Meet Liberty Mason

H.O.P.E. Gardens is thrilled to welcome Liberty Mason, who joined the team in February 2025 as an Educator and Garden Lead. Liberty is passionate about food access and environmental education, and their role at H.O.P.E. Gardens beautifully combines both. They were especially drawn to the sustainability aspect of the work, explaining that teaching people to grow food organically and with reciprocity to the Earth is incredibly impactful.

Before joining H.O.P.E. Gardens, Liberty worked as a Zero Waste and Vermicompost Intern at the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, where they gained hands-on experience in composting and waste reduction. This background prepared them to bring a strong sustainability lens to their teaching and gardening leadership.

What Liberty enjoys most about their work is seeing community members discover new foods or plants they love and want to grow themselves. They believe that moment of excitement and curiosity is at the heart of what makes gardening so transformative. While they don’t hold formal gardening certifications, they are SafeServ certified and bring a wealth of creativity, enthusiasm, and lived experience to their role.

Outside of work, Liberty can often be found biking or hiking, and they love to spend time creating through drawing, painting, or sewing. On days off, they enjoy biking around Grand Rapids with their partner or camping at the beach.

When asked to share a favorite gardening tip, Liberty encourages people to be observant throughout the growing season: notice which plants work well together, which may need more space or nutrients, and don’t forget to use vertical space. Tomatoes, squash, melons, and many other plants thrive when grown upward, making excellent use of limited garden space.

Liberty’s favorite plants this year have been tomatillos, hollyhocks, and columbine, each cherished for its beauty or taste. They also have a special love for the many varieties of kale grown in the gardens.