George Ball

With the garden project going along well under Dan's management, additional support came from another man, George Ball, CEO of Burpee Seed Company. He donated seed and provided the space for a rural country garden. The Burpee field is about an acre in size, large enough that the kids were able to plant about 3,000 tomato plants (25 different varieties!).

George Ball

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George Ball explains why he got involved in the Cabrini Greens project.

At the end of the growing season, the children harvest their largest money crop--tomatoes--which sell quickly at the local Farmer's Market. It's also time to clinch the sale with the local restaurants that are looking for healthy, fresh produce. Feedback from restaurant chefs helped the gardeners learn how to improve future crops, and the relationship between the children and the chefs works so well that some kids are even given job opportunities at the restaurants.

Helen

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Listen to Helen

Selling yearly harvests according to weight, the Cabrini Greens project finally made money after five years, and Jack Davis was able to clear five to six thousand dollars. Several hundred dollars went to the 27 young gardeners who helped make the project a reality. One of those is Helen, who speaks for everyone when she describes the real sense of accomplishment she feels from the whole experience.

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George Ball

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