(upbeat music) - [Rochelle] The upbeat, patriotic vibes and vibrant storefronts of Old Town Rock Hill are as welcoming as the banner signs that line Main Street.

It may feel like a slice of Americana, but this South Carolina city about 30 minutes south of Charlotte is booming with new development.

But if you leave the bustle of downtown and drive about a mile south, you'll notice a stark change.

The older, historically black neighborhoods that line Dave Lyle Boulevard have not seen the same investment.

- When you live in other cities and other places, there's places you can walk to and hang out at, or you can go and get coffee, but there's nothing on this side of town.

- [Rochelle] The city is working to change that with initiatives that direct resources into South Rock Hill.

The change is slow in this underserved community where the closest supermarket with a produce section is about a six-minute drive.

- I have grocery store within five, ten miles of me.

- [Rochelle] Kathy Stewart can drive to the store, but many of her neighbors don't have that luxury.

Nearly 92% of Rock Hill residents have no walkable access to a grocery store.

On the south side, roughly one in ten households don't have a car.

- There are more convenience stores, but not grocery stores.

And at convenience stores, you may not be able to get all of your fruits and vegetables.

- [Rochelle] Areas in which fresh options are difficult to access are called food deserts.

They can be found in more than 80% of South Carolina's counties, including York.

Crystal Nazeer and husband, Jonathan, founded Victory Gardens International, a Rock Hill nonprofit to fill that void.

- Our mission is to spearhead community redevelopment through urban farming, food production, food access, and job creation in historically marginalized communities.

- [Rochelle] Rows of gardening bins line an old tennis court on the grounds of Emmett Scott Community Center, which used to be an African American school.

The Nazeers converted the space into a neighborhood garden.

- There are a lot of statistics out about the impact of community gardens in low-income communities.

It lowers crime.

It gives opportunity for individuals to get outside and exercise.

We gotta shift everything-- - [Rochelle] Each bin belongs to a neighbor, like Kathy Stewart.

(birds singing) Come spring, they'll be brimming with fruits and vegetables, which saves her money.

- He also provides the opportunity for us to learn how to eat better.

- [Rochelle] Victory Gardens also runs a hydroponic greenhouse on the property.

- If you look at the top there, you'll see that's lemon balm at the very top.

We've got curly parsley, those are all chives that are going in there.

- [Rochelle] Nazeer says they started off with 50 aeroponic towers.

From seed to harvest, they produce about 1900 heads of leafy greens and bunched herbs a month.

I sampled the baby arugula.

- Once you eat it, wait for it.

- Oh wow!

(Jonathan laughs) The nutrient-dense leaves have a peppery kick that surprise your taste buds.

I love it!

- Yeah.

- I get-- - And it kind of creeps up on it.

- [Rochelle] Nazeer says The greens are harvested at their peak to get that robust flavor.

The Tower Garden has been so successful, they're expanding operations.

- We'll be growing inside of shipping containers and we'll be growing roughly about 3000 pounds of leafy greens a week.

- [Rochelle] Victory Gardens supplies several restaurants, local markets, and middle schools.

The Nazeers also have a store just on the street where you can buy their produce.

The proceeds support the nonprofit's various programs, which offer people a chance to develop skills through classes and events.

(chime tinkling) Located at 641 Crawford Road, the "Farmacy Community Farmstop" offers food from the garden and local farms, dairy, eggs from the chicken coop out back, and other trinkets.

The non-profit's youth workforce development program employs students like 14-year-old Calvary Smith.

- You work in the community, you make friendships, and it's also a Work First, where you work on skills that you are gonna learn in life, in the future.

- [Rochelle] The Farmacy has a number of community partners, including nearby Winthrop University.

- I am picking up produce for our free farmer's market that we offer to students and faculty on campus.

- [Rochelle] Looking ahead, the Nazeers would like to develop a partnership with the City of Rock Hill and eventually expand into other counties.

They also plan to grow their workforce development program to get more young people interested in urban farming.

- There're not very many farmers that look like Crystal and I.

And so our mission now is to really try to find those young BIPOC farmers and help them get started.

- We are a teaching and growing type of organization.

We wanna show you, give you the tools, give you the support to make you wanna go ahead and go home and do better.

- [Urban Farmer] This is my garden.

My cucumbers are just showing off.

- [Rochelle] Like that old saying, "If you teach people how to grow their own food today, they can feed their families for years to come."

For "Carolina Impact", I'm Rochelle Metzger.