LOCAL: Green Acre Community Garden - New Jersey's Garden of Faith

The Lost Concept of Gardening

We are living in a time where the ideal situation right now is to get people to like gardening. Most of the United States, including the youth, is busy behind the front doors and are unlinked with nature. Nothing in this world is more calming, refreshing, and soothing than the bliss of fresh air, listening to the buzzing of bees and the birdsongs.

The feeling of getting your hands in the soil, pruning, planting, and growing, can change your life beyond recognition. The current pandemic has forced us to work from home, not leaving our places, and coping with a world that is entirely different than what we would have imagined a year ago.

Man of the Hour

But the scenario is different for Deacon Davis, founder of Green Acre Community Garden, who has been nothing but a faithful believer of God. Started as a mere concept of running a community garden, Deacon Davis single-handedly changed the entire outcome of his goals through persistence and hard work.

photo of Deacon Davis, shot by LacQuan Scott

With little to no investment and funding, the founder of Green Acre Community Garden has surfaced against turmoil and turbulences. With a lot of maintenance required on a day-to-day basis, such as using 75 gallons of water to keep the plants hydrated, Deacon has been at the forefront to make sure his garden is getting the recognition it deserves.

The community garden ran by him is preserving 30 different types of fruits and vegetables. In the time of difficulty, Deacon’s admiration and will are highly lauded by his colleagues. He is partnered with the organization "Newark Science and Sustainability" to provide a community supported agriculture program and provides about 15 families on a biweekly basis. On top of it, there are a few organizations as well, which are being provided by Deacon Davis.

Throughout the years Green Acre Community Garden has been recognized with different awards for the impactful change: Outstanding Achievement Award in 2016 presented by Northeast Earth Coalition, Nettie Carter Award in 2017 presented by Paterson Habitat for Humanity, Community Service Award in 2018 presented by the NAACP 50th Annual Freedom Fund.

Final Words

This is the time where we have to acknowledge the privileges given to us in the form of Deacon Davis. The boy from the local farm of North Carolina set out on a quest to New Jersey to provide for hundreds of people restores faith in humanity. But, let’s not take this time to call out people who are profiteering from these dreadful times of pandemic. Let’s use our voices and actions to support whatever little we have and make the best out of it. By supporting the people like Deacon Davis, we can pave the way for a better understanding community.

You can find Green Acre Community Garden at the corner of Rosa Parks and 12th Avenue in Paterson, New Jersey

For the full story, please check out our September 2020 Issue of We Are Jersey Magazine releasing September 15th at 5PM by our writer Melissa Maloon.