How Wascar’s Journey from Student to Advocate is Rewriting the Food Justice Playbook
When Wascar S. picked up a brown paper bag filled with two kinds of lettuce from a Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) distribution table, he didn’t expect it to change the course of his life. He was a 10th grader at Urban Assembly Media High School, just beginning to experience school in person after the pandemic. That first taste of student-grown produce led him to TFFJ’s hydroponic farm—and he never really left.
Now a college student at Hunter College studying history, Wascar is still growing food, still supporting his community, and still returning to the farm where it all started.
From After-School Volunteer to Community Leader
Wascar joined a horticulture class at his school that collaborated with the TFFJ farm. From there, he found himself volunteering after hours, joining internship programs, and eventually mentoring younger students. One day, he was picking up lettuce; the next, he was helping stir-fry garlic in the classroom while students chopped vegetables beside him.
He recalls the moment he realized this was more than an after-school activity: “Working as a volunteer with TFFJ, I think I’m not only advocating for food justice—I’m also being part of the direct process of growing the food that people need.” That active involvement deepened his connection to the mission. It also shaped how he sees his role in creating change.
Spicy Pickles and Academic Papers
Wascar speaks about his time in the program with joy, especially when remembering the experiments that blended farming with food. One of his proudest moments was making spicy pickles entirely from scratch: growing the cucumbers, spicy peppers, and dill, then drying and preserving them. “I still think about them,” he said. “I still don’t know why they were so unique in flavor.”
These early projects laid the foundation for a broader academic interest in food systems. At Hunter, Wascar wrote a 10-page research paper on hydroponics, using knowledge he gained directly from TFFJ.
→ [Read Wascar’s Hydroponic Paper Here]
His paper explored the vulnerability of global supply chains and the role that hyperlocal farming can play in making food systems more resilient. “The food system isn’t as untouchable as people think,” he wrote. “Hydroponics shows that local solutions can work—even when the larger systems are failing.”
“Hydroponics shows that local solutions can work—even when the larger systems are failing.”
Year-Round Farming in a City That Doesn’t Stop
One of the most exciting lessons for Wascar was discovering how hydroponics could reduce reliance on traditional agriculture and still grow food year-round—especially in dense cities like New York. He now grows lemon balm at home using a Kratky system, a technique he learned from TFFJ.
He’s quick to explain how hydroponics eliminates the need for pesticides and prevents soil degradation. “You don’t have to wait until early spring to plant anything,” he says. “You don’t have to wait until fall to harvest. You can just do it over and over and over again.”
Closing the Loop on Waste
Wascar has also learned to see food waste differently. He describes how TFFJ uses coconut coir—a byproduct of the coconut industry—as a growing medium. At the MLK campus farm, students combine the coir with food scraps in a compost bin. Worms turn that mix into nutrient-rich soil.
“It’s an endless cycle going over and over again,” he says. “We’re eliminating waste, helping the people, increasing the amount of fresh produce out there—and most importantly, we’re making communities healthier.”
“We’re eliminating waste, helping the people, increasing the amount of fresh produce out there—and most importantly, we’re making communities healthier.”
When Nutrition Takes Center Stage
When Wascar talks about food justice, he doesn’t only mean access. He means quality. He points out that many conventionally farmed crops are bred for transport, not nutrition or taste. “You can’t tell me a regular head of cabbage can withstand a three-day trip from California and still taste the same,” he says.
Hydroponics, in contrast, grows food locally and harvests it at its peak. “The flavor is different. The nutrients are better. And that matters,” he says. “Because nutrition should be the priority—not just shelf life.”
The Missing Chapter in Agricultural History
As a history major, Wascar sees hydroponics not just as the future—but as a missing chapter in the agricultural story. “You go from terrace farming in mountain areas to conventional farming along rivers—but you never hear about hydroponics,” he says. “It’s farming with your brain, not just your hands.”
He sees connections between modern hydroponic systems and ancient farming techniques, like the chinampas of Mexico City. “That’s the ancestor of hydroponics,” he says. “It’s where we started—and now we’ve found a way to keep growing, even in concrete cities.”
Knowledge That Spreads
What surprises Wascar most is how much the knowledge he gained from TFFJ has spread. He teaches it to friends, family, and even his college advisors. He’s taught people how to make pesto with basil he harvested himself. He hasn’t bought lettuce since October.
He’s also inspired by the student-led innovations he sees on the farm. One student at MLK, he notes, is turning amaranth, cucumber flowers, and algae into natural paint for an art project.
“TFFJ gives students the opportunity to develop their own projects and ideas,” he says. “It puts power in their hands—to build something, share something, and teach something.”
“TFFJ gives students the opportunity to develop their own projects and ideas. It puts power in their hands—to build something, share something, and teach something.”
Advice for the Next Generation
Wascar’s message to students thinking about joining TFFJ is simple: take the first step. “Go to your local TFFJ farm. Learn about it. Find out when the distribution days are, what after-school programs exist. If you can, help. Because at the end of the day, you’re not only helping the farm, you’re helping the community. And it keeps going from there.”
Where Purpose Takes Root
Wascar’s story is proof that food justice isn’t just a subject to be studied—it’s a practice to be lived. It’s about building a more just food system, not only with your skills and ideas, but with your values and willingness to show up again and again. The farm gave Wascar more than produce—it gave him purpose. And in return, he’s helping others find theirs.❦
Pamela Honey is the Communications & Content Coordinator at Teens For Food Justice.
