The Wellness Coalition, together with the Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (CARPDC) and EAT South, will offer gardening demonstrations to give local residents the knowledge and skills they need to create their own community-based gardens. A total of six garden demonstrations will take place in Montgomery, Macon, and Lowndes counties in April and May with a focus on areas where healthy food choices may be limited.
“Showing communities how easy it is to plant and grow their own food is a great way to increase access to fresh food,” said Cynthia Bisbee, PhD, executive director of The Wellness Coalition. “We also want people to learn how growing fresh fruits and vegetables can save on grocery bills, especially when communities come together to create community gardens.”
The demonstrations are open to the public and are free of charge. They will be offered on the following dates:
- Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m. at Capitol Heights United Methodist Church, 2000 Winona Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama, 36107
- Thursday, April 21st at 3:00 p.m. at Snow Hill Christian Church, 126 Snow Hill Drive, Fort Deposit, Alabama, 36032
- Saturday, April 30 at 9:00 a.m. at Restoration Baptist Church, 164 E. South Boulevard, Montgomery, Alabama, 36105
- Saturday, May 7 at 9:30 a.m. at Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church, 1510 Washington Avenue, Tuskegee, Alabama, 36088
- Saturday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. at First Missionary Baptist Church of White Hall, 546 Oak Drive, Lowndesboro, Alabama, 36752
In addition to learning about gardening in beds, the demonstrations will cover topics such as soil testing, seasonal planting, and planting in containers.
“This year we’re adding demonstrations that show how you can raise vegetables in pots on your porch or door step,” said Steve Till, CARPDC healthy food project officer. “This is valuable information to anyone who lives in an apartment or other home where land is not readily available.”
The Wellness Coalition is able to provide these demonstrations through funding from the CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program. For more information about gardening events and gardening tips and tricks, click here.