GIBSONVILLE, N.C. – Voulynne Small knows that hydroponic gardening can lead to more than a bountiful harvest of fresh veggies. She has seen it grow good character and responsibility, healthy eating habits, and community involvement.

“I was looking for something innovative to use for our mentoring program,” explained Small, who is executive director of the nonprofit Brothers Excelling with Self-sufficiency to Thrive (BEST). “I wanted them to get their hands into something, and agriculture seemed like a natural fit.”

When the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department stopped using the greenhouses at the Guilford County Prison Farm near Gibsonville several years ago, Small saw an opportunity for a new hands-on project. BEST uses Bible-based principles to mentor at-risk teens and young men from areas in Guilford County with high crime and poverty rates. In 2017 the organization applied for, and received, a grant of $56,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch the garden and purchase a work van.

Hydroponics involves growing crops without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions dissolved in water. Since Small had no experience with hydroponic gardening, USDA urged her to work with Cooperative Extension to launch the garden. She turned to Extension at A&T “because they are located right in my back yard and I’m an Aggie,” said Small, an A&T alumnus. Kurt Taylor, at the time a 4-H agriscience associate, was quick to offer his assistance.

“Kurt was here from the beginning,” said Small. “I had no idea where I was going and he kept me on track. He had personality and he had knowledge. He was a walking encyclopedia on hydroponics. “

Taylor passed away in January and Small added, “I miss him tremendously.”

However, what Taylor helped launch three years ago is thriving today. About 25 young men and teens have been active in the garden, which now grows collards, mustard greens, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, turnips, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash. The garden provided lettuce every day during the pandemic to Guilford Child Development, which operates 13 centers in Guilford County. The lettuce was used on sandwiches and in salads for about 2,000 children served by the organization.

BEST now works with a group of churches in Greensboro and Gibsonville to provide produce for the food banks they operate. Some BEST participants have been trained to spread the word about the program by going out into their home communities (generally public housing communities in the Greensboro area) to talk about the garden and the benefits of healthy eating.

The presentations, explained Small, help the young men and youth develop communication skills, self-esteem and presentation skills they can use as adults – such as putting together a PowerPoint slide show. They help the BEST participants, who often have few opportunities to speak in public, overcome their fears of public speaking because, as Small said, “In life you are required to talk. You can’t always hide in the shadows.

“First, they learn to communicate with each other to make the garden successful,” she continued. “Then they learn to communicate with others and make presentations. This program is about character development and learning skills you can use for a lifetime.”

Future plans for the garden include applying for a grant that could expand its operations to include aquaculture. This summer, Small will relaunch a STEM camp for kids at the garden that was put on hold during the pandemic. The STEM camp brings kids from public housing developments in Greensboro to the garden, where they learn about hydroponics and agriculture and get to take home several hydroponic plants that they’ve grown. So far, 10 youth are signed up for the camp, with more expected. Small also hopes to collaborate with the local 4-H program to involve more youth in the garden.

“The garden is a venue for our mentoring that can teach many things,” said Small. “These young men don’t have positive role models. Here, we teach respect, responsibility, communication, leadership, all those things they don’t get in their home communities but are survival skills for life.”