELATIONSHIP,
AND THEY SAID, "WHAT IF WE DID SOMETHING A

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LITTLE BIT BIGGER, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MORE
PERMANENT?"

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AND WE WERE KIND OF LOOKING AT THE SAME THING
AT THE SAME TIME.

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WITH THE HELP OF OUR FRIEND CHARLES LEEKS
AT NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, WE FOUND

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A SITE RIGHT NEXT TO HIS OPERATION WHICH WAS
AN ABANDONED VACANT LOT THAT HAD FALLEN OFF

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THE TAX ROLLS, AND WE STARTED WORKING WITH
THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND SAID WE WOULD LIKE

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TO SET UP A GREEN YOUTH FARM THERE.

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AND WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IMLS FUNDING.

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WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE NORTH
LAWNDALE SITE WITHOUT IT.

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THAT FUNDED ALL THE START-UP COSTS AT THAT
SITE.

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AND THOSE ARE THE BIG INITIAL COSTS THAT OCCUR:
BUILDING THE BEDS, FENCING, GETTING THAT FIRST

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GROUP OF KIDS IN AND PAID FOR, AND GETTING
THE PROGRAM STAFFED.

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PEOPLE USED TO THINK THE GARDEN WAS, LIKE,
A CLUB OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE WE WERE SO EXCITED.

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WE WAS LIKE, "ARE YOU GOING TO THE GARDEN?"

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AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "WHAT IS THE
GARDEN?"

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YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T SAY "GREEN YOUTH FARM"
OR "CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN."

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WE SAID, "YOU GOING TO THE GARDEN?"

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AND IT WAS, LIKE, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A CODE
NAME FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, BUT IT'S WORK.

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I DO FEEL THAT IMLS TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH WITH
US, BECAUSE THE PROPOSAL WASN'T THAT SPECIFIC

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IN MANY AREAS BECAUSE I COULDN'T BE SPECIFIC.

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AND I REALLY GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR GIVING US
A CHANCE.

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WE MADE COMPOST AS WELL.

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YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE COMPOST.

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YOU KNOW--

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GREW THE CROPS.

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RIGHT, AND--SO IT WAS, LIKE, ABOUT US LEARNING
HOW TO DO IT.

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WE DID IT HANDS-ON.

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IT WASN'T NOTHING LIKE, "OH, WELL, HERE, GUYS,
ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS WATER IT TODAY AND GO

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HOME."

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NO.

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WE WORKED.

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THESE STUDENTS ARE GETTING REVIEWED IN FRONT
OF THEIR PEERS WEEKLY.

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IT'S HARD TO GIVE THAT TYPE OF INTENSE EVALUATION
TO SOMEONE IN THAT KIND OF SETTING, AND IT'S

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ALSO HARD TO RECEIVE IT.

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AND WHAT WE FOUND WITH A LOT OF THE STUDENTS,
IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR THEM TO RECEIVE THE

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POSITIVE FEEDBACK.

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ONE GIRL STARTED CRYING.

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SHE DIDN'T THINK SHE DESERVED IT.

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NO ONE HAD EVER TALKED TO HER LIKE THAT.

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WE HATED WEEDING, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT WAS,
LIKE--IT WAS WORK.

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SO WE WASN'T USED TO WORK.

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AND NOW IT WAS LIKE, YOU GET YOUR WORK DONE,
YOU'LL BE FINISHED, YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT

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ASSIGNMENT.

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MAYBE YOU MOVE ON TO SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY
DOING.

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YOU KNOW, WE LIKE-- WE LOVED WATERING BECAUSE
IT WASN'T NOTHING.

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WE WERE JUST SITTING THERE HOLDING THE WATER
HOSE.

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YOU KNOW, SO, LIKE, ME, YOU KNOW, I WORK IN
RETAIL NOW.

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YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO STOCK IN AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.

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CERTAIN AREAS I LIKE DOING, BUT I KNOW, IN
ORDER TO GET TO THAT AREA, I HAVE TO FINISH

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WHAT I DON'T LIKE.

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I KNOW FOR ME, THE GREEN YOUTH FARM WAS, LIKE,
REALLY LIFE-CHANGING BECAUSE, LIKE, Y'ALL

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KNOW, 'CAUSE, LIKE, WHEN I WAS--FIRST CAME
THERE, I WAS JUST SO SHY.

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I WOULDN'T TALK TO NOBODY OR NOTHING.

