The Fruit That Grew While She Wasn't Looking

In 2019, Maria Gonzalez planted a small community garden behind her church in Tucson, Arizona. She had no budget, just a patch of sun-scorched dirt and a handful of donated seeds. Neighbors watched skeptically. The soil looked dead. But Maria watered it faithfully, week after week, even when nothing seemed to be happening beneath the surface. By the second summer, tomatoes and squash spilled over the raised beds.…