Feeding neighbors, building leadership
Summer Service participant Andre McKennie uses aeroponic tower technology to grow food in Chicago
For Andre McKennie, the combination of his faith, passion for sustainable agriculture and leadership skills is quite literally bearing fruit in his Chicago community. McKennie, a 19-year-old sophomore at Middlebury College, participated in MCC’s Summer Service program with GAP Community Center.
The community center, which is part of his home congregation at Grace + Peace Church, may look like a warehouse from the outside. But tucked away in the basement are 14 aeroponic garden towers that McKennie was instrumental in developing.
In 2023, the church received a grant and was contemplating putting in more traditional dirt gardens on their outside property. McKennie encouraged them to think outside the box and consider creative ways to grow food year-round. “Instead of doing dirt, which was seasonal and difficult with Chicago winters,” said McKennie.
He remembered learning about aeroponic tower gardens as a sixth grader and brought the idea to the church. The tower gardens don’t use any soil, as the plant roots are suspended vertically in the air and get nutrients through mist. Plants grow faster and have higher yields than traditional soil gardening.
“February of my senior year, they told me they had a grant and I was brainstorming different ideas and I thought this would be the best. And so we went full steam ahead with it, and it's been a success,” recounts McKennie, who became co-founder of the project.
With the original grant, they purchased six aeroponic tower gardens. That expanded to eight towers which expanded to 14 current towers. “We’re growing all different fruits and veggies in the basement of our church,” said McKennie. “It’s a self-sustaining eco-system with the help of people watering and pruning.”
The towers can produce significant amounts of produce. Green leafy vegetables - like kale - are some of the highest yielding plants and can produce up to 20 bundles per harvest. Lettuce, green onions and cilantro are also growing well. Fruits are harder, but they’re working on perfecting conditions for things like tomatoes and strawberries.
McKennie learned about the science behind the tower gardens from online research and organizations. “We use the Chicago tap water so there's a constant balance of making sure that there is the right pH for each of the different plants,” he explained.
The majority of the produce from the tower gardens goes to the Grace + Peace food bank, with some going to the church or other outlets. “It's been fruitful not only for internal community and the other young adults working with me, but also for the outward community and the different zip codes that we are able to pour in fresh produce to,” McKennie said.
For McKennie, participating in the Summer Service program this past summer brought in a key leadership development component. His role expanded to manage a team of seven other young adults, ranging in age from high school ninth-graders to first-year college students. He was responsible not only for overseeing their work with the garden project but also helping them grow spiritually. This included leading devotions, prayers and one-on-one coaching conversations.
“Everything we do has the opportunity to be excellent and an offering fragrant to God,” said McKennie. “Lifting other people up and teaching them and building them in the most holy faith was a really amazing opportunity.”
"Andre’s dedication to this program has deeply inspired both his peers and our congregation,” said Pastor John Eric Zayas, Lead Pastor at Grace + Peace Church. “Through his example, many have come to see growing produce not just as a practical act, but as a beautiful expression of faith — a tangible way to love and serve our neighbors. His work quite literally reaps a harvest that gives life, and we couldn’t be more proud of his heart and his efforts!"
McKennie was one of four participants serving with different organizations across Chicago in the Summer Service program. And they were connected with a broader group of young adults across the U.S. participating in the MCC program. For McKennie, those connections with other program participants were priceless.
“It was the mix between having the support and going to different trainings, which is very cool, but then also having and being connected to community across the country of young adults that are following Christ and also making an impact in their communities,” he said. “That's so uplifting to see because oftentimes you think you're kind of in this alone in a sense. We often single ourselves out, but this kind of reminds you and gives you hope that you are not the only one working towards the good of other people and the good of God’s church.”
When asked whether he would encourage other young adults to consider serving with Summer Service he said enthusiastically, “Yes, absolutely! I feel this is a win-win situation in the sense of you’re helping a good, solid community organization – you’re helping the body of Christ – and you're also gaining valuable experience that is not just fit for a certain major or certain field. It's showing the love of God and being an example for other people in everything we do, which I think saturates every part of your career and professional life.”
Summer Service is a 10-week MCC program for young adults of color in the U.S. that runs from June to August each summer. The program encourages and strengthens leadership capabilities within young adults while nurturing a commitment to sharing God’s love for all through community development projects.