Extension
It Starts With Us
Home Horticulture - Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Home Horticulture
Imbus, Turner, Koester
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Master Gardener
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Collaborations with: City of Dayton, City of Silver Grove, Northern Kentucky University, Campbell County Detention Center, Brighton Center, Hosea House, Holly Hill Children’s Home, VA Medical Center Recreation Therapy, Ft. Thomas Public Schools, and Active Day Adult Daycare will help to provide space to incorporate learning opportunities and educational assistance to individuals and families about vegetable gardening, horticulture and other environmental topics. These programs also allow a safe space for individuals to incorporate horticulture therapy as part of a healing process into their lives.
Provide the opportunity for healthy, sustainable food, and act as a catalyst for community engagement and developing partnerships.
Provide the tools and resources to help participants, who may have mental and or physical disabilities, engage in horticulture programming. Provide an increase in community development, an increase in healthier recipes and cooking with produce from the garden, and an increase in economic development.
Provide opportunity for more participants by increasing the number of garden plots. Work to improve conditions of the gardens through soil amendments, composting and educating gardeners about vegetable pests and diseases (BMP).
Long-term outcome: Increase collaboration with local government, schools, and businesses to invest in gardening space and or other horticulture programming
Indicator: Increase of gardening participation
Method: On-site demonstration, publications
Timeline:2023-2024
Intermediate outcome: Integrate horticulture programming and access to all.
Indicator: Increase awareness of mental and physical improvements while gardening and eating more fruit and vegetables
Method: schools, local government, rehabilitation facilities, non-profit organizations
Timeline:2023-2024
Initial outcome: Provide basic horticulture programming and growing programs for new gardeners
Indicator: County increase need of farm to table programming as indicated by county assessment report 2019
Method: community garden programs
Timeline: 2023-2024
Audience: Community Gardeners
Project or Activity: Organic gardening classes, food safety classes, cooking classes, small space gardening
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technicians, Master Gardener Volunteers
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Horticulture Therapy and community gardens
Project or Activity: Lakeside Educational gardens, KY proud recipes and harvesting techniques
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technicians, Master Gardener Volunteers
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Public
Project or Activity: TV segments and Gardening Radio show on 91.7 WVXU.
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technicians, FCS, Statewide Horticulture AgentsDate: 2023-2024
Audience: Newport Youth Leadership Program
Project or Activity: Build agriculture awareness
Curriculum: Agriculture Awareness, Farm Tours, Farm to School
Inputs: Agent, Brighton Center Youth Leadership Program, Host Farms/Farmers
Date: Summer 2023
Author: Sarah Imbus
Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
According to the USDA Farm to School Census (https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/), school gardening across the country is on the rise. Research continues to show that engaging students in gardening promotes healthier eating habits, improves mental and physical health, builds awareness in agriculture and horticulture career opportunities, builds a sense of community and belonging, and provides a safe space for hands on experimental learning (https://www.naae.org/profdevelopment/magazine/arch