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AND, LIKE, OVER THE YEARS, I GOT, LIKE, MORE--
LIKE, JUST MORE INTO PEOPLE, WHATEVER AND

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SUCH, AND WOULD TALK TO THE PEOPLE, HANG OUT
WITH THEM AND SUCH.

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AND, LIKE, IT REALLY DID IMPROVE ME.

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NOW IN, LIKE, THE THIRD YEAR, I JUST, LIKE--
NOW I JUST LIKE REALLY TALKING TO PEOPLE,

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EVEN THOUGH I WAS CREW LEADER AND SUCH.

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I WASN'T, LIKE, BOSSY, GO DO THIS, GO DO THAT,
AND SUCH.

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I WAS JUST, LIKE, HANGING OUT WITH THEM, JUST
TALKING TO THEM LIKE A REGULAR PERSON.

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AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO BUCKLE DOWN AND WE
WERE GETTING RULES WE HAD TO FOLLOW BY, WE

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WAS KIND OF UPSET ABOUT THAT.

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I AIN'T--I WAS, 'CAUSE I HATE WHEN PEOPLE
TRY TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO.

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SO I WAS KIND OF UPSET ABOUT THAT, BUT THEN
AGAIN, I KNEW-- I LEARNED IN THE LONG RUN

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THAT YOU ALL--EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU HAD TO
FOLLOW BY THE RULES.

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YOU CAN'T JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

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IT'S--THAT'S A PART OF LIFE, AND I WAS GLAD
THAT THEY TAUGHT ME AT THAT TIME WHEN I WAS

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15 YEARS OLD THAT, YOU GOT TO FOLLOW BY THE
RULES.

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YOU CAN'T JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

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WE'RE GETTING THESE KIDS ENGAGED IN A POSITIVE
ACTIVITY.

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THEY'RE GETTING A JOB.

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THEY'RE GETTING PAID.

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SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING TO THE
ECONOMY.

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AND WE'RE ALSO GROWING A LOT OF FOOD.

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IN 2010, WE DONATED NEARLY 7,000 POUNDS OF
PRODUCE TO FOOD PANTRIES.

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IT'S GREAT 'CAUSE, LIKE, ONCE THEY EXPAND
YOUR MIND ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE EATING AND SUCH

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AND, LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR BODY, THEY--AND
THEN, LIKE, JUST OPEN YOUR MINDS TO DIFFERENT

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THINGS, LIKE, OH, LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN
MY RELATIONSHIP AND, LIKE, WITH OTHER STUFF,

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WHATEVER?

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YOU KNOW, IT JUST, LIKE, REALLY EXPANDS YOUR
MIND ONCE THAT LITTLE THING OPEN UP.

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IT'S AMAZING THAT HOW THE GARDEN HAS CHANGED
US AND CHANGED OUR DIETS, OUR LIVES, OUR PERSONALITIES,

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OUR--IT'S CHANGED A LOT ABOUT US.

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WE NEVER THOUGHT.

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LIKE--WE NEVER THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD, THAT
JUST A LITTLE SUMMER JOB THAT WE WAS DOING

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COULD CHANGE OUR WHOLE PERSPECTIVE OF EVERYTHING
OVER LIFE.

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AHH!

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THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

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THE OPERATIONS OF THE GARDEN'S FOOD SERVICE
INCORPORATES THE GREEN YOUTH FARM PRODUCE

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INTO OUR CAFE.

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THE GREEN YOUTH FARM IS ONE OF OUR VENDORS
THAT WE BUY FROM HERE FOR A CAFE AT THE GARDEN

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AND FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENTS.

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AND OUR CHEF, MIKE KINGSLEY, WORKS DIRECTLY
WITH THE GREEN YOUTH FARM FOLKS, FIND OUT

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WHAT'S IN SEASON.

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OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS ESPECIALLY, THE ROLE
OF PUBLIC GARDENS AND BOTANIC GARDENS HAS

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EVOLVED DRAMATICALLY.

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AND THE KIND OF ACTIVITY THAT IS SPONSORED
THROUGH THE GREEN YOUTH FARM IS INCREASINGLY

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PROMINENT.

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OUR BOARD MEMBERS RECOGNIZE THAT PUBLIC GARDENS,
ESPECIALLY THOSE LIKE THE CHICAGO BOTANIC

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GARDEN THAT HAVE A REALLY BIG EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL BE GOING BEYOND

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THE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES AND THAT WE ARE
DEVELOPING AND MODELING PROGRAMS THAT CAN

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BE USEFUL TO OTHER BOTANIC GARDENS AND OTHER
KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS.