In the early days of COVID-19, one of the activities that really caught on was home gardening. People everywhere were getting their hands dirty, planting and growing their own vegetables and herbs in home gardens to pass the time during quarantine. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand options for food access, providing neighbors with everything needed to grow their own healthy produce right in their own backyards. The Gardens For Everyone program was born!
Gardens For Everyone takes the Food Shuttle’s well-established community gardening program on the road by building 8’ x 4’ x 20” raised garden boxes at individuals’ homes or for community organizations. This is a pay-what-you-can effort, asking for a minimum $25 from individuals and the full cost of $200 per bed from organizations. Gardens for Everyone doesn’t just provide the materials for a home garden. It also offers access to educational resources, gardening classes and workshops, and invaluable advice from gardening mentors. The program focuses on ensuring gardening success for all involved.
Since the program launched in September 2020, Gardens For Everyone staff and volunteers have built 172 beds in Wake and Durham counties, and garden recipients have reported great success with their projects. The building schedule really ramped up when Phoebe Rivenbark and Lynn Conyers joined the Food Shuttle as Gardens For Everyone Coordinators. The team is currently averaging three garden box builds a week.
The stories behind each Gardens For Everyone project are as varied as the new gardeners themselves. Some have never worked with a garden in their lives. Some are old hands at gardening and looking to get their hands back in the dirt. Phoebe shared about a recent build, “Nikki's son, Paris who is on the Autism spectrum, wanted to start growing his own vegetables. He raised his own money for the garden box and helped us with the building. When asked what his favorite food was so we could figure out what to plant first he said, ‘French fries.’ When his mom told him that French fries come from potatoes, he was totally shocked.” Suffice to say, the potato starters are going into the ground in a few weeks.
Paris and Nikki surrounded by the garden build crew
Volunteers are essential to the success of the Gardens For Everyone program. Many hands make light work at the garden box builds throughout the community, and experience is optional. Additionally, gardening mentors are always needed to offer wisdom and expertise to gardening newbies to help ensure gardening success. More information about volunteering with the Gardens For Everyone program is available here.
Having access to fresh produce right outside your door assures your family of an affordable way to eat delicious, healthy food all year long. Growing your own food has tremendous benefits including physical exercise, mental rest and a nutritious harvest. If you’re interested in having a Gardens For Everyone garden box built at your home or organization, you can apply online. Applications are accepted year-round. Questions can be directed to GardensForEveryone@FoodShuttle.org.