Donated Food from Raised Wicking Bed at the Extension Office

Need: The pandemic has caused many residents in the county to become out of work and thus making it harder to provide for their family. Local food pantries are overwhelmed with the number of residents needing help feeding their families. The horticulture assistant wanted to help feed residents and supply them healthy options.

Impact: At the Barn located next to the McCracken County Cooperative Extension Office we have a demonstration garden so residents can learn more about horticulture and gardening. The garden has five raised wicking beds and seven pallet gardens. In these beds and pallet gardens we have a pollinator garden, sweet basil, Greek basil, hot peppers, sweet potatoes, lavender, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, bee balm, kale, purple basil, ornamental plants, sunflowers, and ornamental peppers. At our Twilight Tour at the barn the horticulture assistant gathered small bags and put purple basil and sweet basil with nutritional recipes attached to the bags for residents who attended. The event was open to the public. The horticulture assistant gathers hot peppers weekly from the raised wicking beds and weighs the harvest. After weighing the hot peppers, the horticulture assistant separates the peppers into small bags, labels the bags, and places them into the food donation box located at the McCracken County Extension office. The horticulture assistant has donated 3 lbs. and 10.6 ounces of hot peppers.

Outcome: McCracken County residents have access to nutritional recipes and healthy options to help provide for their family. The recipes were from the SNAP Program offered at the extension office. From the donated purple basil, sweet basil, and hot peppers residents can provide healthy meals for their families.