Jessica Horton, former Green Team member and current Clark University Student has been spending some time with Green Team as part of her Forest Foundation internship this summer. Recounting her time on Green Team, just several years ago, she notes how by organizing the youth's time among three tracks they are able to accomplish more and get a more varied experience.
The group of 30 youth are divided into cohorts of 10. The young people split their time among three tracks: 'So Fresh', which focuses on growing fresh produce and selling at our Farmers Markets or donating it to Bread & Roses, 'So Green', which concentrates on environmental stewardship and, 'So Connected', the newest track which assists GWL with outreach and community education.
However, while the format has changed, according to Jessica, some things have stayed the same on the Green Team. She recently accompanied 'So Fresh' to Johnson's Farm where the youth harvested produce for Neighbors in Need--an activity she enjoyed during her tenure on Green Team. "It was hot and a lot of hard work but looking back, those times on the farm were some of the best memories of Green Team and really impacted the way I look at local food and food systems today."