The Community Garden project addresses many issues including bettering community nutrition and lack of money for food expenses. The garden project include a heavy education component through workshops that teach all aspects of planting, caring for gardens, and preserving food for use throughout the year.

At our Grundy County Community Garden site in Trenton, Missouri we have partnered with several youth groups and will continue to increase that. We have developmentally disabled students who have planted and maintained 4 garden plots with the produce going to their families. We have utilized the Boy Scouts to complete a compost project as an Eagle Scout project. This year, we plan to have another Eagle Scout project. In addition, we plan to partner with the Kiwanis youth group called Key Club to help assist elderly and disabled gardeners with maintenance of their plots.

In Grundy County, we have partnered with the Grundy County Food Pantry, Church Women United Thrift Shop, and The First Christian Church to plant gardens around the Food Pantry. GHCAA meeting room will be utilized for educational classes. Seed distribution, and giving excess produce and garden products to low income clients seeking commodities will occur when available. On that parcel, we will measure garden plots and sell memberships for $1/year to citizens meeting 125% of poverty level. Community members who wish to garden but fall above 125% of federal poverty guidelines will pay for their seeds and any other resources to put money back into the project.

All fertilizer, seeds and supplies will be purchased cooperatively in bulk and distributed to each site. Seed will be given to members and sold to the general public. Each gardener will have latitude to consume or sell their produce through farmer’s markets or other methods chosen by them.

In the other 8 counties that are served by Green Hills Community Action Agency, we will distribute seeds to 25 families per counties. We plan to partner with any existing community gardens that are operating.  

Malnutrition is a problem among low income and elderly citizens. Often food that is affordable is not nutritious. Fresh produce and low fat foods are expensive and not always readily available due to cost and availability. Our community garden project will offer assistance in preventing malnutrition because our clients will have the ability to grow nutritious food and preserve it for year round use. Malnutrition is a problem among low income and elderly citizens.  According to Second Harvest in St. Joseph, MO that serves Grundy and Harrison Counties, “Roughly 20 percent have chosen between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care in the past 12 months. Nearly one-third of the clients we serve have made a choice between paying for food and paying for heat in the past 12 months.”

in the press

Garden Seeds Help At Home

An exciting Green Hills Community Action Agency program has really taken root within our nine county service area! As a part of the innovative Community Garden Plus program, a variety of garden seeds were distributed early this spring to families living across Caldwell, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan counties.

Malnutrition is a problem among low income and elderly citizens in the Green Hills region. Most often, the heavily processed food that is affordable to those living on a fixed income is not very nutritious and may sometimes contribute to additional health issues. Fresh produce and low fat foods are expensive and often fall outside of the typical family’s food budget. The GHCAA community garden project hopes to fight malnutrition by giving families the ability to grow their own nutritious alternatives to packaged foods.

Over 260 families are already benefitting from the vegetable seeds provided by this program by utilizing them in their own home gardens. The harvest grown from these seeds will continue to help people like Judith Firth in Caldwell County. She is pleased at how things are growing, and looks forward to enjoying some of the homegrown veggies her garden is already producing! "You are never closer to God then in your garden." Judith says.

If you are interested in learning more about the Community Garden Plus program, or any of our agency’s green programs, please contact Terri Henderson at 660-359-3907 ext 1022 or visit the Put a Little Green in Your Life website at www.putalittlegreeninyourlife.com

Daisy Troop 3244 Grows Healthy Vegetables

Posted 4/20/11 - Green Hills Community Action Agency’s Community Garden recently conducted an educational seminar for Daisy Scout Troop 3244. Tim Baker, Horticultural Specialist with the University of Missouri Extension presented a class on planting, soil conditions, general garden knowledge, and soil amendments for the group. After the presentation, the group along with Kim Brashear, Garden Site Manager, Jennifer Farmer, Communications Coordinator, and Terri Henderson, Project Manager took the group of scouts to the garden to actually plant a plot that will be maintained by the troop this year. Leaders of the Troop 3244 are: Shana Schmadeke and Linda Cowling. The troop consists of: Eliana Cowling, Sarah Gayhart, Gracie Hessenflow, Juliet Schmadeke, Ava Simpson, Megan Spencer, KayLeigh Street, Savannah Triplet, and Caley Williams.

