Darion Crawford

Darion Crawford (he/him) has been farming since he was 16-years-old. He began his journey with agriculture at Marshall High School in Chicago, where he studied farming, and was chosen to be one of the first 15 year-round students of the Growing Power Chicago Youth Corps in 2006. After graduation, Darion began working with Growing Power Chicago as a youth corps and adult-job training instructor. Darion also led workshops nationally for Growing Power in hoop-house and aquaponics construction, as well as large-scale composting.

Darion left Growing Power in 2014 to manage for Home Depot in Chicago, where he picked up valuable skills in team leadership and development, as well as honing his wise-cracking wit much to the delight of the co-founders (and his original youth corps instructors) at UGC.

Darion began work with Urban Growers Collective in March, 2020, to once again teach youth at the Roosevelt Square Youth Farm, as well as assist with the READI and Grounds for Peace program.