The Story of Brownsville EATS @ Amboy Garden

This Project EATS site was the program's first location. During the winter and spring of 2009, 2 farm sites were built: a 3 bed site was built on the campus of Teachers Preparatory Academy (Teachers Prep) and a 14 bed site was built at Amboy Garden  courtesy of Help USA.

Winter/Spring 2009

Project EATS was offered to high school students as an accredited class.  The 1st class built the initial beds at Amboy and at Teachers Prep. They learned the basics of urban farming: building raised beds, seeding, weeding, and watering their crops. In addition to EATS Facilitators, they received instruction from volunteer farmers John Ameroso from the Cornell Extension Program and Jim Hudgins, a skilled and passionate gardener.

2 Project EATS Interns from Teachers Prep and 2 from the Summer Youth Employment Program maintained both sites during the summer. Youth in the Intel Workshop After School Program at Help also participated in Project EATS. 

Winter/Spring 2010

In Spring 2010, the Amboy site grew to 26 beds. The Teachers Prep class farmed and maintained the site and helped facilitate the Intel Workshop sessions.  6 of the new beds were designated for community residents to farm.  Community elders who once had beds at community gardens that were closed for housing development, became active at Amboy.  They worked alongside the youth, sharing their skills and knowledge.  Together, the youth and elders reestablished a garden committee for Amboy.

Once again, EATS Interns maintained both sites during the summer along side EATS farm facilitators.

Fall/Winter 2010

In Fall 2010, school construction stopped farming at that site.  The 8' x 4' beds at Amboy were rebuilt and made longer to support greater efficiency in the use of space and resources and to grow higher yields. More areas at Amboy were cleared for farming. 

Winter/Spring/Summer 2011

By Spring 2011, this site's farm capacity had more than doubled.

This summer, Project EATS launched its Fellows Program which hired 7 youth who had participated in its workshops to apprentice with its farmers. They farmed on most of Project EATS' sites and developed job-ready skills in farming. 

At the end of their Fellowship, 2 Fellows who have graduated high school were hired at Project EATS as Assistant Farmers. One of these Assistants was in the 1st Project EATS class at Teachers Prep.  He now oversees the daily operations at Amboy and will co-facilitate EATS classes and after school programs at Teachers Prep this fall.

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