“The Garden Seems to Draw People Together”
Across New York City, community leaders are turning vacant lots into food-producing havens for people and wildlife.
By Zachary Schulman, article and photos
Earth Island
November 22, 2021
Excerpt:
Since 2018, when I began producing these images, I have sat down and spoken with 47 gardeners in 26 community gardens throughout all five New York City boroughs. While I made solo portraits, each garden is a group effort of volunteers coming together in a multifaceted web of motivations to build and sustain these spaces.
Prior to working as a professional photographer, I spent 14 years working directly with New York City community gardeners as a community organizer, program manager, and as part of direct action campaigns to support and defend gardens from destruction.
I’ve also been an active member of various community gardens. I’m proud to share these images and stories of people who created and sustain these dynamic spaces. I believe that these images and quotes convey the importance and value of community gardens through the voices of people leading them.
These images and stories offer a New York perspective on a global experience of finding safe haven — a need heightened by the pandemic — as well as joy, community, mental health support, and fresh food, all through community gardening.
