Seven years ago Michelle Backey had a vision. While attending church, she began thinking about how to better engage the youth in her community, support the elderly, and encourage neighbors to help one another.
Backey approached her pastor, asking what the church had planned to do with the plot of land across the street. Then she asked if she could start a garden, wanting to do something different than other gardens in the city.
Her vision wasn’t just to grow food, but to have the garden be a place where community members could come together, learn, and support each other.
Over time the garden became what it was always meant to be. Backey began to partner with organizations including Loess Hills Wild Ones, Sierra Club, and Red Sky Nation. This year Red Sky Nation reintroduced traditional foods to the garden and planted the three sisters: beans, corn, and squash. The garden grows traditional medicines, such as sweetgrass, sage, and tobacco.
The Agape Community Garden has become a place to gather, heal, learn, and grow. Volunteers from all walks of life come together and tend to the garden. “It takes a village,” said Backey.
The garden is open to everyone in the community and welcomes new volunteers. In some areas of Sioux City there may be food deserts, but the Agape Garden will continue to grow and provide food for those who need it.