Across the 9 counties that are served by Green Hills Community Action Agency, over 265 families have received garden seeds for this project. This is the second year that the agency has managed a community garden project.

Other youth groups are encouraged to participate in the project. It is not too late to sign up for plot for individuals. Persons falling at or below 125% of Federal poverty guidelines may participate for only a $1 membership fee. Persons above that income level or those not wishing to provide income information may participate by purchasing the seeds at a discounted rate plus the $1 membership fee. Anyone interested in finding out more about this project may call Kim Brashear at 660-359-3907. In addition to Mrs. Brashear, Craig Latham is working on the project this year.

Seed Packaging

Posted 4/18/11 - Spring is here, and the Trenton 65 Center and RSVP volunteers have actively been working to package seeds for the Grundy County Community Garden which is sponsored by the Green Hills Community Action Agency. Bulk seed was ordered and packaged by a host of volunteers over the past few weeks.

Pictured above: Vivian Leeper, Roberta Brick, and Betty Vandevender

Those helping in the effort include: Hazel Johnson, Vivian Leeper, Frena Price, Nancy May, Betty Vandevender, Roberta Brick, Hazel Terry, Donna Potter, Mary D. Porter, Hannah Springer, John Springer, Donna Fair, Mary Ireland, Shirley Hudson, Leona Waterbury, Kim Brashear- Garden Site Manager, and Craig Latham – Garden worker and other senior volunteers. Terri Henderson, Project Manager, is thrilled with the partnership among the Trenton 65 Center, GHCAA, and RSVP. Plans call for a garden dedicated to Grundy County senior citizens due to the funds for the project that were recently given to GHCAA by the Grundy County Senior Citizens Services Tax fund. Seeds will be distributed to gardeners who have signed up in early April. Gardeners will be contacted by Kim Brashear for information regarding seed distribution. Persons with questions regarding the garden may contact GHCAA and ask for Kim at 660-359-3907.

Community Garden Gets a Boost

Posted 4/2/11 - Green Hills Community Action Agency is the recipient of funds to sponsor gardens for county senior citizens. The Grundy County Senior Citizen Tax Fund Board recently gave a grant to GHCAA. Members of the board are: Russell Joiner, President; Brooks Sethman, Vice President; Diana Hoppe, Secretary; Sharon Ferris, Treasurer, Max Dickerson, Jim Moore, and Tara Blackburn. Proceeds from this grant will provide seeds, plots, planting and harvesting with produce going to area senior citizens. Additional funding will be provided by Green Hills Community Action Agency, as well as donations from individuals, organizations, and businesses.

Pictured Left to Right: Brooks Sethman, Vice President, Grundy County Senior Citizens Services Tax Fund, Russell Joiner, President, Grundy County Senior Citizen Services Tax Fund; Kim Brashear, GHCAA Garden Manager; Diana Hoppe, Secretary Grundy County Senior Citizen Services Tax Fund; Terri Henderson, Project Manager for GHCAA; and Craig Latham, Garden Site Worker. Not pictured is Sharon Ferris, Treasurer for Grundy County Senior Citizens Services Tax Fund.

Interest is running high by gardeners of all ages for the Grundy County Community Garden Project. Land, which has been leased to Green Hills Community Action Agency for $1 annually, is being provided by the First Christian Church. This garden is for low income persons, as well as members of the general public. Low income persons will receive seeds free of charge.  A family of one can make $13,613; family of two can make $18,388; a family of 3 can make $23,163; while a family of four can make $27,938 to qualify for free seeds. Those not interested in qualifying based on income can pay a small fee for seeds to cover garden costs. Last year, gardeners from all income level participated as one common community. According to project manager, Terri Henderson, it was “great to see everyone come together regardless of income growing healthy, local food.”

Green Hills Community Action Agency will seek members of the general public to sponsor needy families for $150/year to plant individual, small gardens. GHCAA will teach gardening skills to interested persons. Each gardener will be required to pay $1 membership fee, sign by-laws, a media release form, and a liability waiver form. Garden seeds will be provided for participants.

Two of the jobs from last year for this project will be retained. Craig Latham will again be working the project. The second position has been filled internally by Kim Brashear who will serve as garden manager.

Persons who wish to sign up or obtain more information may call Kim Brashear at 660-359-3907, ext. 1020

This project/program is funded in whole/or part with funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division.  The funds received from the Family Support Division are all federally funded.