By Wendy Greenberg

Around the corner from the Trenton Transit Center a swath of greenery breaks up an otherwise urban streetscape. On a recent hot morning an older man tended to one section of the garden, which grows cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, lettuce, squash, beans, peas, and watermelon, along with a wide assortment of herbs. Bright sunflowers attract pollinators to the three-quarters of an acre tract.

The Chestnut Avenue Three-Point Garden, established in the 1970s, will be further enhanced with a gift from one former resident, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent Sr., Tommi Vincent, and the Love Thy Neighbor Foundation in partnership with Sport for Impact. A new hydroponic GroShed, a gift from the couple, now sits in the garden, and will allow for year-round access to fresh food, building on the garden’s legacy of transforming the space into a thriving community resource.

Isles Inc. oversees the garden, and unveiled the innovative growing facility in June. The shed will eventually enable Isles and local gardeners to produce seedlings for the network of more than 50 community gardens serving 250 families throughout Trenton and beyond. Isles is a community development and environmental organization based in Trenton that creates sustainable communities through local environmental action.

“The space is cultivated by a diverse group of gardeners representing a wide range of cultures and countries,” said Isles’ Director of Food and Gardens Otha Caldwell. “Many of them grow produce that reflects the cuisine and agricultural traditions of their home regions,” Caldwell added.

“At the moment, we aren’t yet growing vegetables inside the GroShed, as we’re in the process of getting it connected to the city power grid,” he explained. “Once that’s complete, our plan is to grow fall and winter produce for the community, with a particular focus on food access and education.”

The GroShed, he said, will enhance Isles’ urban agriculture work by extending the growing season and acting as a learning hub. “We plan to train our staff on its operation and maintenance, and we’re excited to partner with Trenton schools and afterschool programs to incorporate the GroShed into STEM and sustainability education.”

The garden has deep roots in Trenton. Vincent grew up in Trenton’s Wilbur section before moving to Bucks County, Pa., and spent his early childhood in Trenton with his younger brother, Sam, and their mother, Alma, where Vincent was part of Isles’ first community gardens on Chestnut Avenue. Vincent, a graduate of Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pa., became a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins, after playing college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, according to online biographies. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He was previously inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame for the Philadelphia Eagles and was entered into the Hall of Fame for the State of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin and Pennsbury High School.

The Vincents partner with schools, food suppliers, resource providers, and corporations to meet diverse community needs, addressing educational inequities, providing school supplies, supporting youth leadership, creating safe activities, and ensuring year-round access to nutritious meals. Founded over 22 years ago in Trenton, Love Thy Neighbor (LTN) Community Development & Opportunity Corporation began as a humanitarian effort dedicated to contributing to their hometown and empowering lives throughout the community. Today, LTN has expanded its reach across the nation.

Vincent’s grandfather was instrumental in transforming a vacant lot into the garden in 1983, according to a press release. Jefferson Vincent and his neighbor tackled a two-acre vacant lot where demolished houses once stood, and working with Isles, they created a thriving community space.

By 1986 the garden had grown to over an acre and partnered with Howell Living History Farm to bring horses and oxen for tradition plowing, a tradition that continues today, some 40 years later.

In late June, Vincent posted on his public Facebook page that “our family was thrilled to visit the Chestnut Ave. Three Point Garden in the North Ward, where they officially unveiled their new GroShed, which will feed community members year-round.

“This garden represents a lasting tribute to the vision of my grandfather, Jefferson Vincent, and all those who believed a forgotten corner of Trenton could be turned into something life-giving. The Chestnut Street Garden exemplifies urban gardening initiatives in Trenton, which address food deserts and promote self-reliance through gardening education and access to fresh produce.”
The unveiling event drew local dignitaries such as Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Councilwoman Jennifer Williams, and former Mayor Doug Palmer.