eNEWS
JULY 2010 > FOG installing GIFT Gardens at Alachua County Administration Building Saturday, July 10
Florida Organic Growers (FOG) is collaborating with community partners to install the Downtown Farmer's Garden at the Alachua County Administration Building at University Ave. and Main St. in downtown Gainesville, Fla. Visitors are invited to come for refreshments and to hear remarks from County staff and project partners beginning at 10 a.m. July 10.
The first phase of the project occurred June 29 when members of Alachua YouthBuild removed existing landscaping (pictured above). On July 10, staff from FOG and Abundant Edible Landscapes will work with members of the University of Florida Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership & Sustainability, County staff and interns, and other volunteers to install a variety of edible fruit and vegetable plants and trees along with raised-bed GIFT Gardens.
Also participating will be Home Depot, which is donating equipment; Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine, which is donating medicinal plants; Edible Plant Project, also donating plants; Living Tree Services, which donated mulch; The Herb Garden, which is supplying herbs; and Soil Enrichment Products, which is suppying the amended soil. Also featured in the Downtown Farmer's Garden will be rain barrels and composters to increase sustainability of the area. Generous funding from the Downtown Gainesville Rotary Club is making the project possible, along with enthusiastic cooperation from Alachua County staff and interns.
The Alachua County Administration Building will be one of more than 200 sites in Alachua County where GIFT Gardens have been installed since 2008. GIFT Gardens provides free raised-bed vegetable gardens to residents of Alachua County with low incomes and the organizations that serve those residents. The Downtown Farmer's Garden will be a living classroom for growing organic fruits and vegetables while providing fresh, healthy and local food to nutritionally disadvantaged communities.
The primary funding for GIFT Gardens comes from Alachua County, the City of Gainesville, and private donations through the sale of 1-4-1 GIFT Gardens. 1-4-1 GIFT Gardens give those with higher incomes the opportunity to purchase a raised-bed GIFT Garden, and each purchase provides funds for FOG to install a free garden for a low-income resident. A portion of each sale is tax deductible.
For information about GIFT Gardens call 352.377.6345 or email christine@foginfo.org.
RESOURCES
GIFT Gardens
Alachua County Sustainability
Alachua County Press Release
Abundant Edible Landscapes
Alachua YouthBuild
University of Florida Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership & Sustainability
Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine
Edible Plant Project
Florida Living Tree Service
Soil Enrichment Products
The Herb Garden