b" gardeningFarms can be located in cities, tooLevi Joynes Jr. Urban FarmerBy Healthy Trailblazer Journal staffThe DePaul Healthy Trailblazer JournalQ:What is rewarding about your job? The DePaul Catholic School staff asked Mr. Joynes about his work andAnd why?the locally grown food movement.His Levi Joynes Jr. says he got involved inanswers have been lightly edited. A: The joy of feeding families and seeing farming because he wants to make surethe smiles on peoples faces. I also enjoy everyone can get fruits and vegetables.Q: Please describe your role in the locallyplanting and seeing plants grow. Gardens He works as the lead farmer at Mill Creekgrown movement. are peaceful places.Urban Farm in West Philadelphia. A: As a child, I used to stand in line toQ: What is challenging about your job? He has worked at farming since the 1990s.get government cheese and other food. IAnd why?He describes himself as a pioneer in thestarted thinking that there must be a way to help make food more available. I haveA: One challenge is dealing with the locally grown movement. The movementfought for people to have spaces whereloss of crops. And the other is not encourages people to grow or buy foodthey can farm. I also teach people how toproducing enough food. Violence in the near where they live. Often people eatbuild farms and care for plants. When youneighborhood can also be a problem.food that was grown far away, even inbuild gardens, you give hope.other countries, Mr. Joynes says. HeQ: What can kids do help the locally wants Philadelphia to have more spacesQ: Why did you get involved in thisgrown movement in their community?where people can grow their own thingsmovement?to eat. A: Find a space to grow some vegetables. A: I grew up in a food-insecureThe locally grown movement is your Its not nerdy or weird to grow, he says.environment. That means there wasntmovement. You should be involved in it Its normal. always enough food available.and get others involved too.I learned that locally grown food doesn't use as much fuel because trucks do not need to transfer it very far, and that locally grown food is fresher because it is closer and it takes less time to get to the grocery store. I should start to eat fresher food and eat products that are local, and I should start to drink tap water more often. Antonio Alfarano, 4th gradeCole Manor Healthy CometPage 20 illustrations by Chinwe Chukwueke, 8th grade, Catholic Partnership Schools Healthy Courier (farm) | Vincente Tellez-20B Y K I D S , F O R K I D S | S p r i n g 2 0 2 3 Lizama, 4th grade, Cole Manor Healthy Comet (locally grown)"