Community Gardens Farmed by Kingsport Housing Tenants Expanding Benefit Neighborhood

There's nothing like learning to grow fresh produce and being able to have it to supplement a healthy diet. Recently, the Greater Kingsport Alliance for Development, the nonprofit arm of Kingsport Housing & Redevelopment Authority (KHRA), was awarded three grants from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association to establish community gardens at Frank L. Cloud Apartments, Holly Hills Apartments, and Dogwood Terrace.

The gardens will be similar to those constructed last summer at Robert E. Lee Apartments, thanks to a $2,000 grant from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association, as well as a $500 gift from the Farm Bureau. The City of Kingsport donated compost to fill those raised beds, while Lowe's donated some of the plants, and the United Way of Greater Kingsport provided volunteers to start the construction during a Day of Caring last June.

"Kids, families and communities are strengthened when they are reunited with the earth, digging in the soil together with their hands and seeing the benefit of their efforts," said Ed Ellis, HUD Knoxville Field Office Director.

Each $2,000 award will be used to bring raised-bed community gardens to these three public housing developments. Master gardeners from Harvest of Hope Community Gardens, the UT Extension Service, and KHRA residents and staff worked to build the garden, and children from the neighborhood and Kingsport Parks and Recreation Summer Camp also pitched in to help.

The Lee Community Garden was a huge success, and the UT Extension Service and master gardeners held a canning class to teach residents how to preserve food harvested from the garden. Residents canned 34 pints of green beans last fall. Other vegetables grown in the garden included peppers, squash, cucumbers, radishes, okra, lettuce, tomatoes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and spinach.

KHRA plans to replicate all of these efforts at the new community gardens at Cloud, Holly Hills and Dogwood Terrace. The gardens will be constructed next to KHRA's offices in each of the developments. Residents, both children and adults, will be encouraged to participate in the construction of the gardens. Residents will also be needed to plant seeds and plants, maintain the gardens, and harvest the vegetables. All vegetables grown in the gardens will benefit the residents who live in these developments.

The community gardens will foster a sense of community pride, as neighbors work side by side to help neighbors. It's a win-win for everyone.

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