I’m 17, and I turned an empty N.J. lot into a community garden

I’m 17 years old, and I started a garden in an empty lot in Riverside, Burlington County. The herbs and vegetables we grow are free to anyone in the neighborhood, and the project didn’t cost the city a dime.

Here’s how I did it:

As an Eagle Scout, I have to complete a Service Project. I knew I wanted my project to be in Riverside; I lived there until the end of middle school, and thought there might be ways I could give back. I remember seeing some of my Riverside classmates receive free or discounted lunch because of their household income, and I always wondered what they did in the summer, when school wasn’t in session. I wanted to do something that could help feed the community, but also unite it, by providing something they could do together.

So I contacted Michelle Weaver, a member of the Riverside Township Committee, whose son is also an Eagle Scout. Weaver told me about an empty lot at the corner of Whittaker and Stokes that was owned by the township and used to be a playground but now was empty. “Why don’t you build a community garden there?” she suggested.

I thought it was a great idea.

There was a problem — I’d never done anything like this before. I had helped my parents with their garden, but that was about it.

“I’d never done anything like this before.”

Luckily, Eagle Scouts have a project workbook that provides guidance on getting a big project going, such as how to come up with a list and estimated cost of materials, and a draft letter to send to businesses asking for donations. Still, most Eagle Scout projects take a day or a day and a half to complete; if I wanted the garden to be successful, I had to be in it for a long haul.

In April, I started planning what kinds of vegetables and herbs to grow, and how many beds. Then I drew up some tentative blueprints. After reviewing the list of supplies — rain barrels for water (the lot doesn’t have its own water source), hoses, plants, and yards of topsoil — my budget came to around $1,500. But before I could do anything, I needed approval from the township.

In June, I submitted my proposal to the township during one of its Monday meetings. The next day, I checked my email while I was on break during a shift at Five Guys, and saw the project had already been approved. My first emotion was surprise, as I had expected it to take longer. Then I felt a wave of relief — all the work I’d done had paid off, and I was going to get to build the garden. And that’s when the fear kicked in. Because now the real work was starting.

The first thing I needed to do was raise some money. So every day for about one week, I walked into neighborhood businesses, introduced myself, and described the project. On one day I started at 10 a.m. and didn’t get home until 5:30 p.m. After asking nearly two dozen businesses, I had the money I needed, and started buying my supplies and gathering volunteers.

Finally, the day of the project — Saturday, July 9 — came. It felt like the first day of school — I was nervous, but prepared.

The turnout was more than I could have hoped for. There were tons of volunteers from Riverside and Delanco, as well as members of two Boy Scout troops and the nearby Girl Scout troop. Assemblywoman Carol Murphy came by, and offered to donate money to buy wood for raised beds. The best surprise was my main scout leader from my old troop, who I hadn’t seen since eighth grade.

That day, we set up the rain barrels, cleaned up the lot, laid the topsoil, and planted cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, eggplant, mint, basil, and other herbs. Unlike traditional community gardens, where people get and maintain their own plot, the entire garden is shared. People can tend to and pick from wherever they want.

Of course, a garden needs maintenance, so now I’m trying to get volunteers to do that, and replant it next year. I write weekly updates that my dad posts on the Residents of Riverside Facebook page, and I’m working with the township to set up a link on its website for the garden.

The garden is amazing, and I’m really proud of the work we did to make it possible. To me, it’s not just a garden. It is a reminder that change can happen, that even a kid can make a difference in his community. With the right tools and people at your side, anything is possible.

Jacob Rodriguez will start 12th grade at Delran High School in the fall.