Greenrock’s First Community Garden

Greenrock today announced that it has established the first community garden under Healthy Harvest, a program aimed at reviving interest in Bermuda’s local food production and consumption.

The Healthy Harvest community garden will be located on the grounds of The Sunshine League and will serve as a pilot project supporting Greenrock’s aim over the next few years to build, plant and maintain community gardens on the island.

The Healthy Harvest community garden at The Sunshine League will be overseen by Project Director Mr. Omari Dill, a sustainable agriculture and edible landscaping consultant, and will largely be built, planted and maintained by volunteers. Building and planting is expected to begin next week at The Sunshine League.

The Healthy Harvest community garden is intended to serve as a teaching and engagement tool each planting season in an effort to increase young people’s understanding of the importance of local agriculture and community giving. A portion of the garden’s yields will also be donated to foster children and food-aid programs.

Greenrock is actively seeking in-kind donations from local businesses and individuals alike that can supply soil, gardening tools and other equipment for the Healthy Harvest project at The Sunshine League.

Members of the community interested in providing in-kind donations, financially supporting or volunteering for the long-term care and maintenance of the community garden pilot project should contact Greenrock at info@greenrock.org or on 747-7625 (747-ROCK).

Greenrock President Dr. Judith Landsberg said: “We are delighted that The Sunshine League has provided their land as an in-kind donation to help us start our first community garden. It is Greenrock’s hope that this step will spark more interest in community gardens amongst Bermuda residents to get involved in planting and growing their own food.”

Community gardens around the world, including urban areas, are increasing in popularity due to greener spaces, empowerment of individuals and communities, and addressing long-term issues such as sustainability, conservation, decreasing litter and graffiti incidences, and reducing anti-social behavior in neighbourhoods.

According to the American Community Gardens Association, there are some 18,000 community gardens across North America and growing. Similarly, the UK-based Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens represent over 1,000 community gardens. In urban spaces such as New York City, there are reportedly over 600 community gardens registered across all five boroughs.

Dr. Landsberg added: “We are extremely grateful for the level of support that Catlin, our lead sponsor, is willing to provide as we look to gain some traction on Greenrock’s Healthy Harvest initiative.

“They played a key role in introducing us to The Sunshine League and paving the way for this progress to be made, which further demonstrates their level of support and the power of community partnerships.”

The Sunshine League President Zakiya Johnson Lord also commented: “On behalf of The Sunshine League Board, we are excited to support Greenrock’s Healthy Harvest initiative. This project has been in the works for quite some time and after careful planning and consideration, we are pleased to be able to launch this initiative in our community.”

Mrs. Johnson Lord continued: “Catlin has been a source of constant support for The Sunshine League over the years and we are pleased to be a part of this collaborative effort with Catlin and Healthy Harvest. We are also pleased to offer our space which will serve in the long-term as an educational and awareness vehicle to young people on the importance of growing and eating local fruits and vegetables.”

#AgricultureFarming #CommunityGarden #Greenrock

Category: All, Environment