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Suffolk organization to plant community vegetable gardens
By Bobbie Whitehead
Folks in Suffolk have joined communities nationwide, seeking to revive or create community gardens.
The Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community board added a project, and that is creating, for now, two community gardens to plant fruits and vegetables to help residents facing economic challenges, said Kay Cherry, board member.
“Last fall we recognized the economy was taking a downturn,” said Cherry, also an Eastern Virginia Medical School public health assistant professor. “There are successful community gardens in Richmond and Northern Virginia. So we knew we could do it here.”
Rex Cotten, Suffolk Cooperative Extension agricultural agent and also a SPHC board member, and Cherry discussed how providing fruits and vegetables would be a way to help people facing economic hard times as well as stay healthy.
Folks in Suffolk have joined communities nationwide, seeking to revive or create community gardens.
The Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community board added a project, and that is creating, for now, two community gardens to plant fruits and vegetables to help residents facing economic challenges, said Kay Cherry, board member.
“Last fall we recognized the economy was taking a downturn,” said Cherry, also an Eastern Virginia Medical School public health assistant professor. “There are successful community gardens in Richmond and Northern Virginia. So we knew we could do it here.”
Rex Cotten, Suffolk Cooperative Extension agricultural agent and also a SPHC board member, and Cherry discussed how providing fruits and vegetables would be a way to help people facing economic hard times as well as stay healthy.
Two community gardens will be planted in Suffolk in March. One of the gardens will be planted at the East Suffolk Recreation Center.
The two talked with members of the Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community, which agreed to take on the project, Cherry said.
Though the community gardens project is just beginning, Cherry said they have already selected two locations for community gardens – these include one at the East Suffolk Recreation Center on 6th Street and one in Holland at the Holland Baptist Church.
“Our goal is to plant in March, and we should plant our first seeds in March,” she said. “Our mission is to provide for people dealing with economically challenging times.”
Cotten said the Suffolk health department has been trying to revive the trend of gardening for some time. The community gardens project is just one initiative of the Partnership for Healthy a Community, he said.
“Because of economic times, people losing jobs and health issues, they see a need in revitalizing community gardens in the downtown,” Cotten said. “We are all in the very beginning stages of planning this. It’s something we haven’t done before, and neither location has been involved in something like this before. We’re brainstorming and are coming up with a whole lot of ideas.”
With fresh vegetable prices currently higher per pound than meat, Cotten said establishing vegetable gardens is more important now than ever.
“I do not remember this being so in my lifetime, and never before has the need been greater and should we be more cautious of the health benefits of vegetables,” he said. “Many of the diseases we now face can be directly related back to our diets. It’s not only an economical concern; it’s a health concern as well.”
The community gardens development in Suffolk coincides with a national movement to revive community gardens or “victory gardens” at home and at the White House. On the commemoration of President Lincoln’s birthday, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the establishment of “The People’s Garden” project.
The USDA project will “eliminate 1,250 square feet of unnecessary paved surface at the USDA headquarters and return the landscape to grass. The changes signal a removal of impervious surfaces and improvement in water management that is needed throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,” according to a USDA press release.
The garden rests adjacent to the USDA Farmer’s Market, and the goal is to create community gardens at all USDA facilities worldwide, the USDA reports.
Also, the Kitchen Gardeners International wants the President and First Lady to plant an organic vegetable garden on the First Lawn and has a petition, seeking support for this garden (Visit http://EattheView.org for more information).
Cotten said vegetable gardening “went by the wayside about 30 years ago” as more women chose to work to help supplement family incomes. But with the number of recent layoffs and economic downturn, he said families may find it necessary to garden to help with their budgets.
Though the community gardens project is just beginning, Cherry said they have already selected two locations for community gardens – these include one at the East Suffolk Recreation Center on 6th Street and one in Holland at the Holland Baptist Church.
“Our goal is to plant in March, and we should plant our first seeds in March,” she said. “Our mission is to provide for people dealing with economically challenging times.”
Cotten said the Suffolk health department has been trying to revive the trend of gardening for some time. The community gardens project is just one initiative of the Partnership for Healthy a Community, he said.
“Because of economic times, people losing jobs and health issues, they see a need in revitalizing community gardens in the downtown,” Cotten said. “We are all in the very beginning stages of planning this. It’s something we haven’t done before, and neither location has been involved in something like this before. We’re brainstorming and are coming up with a whole lot of ideas.”
With fresh vegetable prices currently higher per pound than meat, Cotten said establishing vegetable gardens is more important now than ever.
“I do not remember this being so in my lifetime, and never before has the need been greater and should we be more cautious of the health benefits of vegetables,” he said. “Many of the diseases we now face can be directly related back to our diets. It’s not only an economical concern; it’s a health concern as well.”
The community gardens development in Suffolk coincides with a national movement to revive community gardens or “victory gardens” at home and at the White House. On the commemoration of President Lincoln’s birthday, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the establishment of “The People’s Garden” project.
The USDA project will “eliminate 1,250 square feet of unnecessary paved surface at the USDA headquarters and return the landscape to grass. The changes signal a removal of impervious surfaces and improvement in water management that is needed throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,” according to a USDA press release.
The garden rests adjacent to the USDA Farmer’s Market, and the goal is to create community gardens at all USDA facilities worldwide, the USDA reports.
Also, the Kitchen Gardeners International wants the President and First Lady to plant an organic vegetable garden on the First Lawn and has a petition, seeking support for this garden (Visit http://EattheView.org for more information).
Cotten said vegetable gardening “went by the wayside about 30 years ago” as more women chose to work to help supplement family incomes. But with the number of recent layoffs and economic downturn, he said families may find it necessary to garden to help with their budgets.
