Alice's Garden in Milwaukee Celebrates 50 Years
Venice Williams and Demetrius Brown, Sr. of Alice’s Garden. (Picture by Liyah Sumner/Carvd N Stone)
Alice’s Garden is a Milwaukee staple that has reached 50 years of operating in the city. It was established to create a space for the community to learn how to grow their own healthy food, and that’s exactly what it has been doing.
Alice’s Garden has become a place for peace through projects, workshops and events like their weekly walks where community members can experience the labyrinth.
“We use gardening as the carrot to impact the entire quality of life,” said Executive Director and Minister Venice Williams.
The urban farm resides on 21st and Garfield, which came after the city built a freeway through thriving Black neighborhoods and businesses.
Alice’s Garden was named in 2001 after Alice Meade-Taylor when she passed away. Meade-Taylor was the first African-American executive director of the Milwaukee County Cooperative Extension. She was also an advocate for urban community programs in Milwaukee.
Her career was focused on education, specifically in youth issues and in drug and alcohol abuse programs. Later on, she went on to teach people about cultural diversity and multiculturalism.
“Alice’s Garden reminds us of how we’re supposed to be,” said Williams.
Alice’s Garden celebrates 50 years. (Picture by Liyah Sumner/Carvd N Stone)
The first year Williams took over the garden she didn’t plant anything, instead she tended to the soil and gave the space lots of love.
Williams knack for gardening comes from her lineage of farmers. Her family is from Alabama but she grew up in Philadelphia where she learned how to grow food. It wasn’t until her adults years when she learned that most people don’t know how to cultivate their own food.
Through her work, Williams, along with the help of many, is teaching generations how to grow.
“We can make the change to be a stronger community, a stronger neighborhood, a stronger nation, but we have to create intentional spaces that cultivate people in the best ways,” said Williams.
To support Alice’s Garden, click here.