By Rob “Veggies” Horton, founder of Trap Garden, a non-profit promoting urban gardening and other ways to give more people access to fresh, local produce.

Growing up in St. Louis, Mo., the kids in my community would line up with money in hand outside of the candy store on the corner of Hord and Cozens Avenue, near a barbershop and junior high school. Inside, behind the clear glass separating the children and store owner (a.k.a. “the candy lady”) was a plethora of sugary snack options to fill your stomach: penny candy, cookies, flavored drinks, chips, and candy bars, all waiting to be purchased for a dollar or less.

These stores are still staples in communities also riddled with fast-food restaurants and limited options for fresh, healthy, and affordable food items at local grocery stores. These communities are commonly referred to as food deserts, urban areas where it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh foods.

Food deserts do not just exist in St. Louis; they’re everywhere, including Birmingham.

While attending Tennessee State University in Nashville, I noticed the same trend I experienced back home: easy access to sugary snacks but limited access to nutritious foods. In response, I started a non-profit called “Trap Garden” because, growing up, I was more than likely to see a trap house - a place where illegal drugs are sold - than a garden or market in my community. I decided to get people hooked on an amazing experience around fresh and healthy food by creating community gardens and educational programming to alleviate issues faced in food desert communities.

Not only was there a need for access to fresh, local food, but there was also a need for programming centered around healthy eating. Community gardens empower food-desert neighborhoods by providing residents with the opportunity to grow their own food items, but they should not stop there. To have a long-lasting, positive effect, residents must be engaged during each step—starting with creating the garden—and provided with the resources, education, and programs to live a healthier dietary lifestyle.

Trap Garden provides applied learning opportunities for students while increasing access to healthy affordable food in Nashville. For example, our signature EAT.GROW.LIVE program gives elementary school students the opportunity to gain both business and agricultural skills. EAT.GROW.LIVE. is an enterprise that incorporates the importance of a sustainable diet with instruction on market planning, pricing, promotion, and selling healthy products. These lessons complement subjects already taught in school, such as math, science, language arts, media, social emotional learning and arts.

We create real life, hands-on learning opportunities that students can immediately utilize.

We are rapidly becoming a pioneer in meaningfully integrating edible education into school curriculums in food-desert communities. Our goal is to grow beyond typical school garden programs that only focus on growing vegetables for personal consumption. Instead, we empower youth to create agricultural businesses that change the landscape of the community.

Trap Garden has had the privilege of partnering with the Toyota Green Initiative for two years in cities across the United States. Our partnership has resulted in the launch of a campus ambassador program and the education of thousands of students interested in creating sustainable lifestyles. We’ve attended events such as the Magic City Classic and engaged with organizations in Birmingham, like the West End Urban Garden, a social enterprise that grows fresh fruit and produce. West End Urban Garden also provides essential skills for living, working and thriving by hiring young adults through its workforce and life skills program, WE Work. The Toyota Green Initiative allows groups of people and organizations like Trap Garden and West End Urban Garden to share best practices and work collaboratively for community solutions.

In the short, but meaningful, time I’ve spent in Birmingham, I’ve noticed many similarities between “Magic City” and cities where I have lived and worked. Like St. Louis and Nashville, Birmingham is full of residents who are proud of their community and willing to put in the work to build a greater tomorrow. Neighbors support one another and create solutions to problems like food access and sustainability.

Good work is happening in Birmingham, and my hope is that it will continue and expand. My experience growing up in a community where I only had limited food options is what motivates me to continue creating programs that community members can relate to, benefit from and enjoy. Cities across the country must address the significant need for affordable fresh food resources, and after nearly five years of agricultural work, I know access to healthy food is attainable for everyone. Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution, and with the support of the community, anything is possible.

To learn more about Trap Garden and the organization’s partnership with the Toyota Green Initiative, and how to create an urban garden to uplift your neighborhood, please visit www.trapgarden.org.