Annual gardening conference focuses on community building

Gardeners from across the state assembled for the third annual N.C. Community Garden Partners annual conference on Oct. 25, in the Sherrill Center at UNC Asheville. This year’s conference focused on “Growing Garden Connections” with panels centered on creating opportunities for collaboration and partnerships between gardens as well as community organizations.

Together we grow: How gardens are raising food and creating community

Feeding America estimates that 100,000 people in Western North Carolina are experiencing food insecurity. Winter heating bills, new restrictions to food stamp eligibility and rising medical costs may be increasing situational poverty.  But if a lack of access to food is a growing problem, some across the region are working on a growing solution. Read more in part two of our series looking at how community gardens are fighting hunger — from the ground up.

Growing community gardens: How networks of growers seek to end food waste and hunger

Each year, area food assistance programs seek out locally grown produce in their fight against food insecurity. But as some services struggle to provide enough food, some growers face an overabundance of certain crops — which may end up in a compost pile or rotting on the stock. Part one of our two-part series on community gardens looks at how growers are working together to eliminate food waste — and fighting hunger from the ground up.

In the Garden

  Gardens that give A half-acre doesn’t sound like a lot of land, but it’s more than enough for The Lord’s Acre. This volunteer-based garden in Fairview grew more than 34 tons of organic produce in its first four years, which is quite a feat for a small, community-minded garden with a philanthropic mission. The […]