Health Department Launches Community Garden Effort

SNOW HILL – Nutrition starts from the ground up.

That’s the message the Worcester County Health Department wants to share as officials launch an effort next month to expand the area’s community garden options.

“We’re going to have these gardens throughout the community,” said Jennifer LaMade, director of planning for the health department. “Anyone can join this effort.”

According to LaMade, feedback from community members in attendance at the Worcester County Health Department’s annual health conference prompted officials to begin investigating ways to bring more public gardens to the county. She said when officials asked for suggestions for the county, the concept of community gardens came up again and again.

“They wanted to see more coordinated development of community gardens,” she said.

Because community gardens fit right into the health department’s ongoing work to promote healthy living, LaMade and her staff wasted no time in exploring ways to bring more of them to Worcester County. While there are some already in existence, they’re run by various organizations and aren’t always open to everyone.

“There are gardens in Worcester County they’re just not coordinated and open to the public,” she said.

LaMade and her team visited Wicomico County, where community gardens have been established in several city parks by volunteers from a network of local churches.

“One of the things we liked was that anyone could pick anything that was ready to pick,” she said. “So any family that needs food can get that.”

LaMade said the gardens in Salisbury also feature informational signage and can be visited by local school groups.

“The younger the community members we can involve the better,” she said.

Now that they’ve done some research, health department officials are ready to kick off their own community garden initiative. On Sept. 20 at 3 p.m., the health department will host an open interest meeting about community gardens in Worcester County. The meeting, which will be held at the Worcester County Recreation Center in Snow Hill, is open to anyone, whether they have a garden, want to work on one or are simply interested in the effort.

“We’re just looking to get a group of interested people together,” LaMade said.
While existing gardens in the local community might be ready for planting this fall, LaMade is hoping that by meeting with interested citizens now the health department can organize plans for several community gardens for 2018.

“We really see this kicking off big time in the spring,” she said.

Health department officials believe the community garden initiative will promote healthy eating, increase health literacy and involve the community.

“This is an opportunity to be part of a grassroots movement to improve the health of our community and turn ideas into action,” said Kat Gunby, director of prevention for the health department. “The health department has listened to the need for fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the neighborhoods for neighborhoods. We are here to support this effort and bring together all who want this vision to be a reality.”

While anyone is welcome to attend the Sept. 20 meeting, pre-registration is encouraged. To register or for more information call 410-632-0056.

About The Author: Charlene Sharpe

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Charlene Sharpe has been with The Dispatch since 2014. A graduate of Stephen Decatur High School and the University of Richmond, she spent seven years with the Delmarva Media Group before joining the team at The Dispatch.