Volunteer opportunity helps families grow food where they live.

Last year with the help of over 75 volunteers from our county, a local neighborhood became a Micro Farm right in city limits. In one day, two 1,000 square foot gardens were built, over 50 fruit trees and shrubs were installed, and six handicap accessible garden beds were built with the help of hard working volunteers.

Since June 2015, members of the Ashley Meadows community have been growing their own food while learning about gardening, cooking, and canning all at the same time. This site was the pilot for the Grow Food Where People Live Program and we couldn’t be more excited to share that we are expanding!

Grow Food Where People Live is direct action to address childhood and rural poverty and the related nutrition epidemic through the installation of food producing landscapes in areas of need throughout Polk County, N.C. With the power of volunteers nothing is impossible, and it is your chance to take an active role in making Polk County a leader in the food security movement.

On May 21, from 8:30 to 3:30 p.m., Grow Food Where People Live will be hosting a volunteer workday to install gardens and fruiting shrubs at Thermal Belt Outreach as well as make additional improvements at Ashley Meadows. Volunteers will receive a t-shirt and a tasty lunch for their contribution.

Additionally, we will have workshops on permaculture, cooking, and gardening during the day. Come meet your neighbors and help us put food on the tables of those in need. Interested volunteers should sign up at growfoodwherepeoplelive.org. Volunteers are asked to sign up no later than May 1.

Grow Food Where People Live is a joint initiative of Groundswell International and Polk County Agricultural Economic Development. The program is designed to improve the health, food security, and economic wellbeing of people in Polk County by supporting them as they grow their own food, learn valuable skills and organize food-buying clubs to improve their household economies, and start market gardens and food-related enterprises to earn more income.

For more information, visit growfoodwherepeoplelive.org,  groundswellinternational.org or email Sydney Klein at sydney@growfoodwherepeoplelive.com.

-Submitted by Sidney Klein