Report From PIA – September 26 – on assignment in North Carolina
As part of the Garden Writers Association meeting, I toured several public gardens today. The highpoint for me was the stop at Seeds. This non-profit says that its goal is “to teach people to care for the earth, themselves and each other through a variety of garden based programs.”
As our bus pulled up to their gardens in Durham, NC, one of the Seeds volunteers explained that there were community garden plots and a greenhouse on the right, and on the left was a market garden. Young people between the ages of 13 and 18 are paid a small stipend to work in the market garden, growing organic produce that is sold at farmer’s markets.
This youth-driven, urban farming project isn’t just about teaching these teens to grow vegetables, the volunteer explained, “We’re also teaching them mindfulness. We’re teaching them to think about what they eat and what that means for their health and their bodies. We want them to make informed and mindful choices.”
This is so fantastic, I think as I prepare the photos for this post, sipping a Starbucks Chai Latte….
Hmmmm…how much sugar is in this drink? Is this really the best choice I could have made for my health and body?
Seeds have been planted.
There are several sizes and styles of plots in the Community Garden side of the Seeds property.
This sign on the fence says it all.
The butterfly garden displays plants that attract insects, and the mural depicts how gardening extends from our hands into the world.
