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Growing produce, relationships earns Fargoan an MLK award

MLK award winners to be honored at City Commission meeting

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Nola Storm was named the adult winner of Fargo's activism award named for Martin Luther King Jr. David Samson / The Forum

FARGO — Nola Storm and her partners are in the business of feeding stomachs and hearts.

As the co-founder and vice president of the 15-year-old Growing Together Community Gardens ministry, the former school district social worker is being recognized for her work as this year's recipient of a Martin Luther King Jr. award.

She and two others — youth activist Clara Derby and nonprofit leader Precious Grapeh — will be recognized at Monday night's Fargo City Commission meeting as the annual MLK celebration at the Fargo Theater was canceled this year because of the pandemic.

Through the nonprofit gardening organization, Storm and co-founder Jack Wood, along with about 150 New Americans from all over the world and local volunteers, spend the warmer months growing produce in six garden plots around the city as they not only help feed the immigrants but also provide food for the emergency food pantries in the city.

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Last year, her nonprofit group donated more than 2,500 pounds to the pantries to help others in need.

That's not the only benefit, though. Her group is also growing relationships between those new to the country and other city residents as they work "next to each other and not for each other."

"It's really a sense of community," Storm said.

She said the interactions are fun and amazing. Individuals from very different backgrounds have become lifelong friends.

She said many of the New Americans are "the most patriotic people I've ever known."

"They have a deep love for their city, state and country," Storm said. "It's in their hearts. The reason is that they have a safe place to be..."

Her relationships with the New Americans started through her work as an English language instructor and social worker interacting with families, including both students and adults in the Fargo School District.

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Over the years, she's been "profoundly affected" by their stories as "they have been through so much sadness but they also have so much hope."

"They're resilient, but also so thankful to be safe," she said.

Storm said a man from West Africa told her what he most liked about people here was that for the first time in his life there was "someone who respected him and thought of him as human."

"It took my breath away," she said, as she had never heard that before.

The reason for the man's feelings were because others in his country had been slaughtering members of his family and neighbors.

Finally, in Fargo-Moorhead, he and his family were safe, she said.

Storm also has a deep appreciation for the refugees because many make a life here after "having lost everything."

"Then they have to work, learn a new language and fight the loneliness," she said.

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For Storm, it's her faith that has brought her to the longstanding gardening project.

That faith tells her to "care for one another."

The gardening effort can be a two-way street as refugees often offer their own expertise on growing produce as they have done in their former homelands.

"They introduce some different vegetables," she said.

The most popular produce overall each summer has been the tomatoes, while squash and cucumbers are also grown a lot.

Although the busy time is in the spring and summer with the planting and weeding, their operation is starting fairly soon as some volunteer members start seedlings in their basements and a few greenhouses. Wood grows 60 varieties of heirloom tomatoes each year from seedlings.

The operation is a "communal effort" as participants can earn their share of the produce by the amount of time they put into the gardens.

It wouldn't be possible without the help of the Fargo Park District, businesses and other nonprofits that provide the water from the buildings near their garden plots.

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Storm said they water all the plants by hand so as not to run up water bills for those helping.

It's a lot of work, Storm said, and more volunteers and New Americans are always wanted. The group has a Facebook page and just launched a website, too.

Here's more about the other two MLK award winners:

Organizational winner:

WIN-Liberia, founded by Precious Grapeh, is a nonprofit that caters to the needs of single mothers, youths and vulnerable adults by providing mentoring, after-school programs and financial literacy education.

Grapeh, a single mother who emigrated from Liberia in 2012, is the founder of the program for Liberian women and children in the Fargo-Moorhead area. She said they sometimes work with other immigrants, too, and usually help about 150 mothers and children a year.

In receiving the award, it was noted that her organization was especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic to help community members succeed through extra challenges brought on by economic losses and uncertain times.

Youth winner:

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Clara Derby is an advocate for climate and environmental changes as well as Black Lives Matter.

She has helped organize marches in the city, including a Climate Emergency March last September and another to protest the abuse of people of color. If not organizing, she can be seen in the marches for climate issues and racial justice.

The 22-year-old, who graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead in March, is an intern for State Rep. Ruth Buffalo this winter in the North Dakota Legislature. She also plans to apply for law school and hopes one day to be a lawyer.

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