Barham Leads Fifth Season Of Alton Inner-City Garden

ALTON - Abe Lee Barham has restarted the Alton Inner City Community Garden in Alton’s 2nd Ward area on Dooley Drive, behind the senior citizen complex, with support from the Alton Housing Authority and local aldermen, as he begins the program’s fifth year of teaching inner-city youth how to garden.

“This garden started to give inner-city youth experience on what it takes to have a garden,” Barham said.

Barham said children taking part are coming from the Oakwood area and Alton Acres. Some of this year’s participants include Kehlani Womack, Kaliyah Womack, Octavia Teague, A’Mira Steward, Emerie Barnes, Anaya Lumpkins, N’Tashia Jones, Dezray Thompson and Troy Jones Jr.

The community garden is sponsored by the Alton Housing Authority, Barham said, along with 2nd Ward Alderwoman Martha Pfister, 1st Ward Alderman Chris Bohn and 3rd Ward Alderman Mike Veloff.

“I am so happy to step up to do this,” Barham said.

Barham said the city is providing funding, tools, plants and bug dust for the effort. The garden is growing peppers, cabbage, lettuce, okra, sweet potatoes, onions and greens this summer.

Barham said his family’s history with gardening is part of the reason he continues the work. He said his mother, Anna Belle Barham, and Mattie Travis always grew gardens, and he learned much of what he knows from time spent with them.

He said that years ago, his mother maintained a very large garden off Elm Street near the old Dooley housing area, with a fence around it.

Now in its fifth year, the garden continues Barham’s effort to connect local youth with hands-on gardening experience in the inner city.

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