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Teenagers Host Community Leaders At Grow Dat Youth Farm Lunches

There are a lot of things to be frustrated about as a teenager. Perhaps one of the biggest frustrations is being invisible to adults. When nobody acknowledges your voice, life can be downright miserable.

This summer at the Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Park, teenage interns have been hosting community leaders for a luncheon to discuss the social issues that impact their lives. The teens grow, cook and serve the food. The idea is that sharing a good meal dissolves the barriers between teenagers and adults, and hopefully conversation will flow. So what can adults and teenagers learn from each other at the table?

On a recent day at the entrance to the Grow Dat Youth Farm, just as the noonday sun was peaking, a group of interns in florescent green shirts greeted everyone politely. Shaded tables with cool pitchers of water were waiting.

One of the interns was a teenager from the 7th Ward named Ashley Morgan. She’d just been in the kitchen prepping lunch.

“We started off with an appetizer of zucchini and squash beignets, and then our main course was smothered sausage with tomato sauce,” Morgan said. “And then, for dessert, we had a mix of strawberries and blueberries.”

Before long, all the guests arrived. The adults included Karin Giger from the Edible School Yard and Emery Van Hook Soniat from the Crescent City Farmer’s Market. Interns Shawn Dexter and Ashley Morgan pulled up their seats, and Grow Dat’s director Johanna Gilligan took the head of the table. The meal started with a basic topic: first jobs. Emery and Ashley got the ball rolling.

“[My first job] was helping my grandfather work the cash register at the pharmacy they owned,” said Soniat. “So I learned about our family, in addition to knowing that you have to do all the jobs, even the ones you don’t like, when you start out.”

“Grow Dat’s my first job,” said Morgan. “But, like you say working with your grandfather, I can remember working with my daddy washing his dump truck. Man, it was like the hardest thing ever because it was so much hard dirt and you had to pick it off. So yeah, that was work experience.”

The mood loosened up and the conversation moved into more thought-provoking territory. Each Grow Dat summer lunch has covered a different topic — this one was about food and the economy. Gilligan prompted one topic after another.

“What makes a quality job? What makes a job someplace that you want to go to and contribute to and learn and grow?” Gilligan asked.

Shawn Dexter, the intern, was the first to speak up.

“People that cares about you,” he said. “You know, you could wake up with a smile on your face [that says] ‘I’m glad I work here.’ And that’s the kind of place that I want to work at because I don’t want to go home stressed all the time. I’d rather work in a place where people care about me.”

“I’m looking for new opportunities and learning new things,” Morgan added. “And also, going new places. As a youth, that’s what I look for in a job.”

The Edible School Yard’s Karin Giger reflected on her years in the work force.

“My best jobs have always been where there’s been a great crew,” she said. “And if you know where you’re going, it sure goes a long way in making sure your work feels like something bigger than yourself.”

As the appetizers were cleared away and the water pitchers refilled, it became clear that the teenagers spoke more candidly about their personal lives.

“As a teenager, right now, what are you job options?” Gilligan asked.

“Fast food or a car wash,” said Dexter. “That’s the main two things you see young people working at.”

“I thought all they had was fast food,” Morgan said. “I don’t see none of my friends getting no other jobs besides these fast food jobs. That’s another reason why my friends don’t go looking for jobs anymore. They do something else to earn money, like… earning money certain other ways.”

Gilligan prompted her to explain, to nervous laughter from the table.

Morgan got a little shy. She seems reluctant to keep going. And then it became clear why.

“Yeah, I was trying to sell illegal drugs,” Morgan said. “But it didn’t work out for me because, like, eight other people are trying to sell the same thing I’m selling.”

She was 15 years old.

The conversation stayed heavy through the main course, and is the meal moved on to dessert, it became clear: no major social issue would be solved over one lunch. But interns Shawn Dexter and Ashley Morgan walked away from the table feeling valued.

“I appreciate you guys coming in and listening to us, because normally adults don’t listen to teenagers like that,” Dexter said.

“They always think that they’re a step ahead,” Morgan added.

“Yeah, I appreciate that you guys listened to what we had to say,” he said.

And for the adults at the table, the appreciation was mutual.

Thomas Walsh is an independent radio producer and audio engineer who lives in New Orleans. You'll see him around town recording music, podcasts, short films, live events and radio features. He's practically glued to his headphones. A movie geek to his core, he's seen every film listed on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies and would love to talk to you about them.