Whitney LeBlanc works on watering the raised beds of vegetables at the Community Action Council of Howard County’s community garden outside Baltimore. The produce grown in the garden supports the Howard County Food Bank. (Brian Krista/The Baltimore Sun/TNS)
Federal officials are moving ahead with a new effort to make community gardens across the country more accessible to people with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living said that it has selected 70 winning teams for its Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge.
The national competition solicited ideas for making community gardens more accessible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as those with paralysis and other physical disabilities and older adults.
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Winning teams proposed alterations including adjustments to raised bed heights, adaptive gardening tools and inclusion programs, HHS said.
“Every American should have the opportunity to grow real food, spend time outdoors and participate in a healthy community,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These teams are removing barriers that keep older adults and people with disabilities from taking part in community gardens. By making these spaces more accessible, they are expanding access to nutritious food, healthy activity and the community connections that help people live healthier lives.”
The winning teams from Phase 1 of the competition will receive $4,000 each. The teams are now eligible to participate in Phase 2 where they can execute their plans and potentially earn another $8,000 depending on their results.
The Cultivating Connected Communities Prize Challenge is part of the Department of Agriculture’s The People’s Garden initiative, which connects community gardens across the U.S.
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