August 13, 2024

Rising Neighborhood: Physique and Soul

Lenny West is just 22, however already is aware of what he needs to do the remainder of his life. An Military Veteran, he discovered his anchor and passionate mission in offering contemporary greens and attractive microgreens to meals desert neighbors within the Killeen/Temple space.

To develop his data, he volunteered at group gardens. Now a 2024 graduate of the Bell County Grasp Gardener program, we met up with him at his Killeen rental home in Might.

“My aim principally is to have the ability to carry it to the youth as a result of in case you’re capable of begin younger and have good coping expertise, you’re capable of join the thoughts, the physique and the soul at a younger age. Then you’ll be able to equip your self to dwell a great, wholesome life,” he instructed us.

“You simply plant that seed in them and hope they water it, and simply know that you just have been there to be part of that.”

To increase his imaginative and prescient, he teamed up with fellow community-oriented champion, Deonta Davis.

A joyful, energetic and targeted duo, they plan to remodel a vacant lot—owned by Deonta’s household in Temple—right into a meals forest wellness harbor, full with native vegetation for pollinators.

Again in Killeen, Lenny instructed us that he began gardening in an house.

To lift bigger vegetation, he moved to a rental home, rising in 5-gallon containers, principally donated from nurseries or repurposed from native delis for a couple of {dollars}. (Verify your delis for pickle barrels, and so forth.) He even picks up recycled mushroom blocks from native mushroom growers.

He encourages younger gardeners, “You don’t need to have a ton of cash, and also you don’t need to have a ton of house.”

Oh yeah, I’ve been there and I wager you’ve gotten, too! Lenny revived so many valuable reminiscences of that first passalong, that first clipping that I efficiently grew up due to the soda bottle greenhouse!

Thanks for stopping by! Linda