Access to fresh and healthy food is a basic human need and essential for a healthy lifestyle.
However, this basic need is not easily met for many residents of Altgeld Gardens and, specifically, the Phillip Murray Homes community on the far south side of Chicago.
Recognized as one of the lowest-income neighborhoods in Chicago, Altgeld Gardens/Riverdale is considered a “food desert,” meaning there is limited access to affordable and nutritious food options. According to the City of Chicago, more than 50% of households in this neighborhood live below the poverty line and face barriers to accessing nutritious food options. These barriers include limited transportation options, a lack of grocery stores and farmers’ markets, and an overabundance of fast-food chains.
As a result, many residents rely on convenience stores and corner stores for their food needs, which offer primarily processed and unhealthy food options. This lack of fresh produce and healthy food sources contributes to high rates of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses in the community.
As a young kid growing up in Altgeld Gardens, my family only had access to one grocery store—Rosebud Farm Stand. I remember being disappointed when Rosebud closed in 2018, leaving our community in an extreme food desert and the closest grocery store over 3 miles away. Since neighbors can’t take a direct public transportation route to reach the store, accessing fresh food can take up to two hours each way without a car.
Therefore, it’s easy to see the pressing need for a long-term food solution that provides education and nourishment to address health disparities in the community.
That’s where Bowen Harvest comes in.
Bowen Harvest is a 500-square-foot hydroponic container farm in Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens community operated by students at By The Hand Club For Kids, a 2012 Make It Better Foundation Philanthropy Award winner. Made possible by a gift from Kenilworth Union Church, Bowen Harvest provides fresh produce to the community, addressing food insecurity in the area while teaching high school students how to be entrepreneurs and run a business.
When my classmates and I first heard Mr. Joe at By The Hand Club suggest Bowen Harvest, we didn’t think a farm could operate inside one of the freight containers on the back of big trucks to carry and ship things. We were shocked when he explained that we would be able to grow fresh produce in Altgeld Gardens, but we also saw it as a significant opportunity to help the community in so many needed ways.
For months, our friends at Freight to Plate trained us in planting, harvesting, lighting, temperature control, and more. We also received hands-on job training in math, science, technology, and other subjects we will use in our future endeavors.
On March 2, we celebrated our first harvest of leafy lettuce. Our first harvest was so exciting and a huge milestone. But this is just the beginning. Bowen Harvest can yield the equivalent of four acres of produce annually. Now, my classmates and I harvest produce every six to 12 weeks and distribute it for free to our families and community nonprofit organizations.
Bowen Harvest has truly shown me how little things can make a significant impact in a community. Bringing this resource to the community was a great idea because it gives families hope again and eliminates the burden of traveling so far for fresh produce. It’s a great feeling to be able to help families and a community in need.
Bowen Harvest has become an important part of my life. It helps me connect with my friends and allows us to use our time together for something impactful. It has brought us closer together because everything requires teamwork. I have met many important and amazing people because of Bowen Harvest, and I couldn’t be more grateful that it came into my life when it did.
As I head off to college this fall, I plan to study child development at Olivet University. I chose this because I know how important it is to be understood as a young person. I want to eventually work with youth to help them navigate their youth and overcome their challenges. I know the skills I’ve learned at Bowen Harvest, especially teamwork and patience, will serve me well in the future.
I encourage everyone who has a chance to support Bowen Harvest by visiting www.bythehand.org and contributing so that our student entrepreneurs can continue harvesting a brighter future for our community.
How To Help
By The Hand Club For Kids, a 2012 Make It Better Foundation Philanthropy Award winner, has a vision to help children in under-resourced neighborhoods have an abundant life. The organization supports over 1,800 children across the region, and donations help fund programming to help break the cycle of violence and poverty.
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Keanna Flowers is a Carver Military Academy graduate and a Bowen Harvest student entrepreneur. Since 4th grade, She has attended By The Hand Club For Kids, a Christ-centered after-school program serving youth in Chicago’s most under-resourced communities. There, she received academic and literacy support, access to enrichment programs, and faith formation. She is attending Olivet University this fall and plans to study childhood development.
