Taqwa Community Farm facts for kids
Taqwa Community Farm is a special half-acre park in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. It's run as a community garden, which means local people work together to grow food and make their neighborhood a greener place.
How Taqwa Community Farm Began
The idea for Taqwa Community Farm came from a man named Abu Talib. He grew up in South Carolina in a family of sharecroppers. Sharecroppers were farmers who worked on land owned by others, sharing a part of their crops with the landowner. Abu Talib wanted to use his farming skills to turn an empty, unused piece of land in a busy part of the city into a lively place.
In the 1970s, the area around the farm had many empty lots. These were places that had been left uncared for. In 1992, Abu Talib and a group of neighbors got permission from the city. They started gardening on an empty lot at 164th Street and Ogden Avenue. This was the beginning of Taqwa Community Farm.
The name Taqwa comes from Arabic. It means "the peace" and is a Muslim term for being aware of God. In 1998, the garden became part of the city's Parks Department. This made sure it would always be a public green space for everyone. Also in 1998, the volunteers who worked hard at Taqwa won the Deere Kids Seeds of Hope Award for their efforts.
What Grows and Lives at the Farm?
Today, volunteers from almost 100 families help care for the garden. They grow many different vegetables, like:
- potatoes
- spinach
- string beans
- collards
- carrots
- squash
- peas
- cabbage
- corn
Taqwa Community Farm produces about 10,000 pounds of food every year! The farm also has a colony of bees, which help pollinate the plants. There are also a dozen chickens living at the farm.
The garden sells some of its fresh produce at local farmers markets. They also have a special "Grow to Give" program. Through this program, they donate any extra food they grow to people who need it.
