One of the things that I enjoy about living in Maplewood, is the overall awareness about fresh food access that has been developing in the community. I am exceptionally keen on what local organizations are doing or have developed in response to concerns about food, where it comes from and ensuring adequate access to fresh food resources as a community.
Last year, one of these organizations, Maplewood United Christ Church was the site of a ‘Food Pantry Bucket Garden’. According to the pastor of Maplewood United Christ Church Reverand Betty Sue Sherrod and a key member on the project, Jan Roddy, ‘Approximately 30 vegetable plants/buckets were grown in an area near the church parking lot with the help of a portable irrigation system and another 20 were dispersed to be taken home by congregation members.
From late July through September fresh produce like tomatoes, squash and peppers were harvested and delivered to the neighboring St. Vincent DePaul food pantry at Immaculate Conception Church once or twice a week for distribution to neighbors who do not have enough to eat and little access to healthy, fresh produce.’ 2013 was the 1st year of the project; buckets were utilized in a ‘container garden’ approach for gardening in the urban landscape.
This was a cost effective and efficient mechanism to also bring ‘community awareness of the environmental, health and financial benefits of local/urban food production.’ Currently, the church is reviewing the success of the garden and how the project may potentially continue to grow and develop additional community partnerships as a call to enhance the viability of expanding the project, these ideas include seeking potential community garden space that can be utilized in partnership with both the community and to expand this resource.
In other neighborhoods throughout St. Louis, other food pantries have been able to access partnerships with community gardens in order to offset the nutrition gap for underprivileged populations in efforts to help ensure that those who may not have the ability can have access to optimize the health benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer months.