Community Garden Initiative

 

Second Harvest North Florida is partnering with local organizations to introduce the Community Garden Initiative. We are proud to be working with the following partners on this project:

 

 

Through the use of donated, vacant parcels in food insecure neighborhoods we are working to empower families in hunger to grow vegetables and fruit in quantities sufficient to supplement every meal. This project will assist food insecure neighborhoods in the planning, development, cultivation and harvest of community food gardens, turning a donated parcel into a productive and sustainable neighborhood garden.

 

RECENT EVENTS:

Saturday, March 2nd 10:00am - 4:00pm

   JThank you to all of the volunteers who joined us to build the garden at 1232 Pearce Street. The garden installation was a kid-friendly event and required no prior gardening experience. With more than 70 volunteers we were able to acocmplish the following on Saturday:

 

  • Installed 20 beds that were each 4'x4'
  • Built and installed 20 garden beds that were each 4'x12'
  • Installed irrigation connections in all 40 beds
  • We built a 7'x7' storage shed
  • We filled 40 garden beds with multiple layers of cardboard, more than 21 yards of bulk soil and more than 140 bags of soil and compost

 

In the coming weeks we will build 10 in-ground rows, complete the irrigaiton system, and plant for the spring growing season. You can find out more information about this garden and how you can help by calling 904.365.4144 or emailing gardens@wenourishhope.org.

 

WHY?

  • Second Harvest North Florida will never solve the issue of hunger alone; it’s too complex.  A community-based solution is required for this community-wide issue.

HOW?

  • Second Harvest is collaborating with community-based organizations to create sustainable community gardens.  The premise of our work is to create a ‘template’ that addresses the barriers citizens come up against when they want to create one. An experienced community gardens project manager/mentor/educator will assist in the planning, introduction and development, managing resident volunteers, cultivating and harvesting produce yields. Primary to the role will be the training of neighborhood families who will actively participate in growing and maintaining their own sustainable garden that will produce healthy and nutritious food, year-round to supplement every meal. Residents will be provided with the lot, tools, seed, water and other resources needed to start the community garden, in addition to receiving education and guidance along the way – to ensure that the garden is successfully installed, planted, and cared for.
  • Second Harvest is working with established community gardens and small farms across north Florida, encouraging them to grow fruits and vegetables for food insecure families. If you are interested in this opportunity, please call us at: 904.365.4144 or email us at gardens@wenourishhope.org. 

WHO?

WHAT?

  • Building and planting raised garden beds that can each supply a typical family of 4 with at least one salad and one vegetable serving per day year-round.
  • Using Square Foot Gardening techniques it is possible for a 4'x4' garden bed to provide 16 heads of lettuce, 1 head of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, 4 bunches of beet greens and associated beets as well as 8 bunches of Swiss chard, 32 carrots, 32 radishes and 5 pounds of peas.

FUNDING

  • Initial funding for this project has been provided by Carmax and Healthy Jacksonville, but community support will be required to sustain the program long-term and continue planting gardens in the most at-risk areas of our community. DONATE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY GARDEN INITIATIVE
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