Columnists Ahoy! ~ 5

WeFarm America co-founder creates fertile ground for organic gardens, ideas

Dawn Turner Trice talks about Seneca Kern's New Year's resolution to expand WeFarm and push to teach people in urban, often embattled, communities to create gardens so they can eat better. "Seneca Kern is the co-founder of the Chicago-based WeFarm America. His sign off on emails is 'Love and Peas.' It's not corny, it's classic Kern." Through farming he hopes to bring troubled communities closer together and lower the crime rates, while at the same time benefiting the people through healthy lifestyles with organic food. Through inexpensive organic gardening he is making a difference one community at a time. Kern also works as a community outreach coordinator for the  program called Growing Home, a nonprofit that teaches people who have trouble getting employment how to grow organic foods. This organization  helps participants get jobs. He recollects one community he helped that had a drug problem and how it transformed with the addition of a large community garden, everyone learning to share and build connections. This New Year he reminds everyone that even the small things make a difference. 'I just believe in the spirit of the community, and that's all of us bringing to the table what we do best.'

Dawn Turner Trice

Info found at: www.chicagotribune.com