Community Garden Plants Roots In Empty Lot In Astoria

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A group of Astoria residents is working to turn an empty asphalt lot on Hoyt Avenue North into a community garden open to all.

Under the proposal by the newly-formed Astoria Urban Agriculture Alliance, the neglected lot around the corner from Astoria Park would be transformed into a public garden where neighbors can grow food and teach one another about gardening and sustainability.

Megan Stotts, one of the people spearheading the initiative, said the idea grew from her conversations with fellow Astoria resident Bianca Bibiloni about racial justice and unequal access to spaces to grow food.

While anyone can theoretically apply for a plot in one of New York City's many community gardens, there are often more applicants than available spaces.

"In order to dig into the dirt and plant something and grow it you either need to win the lottery and get off the waitlist for the gardens ... or you have to have a million dollars to buy a home," Stotts told Patch.

The Astoria Urban Agriculture Alliance is proposing an open space that would provide more access to green space and that would serve as both a food production and community education hub.

"We really envision this being a space where everyone can grow and participate," said Astoria resident Evie Hantzopoulos, one of the project's organizers and a candidate for City Council. "You don't need to get on a waiting list to get your four-by-four plot."

The proposed site, which is called the Sitting Area and falls under the purview of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, is "basically broken asphalt, a bunch of tree pits and three trees," Hantzopoulos said.

The Astoria Urban Agriculture Alliance will plant its first seeds — figuratively speaking — during a kickoff event Saturday at the proposed site that will include a composting workshop, a food collection drive by Astoria Fridges and the Astoria Food Pantry, and a giveaway of seeds, pots and soil.

Bibiloni hopes the space will destigmatize gardening across cultures, and Stotts said she hopes it will prompt conversations about urban farming, the future of food production and climate change.

And community will always be central. The group recently created a survey to see what Astoria residents would like to see growing in their neighborhood and how they might like to get involved.

For now, with the planting season over, the alliance is focusing on educational programming over the video-conference platform Zoom.

"Once the spring hits," Hantzopoulos said, "we'll go full force."