Denele Hughson is Grow Pittsburgh’s New Executive Director
Hughson sees inclusivity as part of her broader vision for growth as she takes the reins of the agricultural and educational nonprofit.
February 5, 2021
PHOTOS COURTESY GROW PITTSBURGH
Denele Hughson got her start in agriculture when she was a kid, exploring the wonders of soil with her father, David Hughson. “My dad and I always had a garden when I was growing up. Everywhere we lived, we would plant something,” says Hughson, a native Pittsburgher who grew up in Homewood.
As the new executive director of Grow Pittsburgh, she hopes her position will inspire the same love of Pittsburgh-grown food in others. “Start with wherever your comfort level is. If it’s growing tomatoes on your porch, that’s urban agriculture. If it’s taking over a side yard and growing even more produce, that’s urban agriculture. It’s all important, and we all have a place in the system,” Hughson says.