Teens give SPIN farm a whirl

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Seeds planted on city lot will grow into cash

Shawn Thomas (left), 16, Justin Pickard and Nathan Pickard work on their SPIN farm, or small plot intensive farm, in the 1100 block of North Cheyenne Avenue. SHERRY BROWN / Tulsa World

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 5/17/2010 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 5/17/2010 7:07 AM

Read more about the Brady Heights SPIN farm and spin farming in general.

www.tulsaworld.com/spingarden

www.tulsaworld.com/spinfarm

Nathan Pickard spun his interest in SPIN Farming into an opportunity for a few young people in Brady Heights.

But it's going to take time — today all you'll find in the garden on the 1100 block of North Cheyenne Avenue is a patch of brown dirt seeded with hope.

"It's something we researched online," Pickard said of the Small Plot Intensive, or SPIN, farming concept. "It's a way to make money by doing urban farming (and) actually make a living on it by selling it at farmers markets."

In this case, the "doing" is being done by eight young people between the ages of 10 and 16.

"There are just kids who come around asking if they can mow or do something to make money," said Pickard, who lives in Brady Heights and works in the city Auditor's Office. "Jobs are pretty scarce in our area, so we just wanted to give them the opportunity to make some money."

That's the short-term goal, anyway. But Pickard said he's really interested in long-term results.

"We really wanted to teach them all aspects of business and accounting

and learning how to save money and invest in the business the next year," he said. It's about "giving them tools to succeed later on in life."

The first step in setting up the SPIN farm was taken care of when use of a vacant lot was donated by a neighborhood resident.

About a month ago, Pickard, 27, paid his older farmers to help him till the 50-foot-by-50-foot planting area, and then came the hard part — figuring out what to grow.

To help answer that question, Pickard's older brother, Justin Pickard, took the future farmers to the Cherry Street Farmers Market and told them to figure out what was selling best and what was selling for the most money.

Then, with packets of donated seeds in hand, Nathan Pickard started taking requests.

"They wanted certain packets over others," Nathan Pickard said. "One kid said, 'These (bell peppers) are selling for $3.99 at the farmers market.' "

Montaiveon Hollins is one of the SPIN farm's budding businessmen. He went along on the trip to the Cherry Street Farmers Market and came back with a clear understanding of what he wanted to plant: — squash, peppers, tomatoes and mixed lettuce.

"I planted stuff that I seen it cost a lot," he said, adding that he hopes to make $40 come harvest time.

But the 12-year-old said it was the fun of it, not the finances, that piqued his interest.

"You get to plant it and watch it grow," he said.

Victor Paylor, 16, definitely isn't in it to eat better.

"We're still trying to get Vic to eat vegetables," said Justin Pickard.

No, Paylor's in it for the cash, even if it's not cool.

"People around my age probably would think it would be weird to do something like this," he said. "So basically, you just have to put money into it to let them know it can be weird but you're still making money."

The SPIN farm is just a few houses down from the Brady Heights Community Garden, which the Pickards began four years ago. Interest has grown every year since.

"Some people have said they moved in because of the community garden," Justin Pickard said. "They wanted to be in a neighborhood that had that kind of thing."

In the SPIN garden, each young person has been given a 25-foot-by-2-foot parcel in which to plant their dreams. The money they earn is theirs to keep.

Already, in the flat brown patch of earth, Nathan Pickard sees progress.

"It's been neat because we haven't been telling the kids what to do, really, it's been a deal where they take the initiative and read the seed packages themselves and figure those things out," he said.

Kevin Canfield 581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer

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true2form, Grand Lake (4 months ago)

Hats off to Mr. Pickard and all those involved in this great educational program.
These youngsters will learn not only the joys of gardening,but a great economic lesson as well.

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gemsleuth, (4 months ago)

Yes, David L. Moss inmates should have their own little plots to take care of and take ownership of something instead of just sitting around all day living off the taxpayers. Maybe if they had to work for their vegetables, they would begin to want to turn their lives around....just a thought!