Farm apprentice graduate honored in Bronx Black History Month ceremony

Karen Washington, a graduate of the 2008 apprenticeship class at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz, was honored at the annual Black History Month Celebration in the Bronx, N.Y.

Congressman José E. Serrano and state Sen. Senator Jose M. Serrano cited Washington, president of New York City Community Gardens, and three others for their efforts to make the Bronx a better place.

A lifelong New Yorker, she is a member of the botanical garden's board. She has been a community activist in the Bronx since 1985 where she has helped turn empty lots into community gardens as head of Bronx Green-Up.

First Lady Michelle Obama honored Washington at the White House in December 2010 for her work with urban gardens in the Bronx.