“Food is not just about fuel. Food is about family. Food is about community. Food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well.” – Michael Pollan

What would you say if someone asked you what food you would plant in a community garden? Carrots? Tomatoes? Peas? Onions? Wait, onions? For youth at Batavia Apartments, onions are one of the favorite things they have planted, according to Olivia Melgoza, Extension Program Coordinator, Snap ED at the University of Illinois Extension (UIL), who has partnered with Mercy Housing Lakefront (MHL) to offer educational programming at the community. “It’s true. They provided the most enjoyment for harvest time.”

After discovering so many planted onions, the kids started to refer to them as “dinosaur eggs,” Olivia explained. “All you saw was the green at the top, and then we pulled out this big onion – that drove the best cheers from them.”

University of Illinois Extension Lends a Hand

The partnership between Mercy Housing Lakefront and the University of Illinois Extension goes back nearly two decades. Olivia has worked for the University for 20 years and shared, “My first 18 years, I was a community worker, and a Mercy Housing Resident Coordinator reached out after hearing about the University’s programming for youth in the community.”

Initially focused on programming for youth residents at Batavia Apartments in Illinois, this special partnership soon grew to include classes for adult residents. Over the years, Olivia built relationships with many of the participants. She explains, “They see me on the street and say ‘hi’ like I’m their friend from college who they haven’t seen for a while – they’re all very welcoming.”

Olivia has also built trust with residents. “There are different cultures, and not everybody speaks the same language necessarily,” she continued, “But you can tell through people’s eyes what their hearts say. And that’s what I like about it.”

Going to make their Garden Grow

Last year, Olivia and her team started a children’s gardening club at Batavia. Thanks to a grant, they could add four raised flower beds, buy mulch and soil, and “Everything we needed to make it successful,” Olivia shared.

The program focused on encouraging children to eat more vegetables. From the start, the kids were hands-on in the garden, deciding which vegetables and plants to cultivate. Among the vegetables planted (aside from the popular onions) were another favorite: snap peas, cucumbers, carrots, and green beans. As their plants took root, they studied the growth process and met every Monday to check on blooming flowers and ripening vegetables. After washing the vegetables, the group would sit down and eat together.

“It was for them to see how the plants were planted and the different parts of the plant,” Olivia explained.

For some participating kids like Royane, this was the first time they were involved in the gardening process. Royane’s favorite part? “We all planted and maybe ate new vegetables, and I also liked the flowers from the garden and growing vegetables. And flowers!”

Another youth participant, Anwar, added, “It (the garden) was beautiful, and it smelled good.”

Flowers, Vegetables, and Trees

Kids are already excited about this year’s garden. Saden and Shedra hope their garden friends want to plant “dragon fruit, strawberries, and blueberries.” Sedra added that she “loved eating the vegetables they grew last year,” adding, “the flowers were wonderful.”

This year, the club will add a small shed to store all the supplies and a more robust water hose.

Just a few weeks away from getting their hands dirty again in the garden, Olivia admits she has been keeping a secret from the young group of green thumbs: They will soon add fruit trees to their growing garden. “I think there will be a plum tree and an apple tree,” she explained.

Volunteers from UIL’s Master Gardeners team will lead the garden club and help coordinate the planting. Olivia will have the chance to participate with the kids.

Cuisine for Teens

Olivia started the Junior Chef Program, an introduction to cooking class for young residents. She recently added Teen Cuisine for the older kids. “It’s like the second step from the younger kids. You learn the same skills but do more elevated recipes,” she shared.

But before the cooking begins, each participant receives a plastic bag with their name on it. By the end of the program, the bag is filled with measuring spoons and cups; a spatula, cutting board, and even a can opener. “By the time they graduate, they get to take home all of the supplies they have learned to use,” Olivia explained. That’s not all, though. After making all the recipes, the kids and teens sit together to eat. A graduation ceremony is held, where participants receive a little cookbook compiled of the recipes they made throughout the cooking classes.

And, because so many residents don’t eat meat, the same recipe is offered for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the adult classes.

Building Healthy Habits

About ten years ago, Olivia started a walking group at the urging of residents. Knowing the importance of healthy living, she created a class where participants would spend half an hour learning about nutritious foods and the other half of the class walking on a nearby path. The class became so popular that a full nutrition class was added for adults who would spend the time learning how to cook full, nutritious meals.

Olivia has also introduced a Walking Club and Nutrition Class to senior residents at nearby Constitution Hall and Marion Park, where programs around health and healthy living have been a focus for the staff and are growing in popularity among residents.

Building a Healthy Future

As for the future, Olivia hopes to expand the gardening club for kids and adults and introduce even more vegetables for planting. She also hopes to work with the resident services team and grow nutrition classes to include fun and healthy recipes that can be made on the community’s grill. In the meantime, she is happy to see all her hard work in full bloom at Batavia Apartments and is excited about what’s coming soon.