A Hidden Green Oasis In Newhallville

By Jahmal Henderson

The city of New Haven has a long history of urban agriculture, with many of its community gardens starting in the 1980s. As I walk throughout my neighborhood Newhallville, a hard working class community, I can recall the numerous gardens and fruit plots located in my neighbors backyards. I can also remember my grandmother teaching me the basic skills of gardening from watching her plant, till the dirt over, and water the gardens we had on 966 Winchester Ave as a child growing up.

Now a days in the neighborhood you can notice urban gardens everywhere, from small front yard gardens, empty vacant lot gardens, backyard gardens, and four major adjacent community gardens maintained by relatives and community in the heart of Newhall, each garden producing different produce depending on the needs of the community.

Brother’s like John Savage, a longtime resident of Newhallville, is Gather New Havens (GNH) new farm manager, who oversees 7 farm sites and more than 50 community gardens in the city. They are used for GNH’s promotion of wellness and fostering community development. Savage said “now I’m here my job is to make sure a new generation of neighbors grow their food”.

“New Haven is a city of Black and brown people, all and most of us have come from agricultural roots,” he said. “It’s in our bloodlines to till the earth, and gardening is a way more healthy and cost effective way to put food on our tables”.

As I continued my walk I could remember the corners of Shelton Ave & Hazel Street where me and Mr.Savage stood as an infamous drug hotspot in the 1980’s once called “the mud hole”, where crime and high drug activity existed. Now that same location is a community park called “the learning corridor” which offers a butterfly garden, bike rentals to community to enjoy on the Farmington canal trails, and an oasis of plant life and cultural life.

My next destination on my walk led me to the block of Butler Street, where residents and community leaders Mariano Colon and Gregory Smith want to make needed gardening resources and opportunities available to all their neighbors and surrounding environments.

“We want to develop Community garden projects for all our neighbors, to encourage food self-sufficiency, community building and empowerment”, Colon said, concluding “Environment and neighborhood restoration and these community gardening projects work to improve the environment and increase stronger community bonds and property values, and decrease property vacancy and crime rates throughout Newhall”.

They are currently renovating a vacant housing lot into another neighborhood urban garden for the community usage, “To grow your own food gives you power and dignity. You know exactly what you’re eating because you grew it. It’s good, it’s nourishing and you did this for yourself, your family and your community.” said Smith,

On the adjacent block known as Shepard Street lies a community garden in a vacant plot of land where neighborhood kids and seniors could plant cabbage, collard greens, kale, and turnips. Its founder and longtime resident Addie Kimbrough had a vision for Shepard Street Community Vegetable Garden many years ago, a plot of land the size of two homes, and the latest addition in a richness of lovingly green-spaces throughout the Neighborhood.

Kimbrough said that the garden is for the community. “Anyone is welcome to help out, we have a noticeboard in the garden that will list the tasks that volunteers have completed and what needs to be done, that way, people in the neighborhood can come at their leisure and choose their tasks”.

“These community gardens are not only a place for people to grow healthy food, but these community gardens are a place where people can come together outside and enjoy each other's company, learn from each other, have fun with each other, and revive these vacant spaces to improve our neighborhood overall”.