An urban farmer in Kansas City is using his skills and life experience to cultivate the minds of young men.
Dre Taylor is the founder of Males to Men, a rite of passage program that works to raise “strong, conscious and productive young men.”
“A man has accountability and responsibility with himself and his community and that’s what we try to teach our young men,” Taylor said.
One component of the program involves Nile Valley Aquaponics, a plant and fish-based farm at the corner of 29th and Washbash. Taylor, who operates the farm, uses it to teach the young men in his program valuable lessons.
“[They’re] learning about entrepreneurship, how to eat healthy, understanding where their food comes from, learning how to grow food themselves and seeing farming in the inner-city,” he explained.
Taylor hosts 15-20 boys, between the ages of 7-19, every Monday. He has seven mentors on his team who serve as role models or father-figures to the boys.