For the community of Allensworth, a community garden is more than just fresh produce; it’s an opportunity to see growth in every aspect of the community and bring people together.
Allensworth, an unincorporated community located ten minutes from Delano, offers educational programs and resources on sustainable agriculture and farming. It is California’s first Black governing town, founded by retired Colonel Allen Allensworth to create a home where African Americans could thrive, self-govern, and live.
Building on this legacy, the Allensworth Progressive Association (APA), a nonprofit organization, recently established a community garden to help the town grow. Harvested fruits and vegetables are displayed for residents to pick up as needed. With no grocery stores or gas stations nearby, residents must travel to the nearest town to access these services.
Despite these challenges, the community continues to find ways to stay afloat with available resources. APA staff keep the garden gates open for residents and visitors, building trust and confidence among community members.
As part of these ongoing efforts, Kaashif Bey, Farm Team Coordinator and Outreach Tech with the APA, provided the background of the Allensworth Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) community garden. The AAES is dedicated to Oscar Overr, a Justice for Peace leader who showcased the town’s agricultural potential and helped it grow after the passing of Colonel Allensworth.
Kaashif Bey, Farm Team Coordinator, explaining the history of the AAES garden. Photo By Crystal Navarro
Bey explained that members of the APA, like himself, showcase the vast majority of different crops that can be grown at the AAES. Bey also notes that, because the town was once a riverbed, the soil can make farming particularly difficult; however, they are working diligently to remediate the soil in order to make improvements.
Expanding on these agricultural initiatives, individuals can participate in two main programs through the AAES: the Explorer Course and the Project-Based Learning Program. The Explorer Course, which lasts seven months, introduces participants to regenerative agriculture by guiding them through research on farming landscapes, resource assessment, and self-assessment. The Tulare Lake Project-Based Learning Program takes place in the summer and is open to young students from Allensworth and nearby communities. It educates participants on topics such as Land Use, Climate Change, Energy, Water, Soil, and Technology.
Reflecting on his start, Bey joined the APA through their beginner farm training program. During the seven-month course, he recalled that the garden had been an early version of what exists now.
“It was just a straight row of crops, one after the next. Toward the end of the course, once those plants went out of season, we turned the area into a community space,” said Bey.
Kinah Hudson, who is part of the AAES and has roots in Allensworth, stated that the community is appreciative of the garden and that the garden offers an ongoing learning experience.
“It has been positive overall. They appreciate the produce they have access to here,” said Hudson. “It’s a good chance for them to learn and explore. Trying something like free produce is always best when you can.”
At least once a month, the organization holds a food distribution event just outside the community center, aiming to make fresh produce from the garden available to residents. The APA has a message list that alerts everyone when produce or food is made available. Bey noted that people showed up as soon as the message was sent out.
“Folks [pulled]up to get the produce, some of whom I’d never seen before, so that was really cool to see,” said Bey.
The community garden also collaborates with Allensworth Elementary, educating young students on composting, the earth, and the town’s local history.
“We’ve done a composting workshop with them where we taught them about composting,” said Bey. “We also had a Black History event here, where we discussed the town’s founding. During Earth Week, we went over to different classrooms and talked a bit about the Earth, and gave them samples of the produce from the garden.”
Bey and Hudson both described the goal of the garden to be fostering growth throughout the community.
“We want to see actualization, self-determination, and sustainability,” said Bey. “For the ability of the community to find ways to care for itself. A growing community and furthering education. So to be here and to help try to push that forward, because I feel that was what this town was founded on. When people came here and started Allensworth, it was based on self-determination and the ability to secure ourselves.”
The community of Allensworth currently has a population of approximately 500-600, with only one elementary school in place.
“It’d be nice to have more of a community flourishing within the space and for them to have the confidence within the community that if they do this or that, they can check the garden. I just want to make sure the community knows this place is for them,” said Hudson.
