Farmer Will Allen and the growing table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Farmer Will Allen and the growing table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

This title was read during our Juneteenth celebration to honor and acknowledge African-Americans that made a difference in their community. The children loved this story as we showed them a variety of crops and garden activities to keep them engaged. This was held in the Pine Street African Burial Ground Community Garden space.

Book Storyline

Will Allen is no ordinary farmer. A former basketball star, he’s as tall as his truck, and he can hold a cabbage–or a basketball–in one hand. But what is most special about Farmer Will is that he can see what others can’t see. When he looked at an abandoned city lot in Milwaukee he saw a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world.

No space, no problem. Poor soil, there’s a solution. Need help, found it. Farmer Will is a genius in solving problems. In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation named him one for his innovative urban farming methods, including aquaponics and hydroponics.

Jacqueline Briggs Martin, author of the Caldecott Medal winner, Snowflake Bentley, and Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious , along with debut artist Eric-Shabazz Larkin’s striking artwork, tells the inspiring story of the African American innovator, educator, and community builder.