A local work-study program by Green Corps is helping teens find employment at urban farms in Midtown, Slavic Village, Fairfax and Buckeye-Woodland communities while giving them and residents around the farms access to fresh food.
Students learn to grow food on one of the four farms, then sell it to people who live nearby at a steep discount. Green Corps members also spend part of their summers meeting with local professionals, learning about life skills and what waits for them after they've gotten too old to be part of Green Corps for the summer.
When William Crites-Krumm joined the UT Green Corps (pictured above) he knew little about gardening. He was passionate about sustainability in theory. But it wasn’t until he got his hands dirty working in the Housing and Food Service (DHFS) residence hall gardens that the idea of sustainable food became very real.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it,” said Krumm, describing his excitement to start working with the Green Corps. The experiential learning program puts students in charge of two campus gardens near Jester and Kinsolving residence halls and other sustainability related projects.
(PHOTO: Jester residence hall garden)
Krumm took charge of managing the gardens and the students that work in them to make it all run efficiently. That included mapping out which crops were going to be grown and schedule harvests.
“The Green Corps has given me the means and the opportunity to pass on my knowledge and skills I’ve gained,” beamed Krumm. “Even in my first year, I found the opportunity to teach my friends and family about urban gardening and sustainability and to help a few start their own gardens.”
(PHOTO: William Crites-Krumm tending the garden)
DHFS Sustainability Coordinator Hunter Mangrum has been excited to see the program and the students involved grow. “I know there is a massive amount of concern about the future health of our planet, but when I look at the people that Green Corps has been fortunate enough to have be on its staff, I feel much better about the future,” he said.
(PHOTO: Students at winter harvest in the Jester residence hall garden)
Krumm’s work as a student also led to a career. When he graduated in December, his passion for sustainability and the work he’d done with the Green Corps led him back to DHFS where he now works as an assistant sustainability coordinator.
You can learn more about DHFS sustainability initiatives on their website or check out other campus sustainability resources.
