Hundreds of years ago Genovese villagers collectively selected this basil for the qualities they felt made the best pesto: large thick deep green leaves on sturdy plants. In the spring of 2012, Habitat for Artists (HFA) took a donation of seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Co. to the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), a community center in Washington DC's 8th Ward, and started heirloom seeds for the community as part of a larger community arts project. This portrait shows Keith Cook, Sr. working in the community gardens at THEARC tending basil and the youth that attend the many programs offered at the center.