Editor’s Note:  This series of stories is following Peekskill Regeneration Farm through the growing season. It is funded by a grant from the Dominican Sisters of Hope Ministry Trust Fund.

Seeing pieces of firearms melted to softness and transformed through hammering into a garden tool is a powerful experience. Members of the Peekskill community participated in the exercise on a recent summer afternoon at Regeneration Farm. The June 28 event was the first of its kind in Peekskill.

Event organizer Lorna Gonsalves explained that this grass roots event “emerged out of a collective concern regarding our serious national problem. Amidst deep concerns regarding gun-violence, the idea of having a Peekskill Guns to Garden Tools event really resonated with community members.”

Gonsalves reached out to Mark Stradley of Rawtools Buffalo, a nonprofit that disarms donated firearms and turns them into garden tools and artistic pieces. Stradley, a high school counselor who learned the trade of blacksmithing when he co-founded the organization in 2019, readily agreed to bring his forge and his blacksmithing skills to Peekskill.

Peekskill Police Chief Leo Dylewski agreed to make metal parts of collected firearms available for the event. The organizer confirmed the date with Regeneration Farm steward Amanda Armenteros. Then Gonsalves and others planned a guns to garden tools event that involved the community, with a special emphasis on its young members.

Gonsalves said the planners didn’t want the usual format with opening remarks by elected officials. The organizers wanted to keep the focus on young people. “Children and teens are increasingly concerned about gun violence,” Gonsalves said. “As we look to build a future free of gun violence, it seems fitting to have our youth share their messages of hope.” The young people did this through music, song, and dance.

Amy Vele and Amy Chalan played an instrumental piece from Ecuador on the bombo and violin. Young dancers from Just the Place Creative Arts Center and Dance Studio performed for all those gathered at the farm. Recent Peekskill High School graduate Theo North sang “May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me.” Finally, a 10-year-old who is coached by Scarlett Antonia of Antonia Arts presented a theater dance piece that she choreographed just for this event.

There were brief remarks from public officials, including state Assemblymember Dana Levenberg and Peekskill Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley, who read a proclamation from Mayor Vivian McKenzie. Then it was time for the main act.

Those gathered directed their attention to the tent where Mark Stradley stood ready, with the help of community members, to get to work.

“Let’s forge some peace,” said Stradley. Then he reached his tongs into a portable forge and pulled out a red hot piece of metal that had been taken from one of the 103 firearms collected at a Peekskill gun buyback last November. He placed the metal on an anvil and community members lined up, donned safety goggles, and took turns hammering the softened metal. The forged metal from the day’s event will be used to create farm tools for reflection gardens.

Gonsalves explained the concept of reflection gardens: “Community-based art and benches decorated by neighborhood youth will help create green gathering spaces that are conducive to reflection, dialogue, healing, and creative imaginings.”

The organizer said that community members will come together this summer to discuss guidelines for reflection gardens, and that they hope to launch the first two of these gardens by this fall. “We would like the idea of reflection gardens to spread throughout Peekskill, Westchester County, and beyond,” Gonsalves said.

The garden tools created at Peekskill’s Guns to Garden Tools event will be circulated and used to create these gardens.

Community members were invited to do more than pick up a hammer to help transform guns to garden tools. They were also invited to use words and art to share “concerns, questions, suggestions, and visions for change” on two boards. Gonsalves said that these boards will be circulated throughout city offices and other spaces.

Finally, community members were invited to a literal growing experience when they were gifted compostable pots and seeds donated by the Westchester Land Trust.

Gonsalves acknowledged that many people helped contribute to the success of the event. “Peekskill city departments, organizations, and individuals have been very supportive throughout the process of organizing this event,” she said. She also thanked Stop & Shop and BJ’s of Yorktown for donating snacks and water to the event.