Living up to its Mission
Added Value is a place that aims to motivate youth, mainly inner-city teens — through food and farming — to become better leaders and more active members of society.
I wanted to go beyond the mission statement to see what’s really happening at the Added Value Farm. And after two days on the urban farm, I was honestly impressed with what’s happening on the ground, in the ground, and who’s doing it.
What sticks in my mind, beyond the huge range of things growing in an under-three-acre plot — Who knew I could buy broccoli, kale, and the herb anise hyssop actually grown in Brooklyn? Who knew what I would do with the anise hyssop either, but that’s a different story — was the variety of people at the farm.
Teenagers from the neighborhood — and some who commute from more than an hour away — worked the fields and prepped vegetables for the Farmers’ Market. I built beds alongside a recent college graduate. Local residents, like 83-year-old Joe and 72-year-old Maria, volunteered their spare time on the farm, watering the beds and helping where they could. And I left the farm wondering when my 8-month-old daughter could start volunteering.
Added Value is more than just a safe place to nurture teens. It really is a place to nurture community. Tune in to our new special Work in Progress to hear more about this community of young farmers at Added Value, and the work they do.
