AOC Has a Green Thumb: Community Gardens in the Bronx

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is promoting community gardening in the Bronx. She’s been a very vocal advocate for gardening since this past spring and now she wants to help spread the word on how anyone can grow if they have the passion or drive to learn. There are places to grow plants all over the place, even in the busiest cities—you just have to know how to spot them.

Lately, AOC has been working with the New York Restoration Project (@nyrp), a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing places where the community can start and cultivate gardens.

“@nyrp helps communities create, revitalize, and cultivate gardens. Sometimes there are even small, oddly shaped plots of land that can’t be developed or people don’t want, so they donate it to a public land trust, and turn them into gardens!” posted AOC, alongside a photo of her planting corn with several children in the Castle Hill community garden.

 

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As many of you know, I’ve fallen in love with gardening after working on a community plot this spring! I wanted to see how we bring our community into gardening opportunities in the Bronx – so this morning I joined @nyrp on a visit to our local Castle Hill community garden! . We learned so much – first, there are LOTS of community gardens throughout NYC, you just have to look 👀. @nyrp helps communities create, revitalize, and cultivate gardens. Sometimes there are even small, oddly shaped plots of land that can’t be developed or people don’t want, so they donate it to a public land trust, and turn them into gardens! . Here, these little ones and I are planting corn with @nyrp’s help. Community members take over the gardens and decide what membership means, how they’d like to run it, and how plots are divvied up. In the Castle Hill garden, they also host barbecues, lunches, and movie nights. 🍿 It’s all about reconnecting to our land, earth, food, and each other while learning new skills and growing veggies – often for the first time!

A post shared by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018) on Aug 1, 2019 at 2:20pm PDT

“It’s all about reconnecting to our land, earth, food, and each other while learning new skills and growing veggies – often for the first time!” she wrote. Some community gardens also host local get-togethers like movie nights and barbecues.

 

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Gardeners from NYRP’s Glover Street Community Garden in the #Bronx welcomed special guest @ocasio2018 today! She spent time with neighborhood residents planting corn and teaching children how roots help plants drink water. Thanks for coming out! 📷 @benhiderimages #bronxnewyork #CommunityGardens #AOC #CastleHill #TheBronx #everydaybronx #bx #nyc #bronxlife #bronxstrong #whyilovethebronx #ilovethebronx #bronxcommunity

A post shared by New York Restoration Project (@nyrp) on Aug 1, 2019 at 12:53pm PDT

You can learn more about the New York Restoration Project HERE.