Youth Entreprenurship in Durham

This past summer, several youth groups from Durham gained leadership skills, learned about agriculture venture opportunities, and discussed good business principles as they relate to gardening and agriculture.

Santos Flores, the community garden coordinator at Briggs Avenue Community Garden (and also the DIG community garden coordinator for SEEDS in Durham) put together his own youth agricultural entrepreneurship program from his extensive experience working with youth and his knowledge of sustainable and local food systems.

One group of 16 middle school aged youth that are part of the DOVE program (a volunteer organization led by Antoinette Joyner which is connected with Durham Extension's CAPS Program) learned the meaning of the word entreprenuership and agriculture, created business plans, and then made value added products to sell for people to use in their gardens.



Santos builds teamwork and leadership skills among DOVE youth group participants.



The beginning of a business plan.



The group is divided into two and each are given a budget of $100 to spend on materials.



Santos discusses project ideas with the DOVE group.

Santos talks with the DOVE group about their ideas for a value-added garden product.

Santos met with the DOVE youth group six times this past summer and discussions are now underway as to how to keep a similar program running year round. Now that the basic infrastructure is more complete, plans for the future include a youth agricultural entreprenurship program based at the Briggs Avenue garden.

A second group of young adults in the Go Green Program (connected with NC Central University) met with Santos nine times this summer. The goal of the program was to develop leadership skills and increase their knowledge of gardening. This group built several raised beds made of concrete blocks at the Briggs Avenue Garden site and planted vegetable and herbs this fall. One of the young adults is now serving as an intern and has 2 of her own raised bed plots at the garden where she grows food.