MACON, Ga. — On Saturday, several Grow Macon Volunteers planted crops in nearly 20 raised garden beds installed at individual apartments in the complex across from 1108 Eastview Avenue.
It was part of an initiative t create a community garden for the area.
The first round of plants in the beds are cold weather crops, like collards, broccoli, cabbage, lemon grass, snapdragons, mustard greens, pansies, cilantro, and parsley. All the plants were bought by Grow Macon from the horticultural and agricultural departments at Northeast High School and Appling Middle School.
"We really want to help get more people, especially those in low-income communities, to grow fresh food on their own," says Charmiska Myers, a lifelong resident of East Macon and founder of Grow Macon. "We'll be showing them what to do, providing them with easy-to-use pamphlets, and giving them a number to call if they need further assistance."
The apartment complex is where most of the children Grow Macon serve live, and the gardens are part of Grow Macon's Shared Roots Initiative.
In a release, Grow Macon said the project was "an urban community garden project dedicated to reducing food insecurity and providing more supervised youth activities while fostering character development and relationship building within their community."
"These new beds and the nearby community garden will serve as a transformative force for the area by bringing people together and helping build relationships as they work towards a common goal," adds Myers. "I see this as more than just a source of fresh produce; it will be a catalyst for building a sense of community pride, purpose, and ownership."
For more information about the community garden and how you can get involved with Grow Macon, please contact Charmiska Myers at growmaconnpo@gmail.com or call 478-216-8447.