With a New Gardener-in Residence, Dolphin Heights Hopes To Increase Fresh Produce For The Community

Alex Gerner likes to start her days sipping coffee as she strolls through the Dolphin Heights Community Garden, checking to see if weeds need to be pulled and vegetables need to be picked. She moved into the small cottage behind Anna Hill’s house 5 months ago.

“I’m able to come out and pick my own vegetables,” Gerner says. “I can’t remember the last time I had to buy actual produce.”

Gerner is the new gardener-in-residence — an idea that sprouted from Benje Feehan, the executive director of [bc] Workshop. He also volunteers in the garden. 

A few years ago, Feehan noticed that the gardening work was getting to be too much for Hill to tend to by herself. Hill and her late husband, Willie Hart, started the garden in 2005 to provide fresh food to their neighbors. Since Hill’s husband died in 2019, the 84-year-old Dolphin Heights neighborhood leader has been doing most of the work by herself.

Feehan’s solution was to build a “tiny home” on Hill’s property and rent the space for below-market-value in exchange for help with the garden. With funding help from the Addy Foundation, Hill was able to build the cottage. The hope was that by having someone on site, the garden would thrive, and Dolphin Heights would be able to provide even more fresh fruits and vegetables for the community. 

Dolphin Heights is classified as a food desert, meaning residents have limited access to affordable, healthy foods. In neighborhoods without nearby grocery stores, community gardens can offer fresh produce, providing some relief. However, while these gardens help, they often don’t fully address food insecurity in food deserts. They rely heavily on volunteers, consistent funding, and a steady level of production, all of which can be challenging to maintain.

Gerner is the second gardener-in residence. After graduating from Texas Tech University with her bachelor’s degree in biology, she was looking for a place to live in her native Dallas. Her father knew Hill and passed along the news that she was looking for a gardener-in-residence. Gerner signed a one-year lease to rent the 450-square-foot cottage in June. 

“I have friends that pay anywhere around $1,300 to $1,500 for a one-bedroom,” Gerner says. “For all of my bills in total, I pay around $460 a month.”

A Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies found that the median monthly household rent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is more than $1,500.

The garden cottage has a full kitchen, living-room and bathroom with a stand-up shower. A window unit heats and cools the space. In return for the discounted rent, Gerner is responsible for maintaining the garden and organizing volunteers.

While Gerner has some general knowledge when it comes to  gardening, she says that she is learning a lot from Hill on how and when to harvest the produce.

“I see that girl out there all the time,” Hill says of Gerner. “She stays out there a lot longer than what the lease requirement is. It’s really working out good right now.”

Hill says since Gerner arrived, the produce is gathered and distributed more quickly. She also noticed fewer plants are dying and Gerner is keeping the beds clear of weeds.

“I can see what she has been doing around the garden,” Hill says. “I don’t really have to remind or ask her to do stuff.”

Hill has to log and weigh the amount of produce gathered and distributed to the North Texas Food Bank. This is another task that she plans on delegating to Gerner. On one October week, Gerner collected 14 pounds in produce. Hill says with Gerner’s help, they have been able to increase their yield by a pound or more per week. Hill hopes eventually the garden will produce 200-250 pounds  – that’s more than double of what they produced in 2023. 

Hill says the gardener-in-residence program hasn’t been without its problems. Hill has had five applicants since the residence opened in 2023. She’s learned that she has to clearly explain the scope of the work and include that in writing as part of the rental agreement. Hill says the first gardener-in-residence lasted about six months because she didn’t follow through with the work outlined in the lease.  

Hill’s advice for other communities considering a similar program is to ensure that all of the requirements for tending to the garden are communicated both verbally and in writing. She says having documentation provides a safety net for both parties.

The Dolphin Heights neighborhood hosts community garden nights every second and fourth Saturday of the month where people can come out and volunteer in the garden. 

“The more time that passes by, the more connected I feel to the Dolphin Heights community,” Gerner says. “I love being able to talk to volunteers who come work in the garden and know that the things we grow here are serving their purpose.”