The Youth We Employ
Our 2023-2024 Youth Crew
Addison, youth crew
LEAF has helped me to grow into a better person and a better friend. They’ve also been helpful in allowing me to find and grow in my leadership voice.
Ana, youth crew
LEAF has allowed me to adapt to changes very quickly (we always have a lot of tasks and lots of instruction, so I’ve learned to adapt and be flexible). Also, LEAF has allowed me to be more in-tune with myself through self-reflection and weekly constructive feedback.
Cole, program team
The experience at LEAF that taught me the most was a diversity workshop which helped me understand that the only way we can truly grow is by sticking near those around us and helping each other out.
Didi, youth crew
All of my favorite memories with LEAF involve the culinary workshops. They have helped shine a light on those skills and grow my confidence in the kitchen!
diesel, youth crew
Harvest hour is my favorite part of LEAF. It is when you can come to the farm early and focus just on harvesting. I have learned so many skills from that alone which has been pretty wicked!
donna, kitchen team
Every aspect of LEAF has taught me something. Coming here and meeting new people, finding new things to do, being taught different skills I didn’t know I had. All of these things have been really meaningful to me.
El, youth crew
One of my favorite memories from this past summer was the day that everyone in the youth crew came out of their shell and you could tell the friendships we build would last a lifetime.
ella, farm lead
LEAF gave me the space to explore my leadership style because after my first summer as an intern, I was still quiet and wasn’t quite comfortable leading others my age. However, with practice and support from the staff team, I learned what teaching methods worked for me, and how to professionally advocate for myself in the workspace.
Emily, Farm team
The experience that taught me the most at LEAF was the start of my second summer. We were given new responsibilities and challenges to manage, and it allowed me to experiment and become stronger in my skills.
Emma, farm fellow
LEAF has shown me that I am capable of so many more things than I thought possible. I know that I can be and am a leader in my communities. They’ve taught me that I don’t have to do everything myself, and that I can trust others to get things done.
ethan, youth crew
LEAF has allowed me to grow by giving me opportunities to try new tasks and also lead tasks. I have been able to learn new and interesting topics about diversity and the food system. Lastly, LEAF has been encouraging me to complete goals I have set for myself. By the end of the summer, I learned how to better communicate and succeed in advanced responsibilities.
Fairie, youth crew
LEAF helped me find parts of myself I didn’t know I had and made me more aware of my surroundings.
fisher, outreach team
My favorite part of LEAF are the close friendships that I have created that I didn’t expect to have with my coworkers.
Greta, program team
LEAF has changed and morphed me in so many ways since the day I stepped foot on this farm. Specifically, I have gained a leadership voice that felt impossible after the pandemic when I began to close myself off. Along with this, I have found a true love for not only cultivating the land around me, but teaching the people in this space and creating a safe place for them to come to.
Isaac, outreach lead
My favorite part of LEAF is the ability to engage with the community and support it.
ivette, youth crew
An experience that taught me the most was our Food Miles workshop. I never realized how far our food travels before it makes it to the big box grocery stores. I also learned how big of an impact meaningful work can have on our community.
Jared, kitchen lead
My favorite part of LEAF are the friends I have made and the food I have helped to cook for the community.
johnny, program team
I learned the most from our diversity workshops because they really open your perspective of everyone you work with by giving you a deeper understanding of what they believe.
Kiley, youth crew
The experience that taught me the most at LEAF is was going to the farmer’s market because I got to see that there are actual people we’re impacting.
Leo, youth crew
My all time favorite memory would be the van rides to and from work. It gave me time to really connect and see/learn about the people I was working alongside. I really enjoyed those little moments.
Maria, youth crew
LEAF has allowed me to grow by showing me the type of person I want to become in life; how I want to work and how I want to treat people. It’s hard to be this version of yourself in a world that doesn’t always expect or respect that from you. But LEAF does expect you to work hard and for a purpose. LEAF does expect you to treat people with curiosity and open-mindedness. LEAF does expect me to be fully me and it’s been really incredible seeing myself become someone I’m proud of.
Meredith, farm team
LEAF has provided a stable environment for me to rely on, has pushed me healthily, and been there for me consistently for the past three years.
Nailah, youth crew
The experience that has taught me the most at LEAF is Real Talk. It has taught me that even if you’re doing well in an area, there is always something you can improve upon.
olivia, youth crew
LEAF is sort of like my fertile soil. It provides me with a safe environment and tons of support in order to grow!
poppy seed bagel, certified farm dog
My favorite part of LEAF is running down the hill and saying hello to everyone in the check-in/check-out circles each day!
Sage, farm team
LEAF has allowed me to be my most honest self which has helped me grow as a leader and as a person no matter the season.
soph, program team
LEAF has allowed me to grow because the staff really put a lot of trust in the leadership team. We spend our days leading tasks and games, doing independent farm work, writing feedback, and much more. I wouldn’t have been able to grow as a leader the way that i have if they hadn’t given me the space, trust, and support to be independent and find my own style of leadership.
Sophia, youth crew
The experience at LEAF that taught me the most was a conversation I had with someone whose experiences were really different from my own and realizing that we could still find common ground.
Soung, youth crew
Before LEAF, I was completely unfamiliar to the farm setting. LEAF has allowed me to grow in a social aspect as well as my work ethic. I’ve grown in my knowledge of both work tasks on the farm and in workshops.
xyven, youth crew
LEAF has helped me really search deeper into who I am which allowed me to help others do the same.