Granja Julia: the multiverse vegetable garden that empowers the youth of València

More than thirty-five years ago, in the Valencian neighbourhood of La Coma there were no schools, no public transportation, no shops and no pharmacies. But there was a need and a desire to create a meeting place for the people who lived there: people from all over the world and in extreme situations, in a neighbourhood far from everything and living in very hard conditions. It is precisely in this environment where an oasis where exclusion does not exist was installed: the La Coma Youth Collective, a group whose goal remains to unite as much as possible a neighbourhood that knows about inequalities.

This organisation, which was formed very gradually, made it possible for neighbours from different cultures to meet and come together through various activities and workshops: theatre, pottery, appliance repair, cooking workshops and, of course, organic farming. Thus was born the Julia Environmental Education Centre, known by all as ““Granja Julia” and the current home of the collective. “This space is ours. Many generations have passed through here and will continue to do so”, says Joan García Celda, a member of the Granja Julia educational team, proudly.

The multiverse vegetable garden: an excuse for sharing

The collective put into operation a project that receives the support of the City Council of Paterna, the municipality to which the neighbourhood belongs: the multiverse vegetable garden. The initiative adopts sustainable irrigation and cultivation practices that preserve biodiversity, educates people about healthy eating and invites them to connect with nature, as well as improving their employability.

“Every Wednesday, the young people sell sustainable food that they grow with their own hands, but that’s the least important thing”, explains Joan. The ultimate goal is job placement, to help young people regain confidence in themselves, to provide support, to achieve a pleasant coexistence and to share enriching experiences. “In l’Horta there is an exchange of many things. It is not only a space to grow and sell fruits and vegetables; there is room for many other things. It is a living space at the biological level, but also at the people level.”

A complex moment in life, in a complicated environment

Through l’Horta, as in so many other activities, the Collective helps young people to open their minds and develop critical thinking, in a stage of development that is complicated in itself. On a material level, they take with them any seasonal product for their families, and, on an intangible level, they take with them learning, experiences, the ability to dismantle fears and prejudices about the garden and working the land.

“The beauty of this initiative is that it proves time and time again that, when we work together, things work out. There are good and bad parts, of course, many hours of work, very intense experiences, but it comforts me to know that here they have a place where they can feel comfortable and where they will always be taken into account”, says Joan. Click here to be amazed by the initiatives of this centre.