Mercer County Gets A Green Thumb
Blue Grass Community Action and Mercer County Extension Help Families Grow Fresh Produce
The Community Garden located at Anderson-Dean Community Park was being planted on Tuesday. Pictured are Eloise Williams, Mary Standifer, Bobbie Hancock, Jessica Bessin, Donna Linton and Carrington Yates.
Jennifer Marsh
Herald Staff
jmarsh@harrodsburgherald.com
The Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office and the Blue Grass Community Action Partnership has a free community garden.
The garden is located at Anderson-Dean Community Park behind the Ruby Dunn Senior Citizen’s Center and is a free, healthy alternative for fresh produce to low-income families.
Eloise Williams turns her raised bed garden on Tuesday, May 14.
“Each family gets a raised bed to garden and I offer classes on growing tips here once a month,” said Jessica Bessin, horticulture agent for the extension office. “Bobbie Hancock offers nutritional cooking classes for what has been grown. It is a great program.”
Bessin said each family provides the labor for the garden and gets to take their produce home.
“We teach different methods and allow for many different types of things to be grown,” said Bessin. “Each family is responsible for their own bed.”
Donna Linton has had a box for several years and was surprised by how much she has harvested.
“Last year, I harvested red and cherry tomatoes along with cantaloupe, peppers, cucumbers, squash and much more from my one small box,” said Linton. “I made a delicious salsa from it.”
Linton said she sometimes gives her harvest to residents at the senior center but they also have their own bed at the garden.
Serving Anderson, Boyle, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties since 1964, Blue Grass Community Action offers a variety of programs to enhance the quality of life for local residents with programs for basic needs.
For more information about the community garden, contact Jessica Bessin at 734-4378.
Read the rest of the story on page 1A of this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald or click here to subscribe.
