Carrots, Squash, Kale Move Into Vacant Lot

Addie Kimbrough had a vision: A community garden in the vacant plot of land opposite her house where neighborhood kids and seniors could plant cabbage, collard greens, kale, and turnips.

With the help of volunteers, she made that vision sprout.

The finished product was on display as a crowd gathered for the grand opening of Shepard Street Community Vegetable Garden — a plot of land the size of two homes, and the latest in a cornucopia of lovingly tended greenspaces throughout the Newhallville neighborhood.

Volunteers helped Kimbrough lay down fresh soil, woodchuck-proof the vegetable beds, and plant seedlings. All the the garden’s materials were donated by neighbors, Kimbrough’s family, and the environmental nonprofit Gather New Haven.

Kimbrough stressed that although the garden was her vision, the garden is for the community. Anyone is welcome to help out. A noticeboard in the garden will list the tasks that volunteers have completed and what needs to be done. That way, Kimbrough said, people can come at their leisure and choose their tasks.

“The pandemic made fresh vegetables hard to find,” said Kimbrough. ​“I did this so the children could put their hands in the soil and see where their veg comes from.”

Rin Davis, who is 3 years old, and 9‑year-old sister Aoife helped their mother Nicole Davis rake soil and carry squash seedlings at Saturday’s gathering. Davis takes her daughters to the community garden near their home in Fair Haven often. She came to the Shepard Street garden to support her friend Kimbrough.

“I want [my children] to know that its important to be a good neighbor and to work together for the community,” said Davis.

Aoife said she was excited to rake and plant her favorite vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, and pea shoots.

Mayor Justin Elicker (who used to run one of Gather New Haven’s two forerunner organizations, The New Haven Land Trust) showed up Saturday and chatted with Kimbrough about the vegetables she plans to place in the garden. He noted that just across the road at 91 Shepard is a flower garden planted by volunteers and the Urban Resources Initiative.

“The community gardens not only serve as a place for people to grow healthy, fresh food, but as a place for people to gather together outside and enjoy each other’s company, learn from each other, and reclaim derelict spaces to improve the neighborhood,” said Elicker.

The city worked with government’s neighborhoods agency, the Livable Cities Initiative (LCI), to ensure that there was a license and lease to support the work in the garden. Elicker called Kimbrough’s leadership inspiring because it encapsulates the grassroots spirit of New Haven.

Kimbrough initially approached Eliza Caldwell from Gather New Haven with her vision in January. Caldwell, who came to the garden driving a pickup truck filled with soil, said support from neighbors convinced her organization that the garden was a good idea.

Four members of the local chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity came to the garden as a way to give back to Newhallville, where they all grew up.

“We never had this as youths,” said James Carr, who grew up on Division Street. ​“To nourish the ground where we played at is exciting.”

Carr and Dave Burgess, another member of Omega Psi Phi, spent the morning building soil barriers for the garden.

Burgess recently started trying to eat vegan. He called the garden a great way for children in the community to learn about how nutritious vegetables are. He said that he didn’t have that same access to health education while growing up.

After a morning of hard work, Kimbrough took out a grill to reward her volunteers with hot dogs, cool drinks, and snacks.