“Farming Saved My Life”: Land as Teacher, Healer, and Connector in New York City

Abstract

In 2015, the United Nations examined barriers to peace, human well-being, and environmental stability among member states, generating 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Gardens and farms in NYC advance the SDGs in the local context by promoting inclusive, resilient communities acting on their own behalf to meet needs for fresh food and cleaner air. In this paper, findings from a yearlong oral history project, facilitated by a university–community partnership, will be presented about the meaning of gardening and farming for Black youth, youth of Color, and their mentors in NYC. Data collection included 12 individual semi-structured interviews, one focus group, and site visits. Thematic analysis, phenomenological qualitative research principles, and Black womanist epistemology were used to analyze verbatim transcripts, memos, and artifacts. The essential meaning that arose from analysis suggested that land tending was an experience that cultivated a sense of belonging. Several themes emerged supporting this conclusion, two of which will be covered in this paper: (1) “my body remembers”: land work as embodied access to ancestral relationships and (2) “farming saved my life”: emotional and physical healing. Implications for community practice with youth in urban areas, land-based healing, and environmental justice are explored.