News

Sowing Seeds to Create Community

Eating healthfully on a limited budget can be challenging, especially with food prices on the rise.

As the Fluvanna County Family Nutrition Program assistant, Faye Anderson knows this all too well. She works with low-income families to help them make better nutritional choices to improve their quality of life.

As she meets with clients, she often hears them repeat two things: how expensive fresh fruits and vegetables are and how they want to learn how to grow and preserve their own.

To help fill this need, Anderson approached Fluvanna County Extension personnel, local Master Gardeners, and the Fluvanna County Department of Parks and Recreation with the idea of starting a community garden. Through this collaborative effort, last year a pilot community garden was established at the Pleasant Grove Recreation area.

Anderson’s clients were allotted space in the garden and supplies, tools, seeds, and plants were either purchased or donated. They paid a small fee to cover plot maintenance and supplies such as deer fencing and watering hoses. The Master Gardeners met with the families every Friday to work in the garden and demonstrate good gardening practices. During harvest, home preservation techniques and menu planning with fresh vegetables were covered in one-on-one workshops.

The support of the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Master Gardeners was instrumental in the garden’s success, according to John Thompson, Fluvanna County agriculture and natural resources Extension agent. While the Master Gardeners shared their expertise, the Department of Parks and Recreation provided oversight of the property. “Several Master Gardeners jumped right in to provide leadership for the garden,” says Thompson. “It was fun to be involved with a project that created that much enthusiasm. I hope the enthusiasm leads to a full garden next year.”

Anderson hopes that the garden reaps more than just a good harvest. “Low-income families often keep to themselves and tend to segregate from the rest of the community, says Anderson. “The garden gave them an opportunity to get out of their homes. There are no boundaries in the garden. Everyone has things in common. Hopefully people will learn from each other and stereotypes will dissolve.”

With the success of the pilot program, plans are underway to expand the garden this year and encourage more families to participate.