Honi Alexander: Let it Grow!

Meet Honi Alexander, a Galveston realtor who is director of The Young Gardeners Program that teaches kids how to grow and cook fresh produce. She shared her thoughts on life and the unique program, a project of Galveston’s Own Farmer’s Market.

Humans of Galveston: Tell us a little bit about yourself...

Honi: Wow, where do I start? The beach is my gym. I love to work out near the water. I’m an avid traveler. I like to solo travel, domestically and internationally. I travel a lot with my friend and Hawaii is next! I love reading, especially fiction, self-improvement and non-fiction. Holding books and turning pages is a thrill. I’m a long-time civil rights activist in Texas and Colorado, where my grandfather was the head of the Civil Rights Commission in Denver. I’m an active member of NAACP Economic Development Committee here in Galveston, a founding member of the Texas Democratic Women of Galveston County, and a Galveston voter registrar. I’m an adventurer who has jumped out of a plane, kayaked across open water in St. Croix, zip lined in Costa Rica, and snow boarded, poorly, in Colorado. Next on the list is sleeping in a treehouse and learning to roller skate and do handstands. I’m the wife of Adrian and mom to Nia. I love being a mommy of an adult daughter who is now adulting in Dallas after graduating from U of H in 2021. I’m an advocate for helping others help themselves, whether it’s holding real estate seminars for first-time homebuyers, talking to young girls and women about self-care and empowerment, or helping other caregivers with tips, advice, and comfort.

Humans of Galveston: Have you always been interested in gardening and how did the seed for your passion get planted?

Honi: No, I have not always been interested in gardening, but I did enjoy doing it with my mother as a child. We used to plant corn, pumpkins and onions. It was always a good bonding experience. I am a native of Denver where I owned a hair salon and sold real estate. I moved to Pearland in 2012 with my 16-year-old daughter to help my father take care of my mother. Soon after arriving, my mother fell extremely ill and was given a poor prognosis and a long, slow, painful life with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). She began do decline further so as soon as my daughter went off to college I moved to Galveston in 2015. My dad was becoming more ill from his COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) so I had my hands full. I was their primary caregiver and working full-time as a real estate agent and I needed an outlet. I began volunteering as a way to meet people and relieve stress. I became a voter registrar and had a booth at Galveston's Own Farmers Market where I met Casey McAuliffe, the executive director. She introduced me to Nan Wilson, who at the time was program director of the Young Gardeners Program. She invited me to volunteer and I was hooked! I loved watering the gardens and weeding. As the program began growing from the first school, Rosenberg, to the second location, Morgan Elementary, Nan asked if I wanted to be the garden leader there. I jumped at the chance and fell in love with the kids, the garden and the mission. During the initial COVID outbreak, the garden was closed to children, but we kept producing food to give to the kids. About that time both my parents took a turn for the worse and my load got heavy. The garden became my safe place to escape, cry, dance and talk with folks from the community. In October of 2020 both of my parents passed from their illnesses within three days of one another and I was heartbroken. I took time off from everything to mourn and went on a semi-solo trip to Costa Rica where I found myself, my happy place and my renewed zest for life and living in the moment. When I came back Nan asked if I wanted to apply to be the program director of the Young Gardeners Program. I jumped at the chance and was hired in April 2021.

Humans of Galveston: What do the kids gain from gardening?

Honi: Wow, so much! The program was started by Nan because she wanted to help combat obesity, diabetes and heart disease that disproportionately affects black and brown kids on the island. The kids learn how to grow produce. We are teaching them the nutritional components as well as how to cook it during hands-on sessions. We also send the recipes home so that their parents and caregivers can join in. The goal is to have every child take home a pound of veggies a week, but we often exceed that. This year we have added a focus on movement through exercise, so we are introducing guest teachers of dance, yoga and fun. The Young Gardeners Program is an offshoot of Galveston's Own Farmers Market, which started in 2015. We have school gardens in eight GISD schools on the island and Bolivar Peninsula.

Humans of Galveston: What produce is grown at the school gardens?

Honi: The school gardens grow so much, including carrots, broccoli, collard and mustard greens, herbs, corn, squash, sweet peas, green beans, cabbage and much more. This school year, with the help of a USDA grant, the food grown by the kids is served in the cafeterias of all elementary schools.

Humans of Galveston: What do you personally get out of gardening?

Honi: It is my peaceful place, my place to get lost in the soil and the pruning. It is the ultimate stress reliever.

Humans of Galveston: Why is it important for a community to have a farmer’s market?

Honi: First and foremost is access to fresh food. Farmer’s markets allow the community to buy food that has not been treated with chemicals or sprayed with things to make it shiny, and because our farmer’s market accepts SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) vouchers, the food is also affordable.

Humans of Galveston: How can Islanders get involved in the farmer’s market or school gardens?

Honi: They can volunteer. Much of what we do at the farmer’s market and the school gardens is because of our awesome volunteers. They can sign up using signup genius or by visiting us on Facebook and Instagram or our website.

---

Published by Bobby Stanton