Growing Community: Body and Soul


Growing Community: Body and Soul


Lenny West is only 22, but already knows what he wants to do the rest of his life. An Army Veteran, he found his anchor and passionate mission in providing fresh vegetables and tasty microgreens to food desert neighbors in the Killeen/Temple area.
hand of young man against leaf of plant in large black plastic nursery pot
To grow his knowledge, he volunteered at community gardens. Now a 2024 graduate of the Bell County Master Gardener program, we met up with him at his Killeen rental house in May.
young man bending over large plastic nursery pots filled with young plants
“My goal mostly is to be able to bring it to the youth because if you’re able to start young and have good coping skills, you’re able to connect the mind, the body and the soul at a young age. Then you are able to equip yourself to live a good, healthy life,” he told us.
young man's hand holding a seed while he picks it up to plant in peat pots
“You just plant that seed in them and hope they water it, and just know that you were there to be a part of that.”
smiling young man in grassy lot surrounded by trees
To expand his vision, he teamed up with fellow community-oriented champion, Deonta Davis.
two young men smiling and gesturing to each other in field with grasses and trees
A joyful, energetic and focused duo, they plan to transform a vacant lot—owned by Deonta’s family in Temple—into a food forest wellness harbor, complete with native plants for pollinators.
young man in backyard looking at large nursery pots and pickle barrel containers filled with young plants
Back in Killeen, Lenny told us that he started gardening in an apartment.
backyard with many large recycled pickle barrels and nursery pots filled with young plants
To raise larger plants, he moved to a rental house, growing in 5-gallon containers, mostly donated from nurseries or repurposed from local delis for a few dollars. (Check your delis for pickle barrels, etc.) He even picks up recycled mushroom blocks from local mushroom growers.
house ledge with small plastic nursery pots filled with various plants
He encourages young gardeners, “You don’t have to have a ton of money, and you don’t have to have a ton of space.”
young man picking up top of cut off plastic soda bottle as top of tiny propagation "greenhouse"
Oh yeah, I’ve been there and I bet you have, too! Lenny revived so many precious memories of that first passalong, that first clipping that I successfully grew up thanks to the soda bottle greenhouse!

Thanks for stopping by! Linda



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