Video: Winston County Community Garden

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WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)-Winston County Officials, leaders, and local citizens are coming together to establish a community garden.

The spot just off Old Robinson Road in Louisville.

Some crops can already be seen growing in raised beds, but the bulk of planting hasn’t happened yet.

County supervisors have allocated the funds and Extension Director Mike Skipper is hoping to educate the public, while providing an affordable and healthy eating alternative.

“Way to teach gardening to people. Ways to increase food supply, healthy quality food supplies. Because here in our county its well, we have about a 33% obesity rate,” said Mike Skipper, MSU Extension Director.

Raised beds have been provided at no cost to the community grower, there are even 2 handicapped accessible beds as well.

“Some of those are through local churches, some of those are with local youth groups. Many of those are just community citizens in our local area that was looking for a spot to grow to teach. One of the plots for example is by a local police officer who wanted it simply to teach work ethics and the importance of growing produce they can enjoy at the table,” said Skipper.

Each community grower is asked to sketch a diagram of what will grow in their 48 square foot plot of ground.

“And she is going to establish bell peppers, egg plants, and summer squash. And she went through a three row planting. The remainder part of her bed, she is going to use a small bush snap bean, contender is a great well bushed snap bean,” said Skipper.

With their growing space well fertilized, green thumbed experts are on hand to guide these novice growers through a successful project they can be proud of.

So the most important thing to me is the technical resource person. Its to make sure, regardless of their knowledge basis of gardening, that everything they do is going to be conducive to them being totally successful for the growing season,” said Skipper.

In those beds are strawberries, broccoli, and english peas.

The remainder of the planting takes place this week.

 

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