Local volunteers cultivating vegetables in the Secret Garden. — Photo by Diego Cupolo
On July 29, 1977, a terrified Avellar Hansley watched as the large furniture store on the corner of Broadway and Linden Street burned down only a few yards from her house. Tomorrow she will see a farmers’ market open for the second year in a row on the same plot of land – in what is now a community garden that she helped create with her own bare hands and selfless determination.
The Bushwick Farmers’ Market will hold opening day celebrations on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Linden-Bushwick Block Association Garden and many of the day’s events will be dedicated to Hansley’s work to preserve the open space over the last three decades. As a tribute, graffiti artists from Big City Walls and YOUnity will be painting a large mural with her name on it during the event.
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“Without Ms. Hansley, this garden wouldn’t exist,” said Sean-Michael Fleming, Secret Garden Project director.
Not long after the fire, Hansley began cleaning up the rubble and gardening on the vacant lot with little neighborhood support. A man from a few blocks over would come by with his pickup truck and help her remove debris, but most community members did not see the value in her work.
“People used to pass by and tell me I was crazy,” Hansley said. “Even worse, I had some collard greens growing up there and somebody took them because we had no fence up at the time.”
Luckily, she got help from Greenthumb and other urban gardening organizations whose combined efforts would create the Association’s garden and adjacent Secret Garden where volunteers grow tomatoes, peppers, blackberries, and a variety of vegetables in a discreet location between houses on Linden and Grove Street. The garden, as it stands today, is looking better than ever after recent renovations, including a new perimeter fence that was sponsored by Councilmember Diana Reyna.
While the land is owned by the Adipietro family, who operates the Krown Hardware store next door, the gardens will be preserved as green spaces and are managed by a small group of passionate volunteers. According to Fleming, the land now called the Secret Garden was once used as a horse paddock by the children of the Schaefer family, which brewed beer in the neighborhood.
Fleming is currently working on a wildlife and plant sanctuary in the back of the Secret Garden and is still looking for local gardeners to cultivate the remaining plots of soil in the vegetable garden. He said he plans on selling the locally-grown produce in the farmers’ market towards the end of the summer.
“I grew up in New Hampshire and I love going out to the country,” Fleming said. “Since I realized I wasn’t going to retire for another two years and I wasn’t going anywhere soon, I decided I might as well bring some of the country here.”
The Bushwick Farmers’ Market will be held every Wednesday, July through October, and opening day celebrations will feature live music by Band of Bicycles (who use a pedal-powered sound system) and various children’s activities. Opening day vendors will include Trinity Farms, Red Jack Farms and Pedro Rodriguez Farms, but market manager Travis Tench said there is additional vendor space available and can be contacted at 502-494-0628 for more details.
bushwickitywack July 1st, 2009 at 1:04 pm
If you live around the corner and happen to be walking by, sure. Otherwise, not worth it. There’s more of a “farmer’s market” at the fruit and veggie stand on the corner of Himrod and Knickerbocker.
John Dereszewski July 1st, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Thanks Diego for, as usual, a wonderful article.
The “secret garden” first came to Community Board 4′s attention in the late 1970′s, when the city proposed to auction off this huge interior lot to the highest bidder. In strongly opposing this unrestricted action, the Board, working very closely with Mrs. Hansley, was able to forstall this action. Instead, the Broadway Merchants, in the person of the late Pat Adipietro, a heroic advocate for both the merchants and residents of this neighborhood during this extremely trying time, came forward to sponsor the lot on behalf of the community. And so, Mrs. Hansley’s Linden St. Block Association has, since that time, performed the wonderful task of maintaining a terrific community garden at the corner and developing the Secret Garden. Now with Sean-Michael Fleming’s wonderful assistance, one of Bushwick’s true hidden treasures will soon really realize its true glory.
As one who was involved at the very beginning in my District Manager role, I could not be happier to witness these terrific new developments.
Best wishes on a wonderful endeavor!
Sean-Mike July 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hey there Mr. Wack -
Unfortunately the market did not have the big opening we planned, as two of our farms bowed out for this week (just last night – eek!) as heavy rains have pushed back their crops this year. They will be there next week – and I think we’re expecting another baked goods booth, too.
s
Sophia July 1st, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I am so glad that this little gem is getting covered and hope the farmers market really grows in the future. i went over there today with my ten month old, so excited to get some fruits and veggies, and it was kind of sad. thre red jacket orchard people were there and when i asked them for strawberries (i know they had them at the mccaren park market) he said that they didn’t bring them, but will next time. they were testing us out first!!! i was so pissed, like i have to audition for the same opportuinities to feed my son the things they bring to other neighborhoods??? another woman asked for cherries and got the same reply. i basically explained to him that it’s his loss and the folks here are…wait for it…cherry and strawberry eaters…scary bushwick produce monsters…
that garden and the community around it deserves more. it was understandable why i suppose, but there were more people there to “make sure the community knows what a farmers market is” than people selling things. guess what? cut the garbage of treating the people here like they are precious or dumb and just get some vendors that are professional and are willing to take a risk. you have an attractive market, you will attract shoppers. maybe not overnight, but i think they can get used to the idea without a demo.
xo,
sophia
Silvia July 2nd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I think what’s happened to that lot is really great. However, as far as the farmer’s market and opening day celebrations… big hype for nothing! I understand that a couple of the farms backed out and will hopefully be there next time, but what about all the children’s activities advertised? We went there and it seemed the people there hadn’t even heard of any activities being planned. And did the band ever play? Not when we were there. The garden is very cute, but has a small, very dirty pond that is basically a hole in the ground and very kid unfriendly. Are there plans for activities in the future? It was very disappointing – nothing fun to do and nothing to buy other than bread and apples/apple juice/cider/jam. I hope Maria Hernandez will be better, or at least not build up expectations and not deliver.
Jimmy Legs July 2nd, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I think people don’t have a clear notion of what a shoestring operation this is (and I say that as a compliment). i can understand how the rains have been wreaking havoc on both farms and the Linden garden, too bad about the opening. i’ll swing by next week to see what’s happening.